I saw it unfold as it was happening.
A friend, colleague, whatever you want to call her, posted an authentic piece on LinkedIn last week with a solid list of advice for her community and target audience. She’s very clear on who her community is and she spoke directly to them.
And then it happened.
Point by point it started getting picked apart by people who weren’t necessarily in her community, and definitely not her audience. She was generally speaking to people about to graduate college and apply for their first job who literally have no clue what they are about to do. That’s not a knock on them, it’s a just a lack of life experience. They haven’t done this yet so, really, any and all advice is good.
But what happened was a group of people more my age (and the writer’s age) started attacking. There were pieces in there they didn’t agree with. Ok. I get that. And some, they argued, were attacking their culture. I see how they felt that way (and the writer does too) but the manner in which they handled it was simply wrong. WRONG.
Do not go on someone’s LinkedIn post who you are not connected with and start attacking them. My opinion on the post was take it for the big picture perspective. It was generally giving advice about how to be respectful to the people you are interviewing with for a job – the people you want to pay you a salary. So if one or two points didn’t resonate, ok, ignore those. But instead, she was attacked in the rudest verbiage I’ve seen to date on LinkedIn (I’ve seen a lot of mean stuff everywhere else).
There was one person – ONE – who commented in a kind way with empathy and the attitude “maybe you didn’t know… let me educate you.” When you approach someone like this, a conversation can be had. Learning can happen. New understanding can grow.
But when you go full-force, verbal guns drawn, you lose all credibility. To the people who thought it was within their right to shout names and attack, shame on you.
I’m sure this has happened more than once on LinkedIn, but this was genuinely the first time I had seen it to this degree. And the fact that I know the writer and understand her mission in life and the point of the piece, made me want to dive in and save her. Because I’ve been there. On another topic, in another time, I was called names publicly on social as well. It was blindsiding and baffling when I had no idea that what I wrote was being taken the way they read it. I learned from it, sure, but it was scary and caused sleepless nights and great stress. But my friend didn’t need saving. She handled it with grace and poise. Her response acknowledged the issue and that she has things to learn, just like all of us. She moved on and she’s surviving it.
What I’ve always said about all this stuff is – just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. LinkedIn is the professional one, right? We are all representing our businesses there. So remember that the next time you comment in an attacking way. It reflects you, your company, your teammates, and those who sit next to you.
So take a beat and just be kind. The world is mean enough.
by 
