Dear pipsqueaks,
After enduring a very tiring day of meetings, I think I'm just about done with what everyone else thinks. Right now, it's what I'm thinking that is most important. It's ME time. Then again, some people don't think that is possible - to have a personal and work life, where a clear line can be drawn. Well, why not? It's not as if we're Hollywood superstars that are under the spotlight all the time. If that is the case, then yes, most likely you will not be able to have a personal life. However, this is obviously NOT the case with us. You really think people care so much as to taking us to court for the things we say? Of course not! As if we're that important! Please.
Mostly, the debate was regarding the use of Social Media.
Two things:
Some believed that being in the position that we are in the company, we cannot be active on Social Media. In fact, we shouldn't even BE on Social Media. We shouldn't be sharing our personal opinions on anything relating to work as a whole. It must be neutral so to avoid others from taking it as the opinion/view of the company.
Huh? I don't remember seeing this clause in my work contract. I mean, we are most certainly entitled to our opinions on the happenings, as long as it does not shed any negative light on the company. Isn't that the ultimate concern, that what is being said has a negative outlook on the company? Then stick with that! Don't take down the whole idea of Social Media simply because of the fear of saying something stupid that you can't take back. If you can't even decide whether something is appropriate in the first place, then yes, by all means you really should NOT be on Social Media. Otherwise, why spoil the fun for others?
To be frank, it also comes down to how you manage your account. Do you accept just about everyone who requests, or do you only accept your real friends. Of course, where you draw the lines between your tiers of friends is up to you. Certainly, you should be able to identify which friends would take your thoughts/comments/posts as your own - not to associate it to anyone or anything else. That comes with understanding. If you cannot judge which friends are in that circle, then you really should reconsider being on Social Media.
Or, you can have two accounts: one for your work friends and one for your personal friends. The comment I will remember most about this one is, "how can you have two profiles when there is only one you?" I'm glad to hear that there are still very sincere/all-out people out there (who believe in sharing all of oneself with everyone), but certainly, there are things you would only share with your personal friends - photos of your over-the-top dinner, sexy party dresses and fabulous travels around the world - that would not be suitable for work. I mean, isn't that what Social Media is for? To stay connected with your friends who would really prefer to be there with you but cannot physically be there so you post updates to keep them in the loop? If it isn't, I'd like to hear what else it could possibly be for. Oh, please do tell me.
Work account for work friends sound very legit. These people are people you see everyday or periodically and have a good relationship, but they will never be "real friends". They will never know your full story, the dramatic breakups, the kind of food you like, the genre of movie you watch, or the type of holiday you enjoy. In fact, they aren't interested even if you would share that kind of information simply because it would almost feel inappropriate - TMI - for them. However, they are people who you would enjoy a good corporate dinner or a week-long meeting fighting battles together. They are people who understand your frustrations with work and what goes on in your field. Why? Because they are a part of that network - that particular slice of your life. They are comfortable there.
Now, of course, there are people who fall very well between the two worlds, and if they do, they will most likely know enough to be sensible with what is being shared. Well, at least my friends who do are very well aware of that. Hence, their special status. Otherwise, I'm quite clear who can be on which account. Work friends will NEVER be in my personal account, period. However, if my personal friends would like to be in my work account, they're most welcome. It's definitely more 'professional' aka 'not-my-crazy-self', but is a platform where I share about my life at work. That is clear.
There are other professional platforms - ex. LinkedIn - for work networking, but there isn't so much socialising on those. It's practically a place where you post your work experiences and do profile searches of everyone else. That is precisely why a less formal platform would be more useful in getting to know the people you work with without knowing too much about them.
To sum it up, I do think employees have the right to their opinions and I do believe two profiles can work for those who know how to use it. The worst thing is to simply turn it down completely without even understanding the possibilities. That's precisely it - fearing the unknown and how easy it is just to say 'no'. Here is a fact: Social Media is necessary and very much a part of our lives. You must learn to adapt or risk being swept back into your cave. The choice is yours.
Last, but not least, do not chain down others for your own uncertainties - your lack of knowledge and unwillingness to learn should not be a burden on others.
After enduring a very tiring day of meetings, I think I'm just about done with what everyone else thinks. Right now, it's what I'm thinking that is most important. It's ME time. Then again, some people don't think that is possible - to have a personal and work life, where a clear line can be drawn. Well, why not? It's not as if we're Hollywood superstars that are under the spotlight all the time. If that is the case, then yes, most likely you will not be able to have a personal life. However, this is obviously NOT the case with us. You really think people care so much as to taking us to court for the things we say? Of course not! As if we're that important! Please.
Mostly, the debate was regarding the use of Social Media.
Two things:
- whether we should be able to speak our minds
- whether multiple profiles can do the trick
Huh? I don't remember seeing this clause in my work contract. I mean, we are most certainly entitled to our opinions on the happenings, as long as it does not shed any negative light on the company. Isn't that the ultimate concern, that what is being said has a negative outlook on the company? Then stick with that! Don't take down the whole idea of Social Media simply because of the fear of saying something stupid that you can't take back. If you can't even decide whether something is appropriate in the first place, then yes, by all means you really should NOT be on Social Media. Otherwise, why spoil the fun for others?
To be frank, it also comes down to how you manage your account. Do you accept just about everyone who requests, or do you only accept your real friends. Of course, where you draw the lines between your tiers of friends is up to you. Certainly, you should be able to identify which friends would take your thoughts/comments/posts as your own - not to associate it to anyone or anything else. That comes with understanding. If you cannot judge which friends are in that circle, then you really should reconsider being on Social Media.
Or, you can have two accounts: one for your work friends and one for your personal friends. The comment I will remember most about this one is, "how can you have two profiles when there is only one you?" I'm glad to hear that there are still very sincere/all-out people out there (who believe in sharing all of oneself with everyone), but certainly, there are things you would only share with your personal friends - photos of your over-the-top dinner, sexy party dresses and fabulous travels around the world - that would not be suitable for work. I mean, isn't that what Social Media is for? To stay connected with your friends who would really prefer to be there with you but cannot physically be there so you post updates to keep them in the loop? If it isn't, I'd like to hear what else it could possibly be for. Oh, please do tell me.
Work account for work friends sound very legit. These people are people you see everyday or periodically and have a good relationship, but they will never be "real friends". They will never know your full story, the dramatic breakups, the kind of food you like, the genre of movie you watch, or the type of holiday you enjoy. In fact, they aren't interested even if you would share that kind of information simply because it would almost feel inappropriate - TMI - for them. However, they are people who you would enjoy a good corporate dinner or a week-long meeting fighting battles together. They are people who understand your frustrations with work and what goes on in your field. Why? Because they are a part of that network - that particular slice of your life. They are comfortable there.
Now, of course, there are people who fall very well between the two worlds, and if they do, they will most likely know enough to be sensible with what is being shared. Well, at least my friends who do are very well aware of that. Hence, their special status. Otherwise, I'm quite clear who can be on which account. Work friends will NEVER be in my personal account, period. However, if my personal friends would like to be in my work account, they're most welcome. It's definitely more 'professional' aka 'not-my-crazy-self', but is a platform where I share about my life at work. That is clear.
There are other professional platforms - ex. LinkedIn - for work networking, but there isn't so much socialising on those. It's practically a place where you post your work experiences and do profile searches of everyone else. That is precisely why a less formal platform would be more useful in getting to know the people you work with without knowing too much about them.
To sum it up, I do think employees have the right to their opinions and I do believe two profiles can work for those who know how to use it. The worst thing is to simply turn it down completely without even understanding the possibilities. That's precisely it - fearing the unknown and how easy it is just to say 'no'. Here is a fact: Social Media is necessary and very much a part of our lives. You must learn to adapt or risk being swept back into your cave. The choice is yours.
Last, but not least, do not chain down others for your own uncertainties - your lack of knowledge and unwillingness to learn should not be a burden on others.