Man O’ Man, Buy A Clue Or Six!

Morning and I get myself going, coffee, news feed a few barbs with a morning coffee buddy and open my email. I see a request from an individual to be added to my network on LinkedIn.

I do not just auto accept requests. I do not just make requests to connect with an individual based on autosuggestion either. If I request of someone it is because there is a commonality. It is because I can envision that there could possibly be a reason in the future where the individual I request of and I just may have reason to communicate.

I went and viewed the profile of the individual making the request to join my network. I wasn’t impressed when I got there and looked. I was flat out appalled when I read a piece he’d posted. The glaring error in spelling the least of my objections.

I wasn’t real pleased with a comment that was made on the piece either. I left a comment for the commenter who states that they are the Sales & Marketing Manager for a company in Mississauga, Ontario. Part of what I said in response reflected that the entity that employs the individual is also represented by the employee.

I popped on to LinkedIn to check the individual’s title as I was writing this and I can see this person has gone and looked at my profile.

I know who the individual’s employer is and I let that entity know I saw an action by their employee that was inappropriate and I saw this person as a representative of that company.

Yes we are all private citizens but when we tie ourselves to other entities, especially employers we MUST consider how what we do will reflect on those other entities. If we are going to make a public personal statement that can be inflammatory then we MUST act responsibly and separate ourselves.

A while back I started a second blog. It was designed to do something that had no place with the Coaching, Coping, Photography, Art, Poetry and life moments I was showing on transitionu. What I wanted to do I’ve done and yes both are me but I have also shown that I recognize the difference between church and state and conduct myself accordingly.

I wondered what could have possibly made the individual looking to make a connection with me think I would have any interest in anything they represent.

This is what I believe happened. I believe the individual read this piece I posted, “WTF LinkedIn? ” and came to the conclusion that we’d make a good fit. I’m reasonably certain this person thought I was condemning the behaviour of a person and I wasn’t. I was taking a shot at LinkedIn for not policing their site better!

Do you think the title of that piece just might be a clue to the motivator?

In the moment, I am not going to tell you the name of the person who was looking for the connection. I’m not going to tell you the name of the commenter I slapped with my comment. I’m not going to tell you name of that individuals employer either. Should those two individuals read this, and the one individual’s employer read this piece, this is what we call sensitive and considerate.

Sensitivity and consideration to my mind are sadly lacking in the two individuals noted.

G.R. Hambley – all rights reserved
October 02, 2015

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