Comments on: Do employees and bosses really want to be “friends”? http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2007/07/10/do-employees-and-bosses-really-want-to-be-friends/ A Blog Community for Business Communicators Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:54:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Mike Klein http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2007/07/10/do-employees-and-bosses-really-want-to-be-friends/#comment-13274 Mike Klein Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:09:35 +0000 http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2007/07/10/do-employees-and-bosses-really-want-to-be-friends/#comment-13274 I think it really depends on the relationship. I'd happily be Facebook buddies with my current managers, but I would prefer to be boiled in hydrochloric acid than to have that kind of exposure to one of my more troublesome recent bosses. Still, I'd hate to see this become some kind of a broad-brush taboo like office dating has become in some circles. Mike Klein The Hague, NL I think it really depends on the relationship.

I’d happily be Facebook buddies with my current managers, but I would prefer to be boiled in hydrochloric acid than to have that kind of exposure to one of my more troublesome recent bosses.

Still, I’d hate to see this become some kind of a broad-brush taboo like office dating has become in some circles.

Mike Klein
The Hague, NL

]]> By: Amy http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2007/07/10/do-employees-and-bosses-really-want-to-be-friends/#comment-13273 Amy Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:37:24 +0000 http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2007/07/10/do-employees-and-bosses-really-want-to-be-friends/#comment-13273 Hi, Julie. Great to see you contributing!! I've seen something similar on LinkedIn, where a boss who has actually almost fired a certain person was also one of that person's recommendations on the LinkedIn site. If someone - at any level - asks you for an endorsement or vote or whatever we want to call requests for recommendation or friendship, it's almost churlish not to say OK. I wonder if it will lead to people having two personas -- a public one for bosses and acquaintences, and a super-private one for true friends only. If so, that's going to be hard to manage; I can hardly keep straight all my PINS and passwords, much less being a public persona and a private persona at the same time. - Amy Hi, Julie. Great to see you contributing!! I’ve seen something similar on LinkedIn, where a boss who has actually almost fired a certain person was also one of that person’s recommendations on the LinkedIn site. If someone - at any level - asks you for an endorsement or vote or whatever we want to call requests for recommendation or friendship, it’s almost churlish not to say OK. I wonder if it will lead to people having two personas — a public one for bosses and acquaintences, and a super-private one for true friends only. If so, that’s going to be hard to manage; I can hardly keep straight all my PINS and passwords, much less being a public persona and a private persona at the same time. - Amy

]]> By: Eirene http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2007/07/10/do-employees-and-bosses-really-want-to-be-friends/#comment-13272 Eirene Thu, 12 Jul 2007 08:36:52 +0000 http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2007/07/10/do-employees-and-bosses-really-want-to-be-friends/#comment-13272 It is not a good idea to mix personal and professional lives. The problem is many people have not learned to carry over real-world common-sense, office etiquette, and professional behavior to the Internet. I suggest that people whose careers can benefit from networking on sites such as Facebook or profession related forums keep a professional persona. As an outlet for fun and more socializing, participate in other website forums and social networking sites--and do not mix the, too. Be careful about how much information (especially personal information) that you provide on the internet, period. Too many people, reveal participation in other websites (IM address, webpages, photo sites) that makes it easy to figure out one's identity, which renders a screen name useless. People should designate specific sites and forums for business and others for pleasure or play. It is not a good idea to mix personal and professional lives. The problem is many people have not learned to carry over real-world common-sense, office etiquette, and professional behavior to the Internet.

I suggest that people whose careers can benefit from networking on sites such as Facebook or profession related forums keep a professional persona. As an outlet for fun and more socializing, participate in other website forums and social networking sites–and do not mix the, too. Be careful about how much information (especially personal information) that you provide on the internet, period. Too many people, reveal participation in other websites (IM address, webpages, photo sites) that makes it easy to figure out one’s identity, which renders a screen name useless.
People should designate specific sites and forums for business and others for pleasure or play.

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