LinkedIn is intended to be a professional and business forum. I think so anyway, yet the content and comments on LinkedIn too often mirror other social media platforms, shallow and with little substance.
Numerous managers publicise their teams’ so-called successes (not substance) in LinkedIn posts or congratulate their teams in the comments section. If these managers genuinely want to congratulate their associates, they would do better calling them directly. A personal interaction goes further, it is genuine and has greater impact.
When I observe such posts and comments, my first thought is that the authors are trying to help themselves, blow their own trumpets, rather than genuinely caring about the associates that they write or comment about. It is like they need external validation, a distorted sense of their own self-worth.
If I genuinely care for, or congratulate someone, I deliver the message in person, or at least outside of the public domain. Practicing real gratitude, nurturing meaningful relationships, and cultivating connections with others is better achieved outside of social media platforms. Online praises are an erosion of empathy.
Another trend is “brown nosing”. Leaders without courage tend to put being liked before being respected. Employees with a still developing inner security, and nurtured under weak leadership, cannot be blamed for “brown nosing”. I learnt the implications of “brown nosing” in boarding school where values and principles were instilled in us from an early age.
We know the significant impact that social media influence has on our thoughts, decisions, and actions. I grew up outside of the rise of the “selfie culture”, which tends to normalize narcissism and has created an obsession with self-image. I do try to understand social media influence and adjust my behaviour to better understand others, but this does not mean my compromise or aligning with improper behaviour.
“I am too old to be quiet”, a quote by Primoz Roglic. I understand the context of his quote, but a better articulation would be “I have too much wisdom to be quiet”.
Think Bigg-r 