Now that everyone and their cousin is on Facebook, you’ll probably run across this problem — what do you do if your boss asks to “friend” you?
Phil Gerbyshak tackles this timely issue on his blog, reminding us that navigating the friend/no friend waters can be tricky and loaded with unexpected hazards. His advice to not cross the personal/professional line is standard good business. Read the whole article here.
I wonder, though, if this isn’t a generational issue that some of us are on the “wrong” side of?
From what I hear, younger workers (and their often equally young bosses) don’t have the same views on keeping work and personal life separate as dinosaurs like me have. If you’re working in a hip, tech-oriented company and your whole department is all over social media, then connecting with everyone on Facebook is probably the modern equivelent of the water cooler — everyone who’s anyone drops by several times a day to keep up with the latest news. In that case, not joining in could brand you as an outsider, unfriendly, out of the loop, or just not a team player — any of which could mean death to your next promotion.
Regardless of your company culture, keep your Facebook (and Twitter) profiles clean, well-groomed and ready for public inspection at any time. Even if you do decide not to friend your boss, your info can easily get passed around by friends-of-friends and your boss could end up seeing something you’d rather she not know about.
I’m curious — what do you think about bosses and employees connecting on Facebook? Would you/do you do it, and why or why not?
