Top 3 Things To Do When Your Boss Finds You in Facebook
Don’t panic. It’s just a little invite from your boss. But seriously, what would you do if your boss were to find you in Facebook and sent a request to be your friend? Now, your boss will see your photos in the last party you’ve attended. Don’t forget that awful rant slash shout-out you posted on your wall when the boss asked you to revise the Word document five times! It seems like a tricky situation but there are actually three things that you could do when this happens.
Make a decision!
To add or not to add? That is the question. If you add your boss as your friend in Facebook, he/she will have access to most of your personal stuff: your rants and raves in the shout out box, photos, videos, and even messages from friends. If you chose to reject his/her request, it could jeopardize your relationship with your boss. You actually have two options to this dilemma: one, is to add him/her as a friend but limit their access to your profile. two, let your boss know that you’re not comfortable mixing your personal life with your professional life. Option two seems to be quite difficult to do based on my personality. So I don’t think I will ever have the guts to tell my boss that. But we have to admit that it solves the problem quite easily. So at this point, the best route is option number one. This can be pretty tedious on your part but you’ll soon find that it has some benefits, too. Read on to find out. {I am not sure how this is suppose to read if this is suppose to be something you have written you are the boss so that last sentence does not make sense your call}
Do an audit and draw the line
If you chose to add your boss as a friend in Facebook and you think that there are some portions that you didn’t want to share, then you have to do an audit. What do you want him/her to see? What are things you don’t want them to see? Are you feeling like a member of the Board of Film Censors already? This is actually very easy and fun. All you have to do is log on to Facebook, go to Settings, click on Privacy Settings, amend your limited profile list and specify your limited content. And voila, you can now choose what he/she can or cannot see. Based on experience, the most viewed portions of a Facebook profile are the Photos page and the Wall. You may experiment and limit as you please. Another way of limiting people in having access to your profile is by creating a group with different levels of privacy settings. By forming a group, you can share common things not only with your boss but also with the other people in your friends list. These are just some of the ways to keep workplace connections in Facebook without letting them totally intrude your personal life.
Always keep in mind that you don’t have to share everything with everyone.
Use it wisely
With the increasing popularity of social media networks, it’s already becoming a permanent part of the workplace. However, there are some things that we can learn from this. One of which is how we can use these social networking sites wisely. Honestly, if I wanted to connect with my boss professionally, I’d rather add her in LinkedIn than in Facebook. She doesn’t really need to know about my frequent trips to the beach or how much I hate the hideous gladiator boots in the mall. I’d rather use Facebook for my personal relationships rather than professional. But of course, if I were placed in the unavoidable situation, then I’ll try my best to get to know my boss and see how I can better work with her. Based on what you know about your boss, how can I connect with her? What kind of personality does she have and how can this help me work with her better. Believe me, no employee wishes to have a hard time dealing with his or her boss. Thanks to the internet, we now have a means to get to know our bosses. But a word of caution, do not get too personal. Remember that you are a professional and must remain professional. Consider being too personal as your danger zone. Focus on how you two can work professionally given the personal information you have access to.
No matter which social network we’re on, we always have to remember that what we put up is actually a mirror of who we are. We have to remember our personal brand and the people who see us (whether in person or via the internet). Don’t get me wrong, it’s not about putting up a fake show or being pretentious. Think of it this way, wouldn’t it be nice if we could share parts of our lives with other people and at the same time we add value to theirs in a beneficial and tasteful way? Instead, focus on your personal brand.
- Are your photos and comments aligned with your personal brand?
- Does it communicate the kind of person you are at work?
- Also, by connecting with your boss via Facebook strengthen your relationship with him/her?
- How can you add value to them through this channel?
It’s nice to ponder on these questions before posting anything that’s for online public consumption because it will help you decide which posts are OK and not OK for workmates to see.
Facebook and the other social networking websites are just one of the numerous ways to build relationships. However, we need to be wise in using them because these sites can be good or bad depending on how we use it. I chose to use it to my advantage. I hope you’re making the same choice, too.
