And how is this appropriate for LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a social media platform the intent of which is to provide professionals a forum for networking and other business-related information sharing. I get it… However, just like all other social media platforms, LinkedIn has evolved, if you will, beyond the scope of its intended purpose. A few of LinkedIn’s patrons scream “foul” when reading content they cannot immediately connect with business/work. These people invariably ask the question “and how is this appropriate for LinkedIn” or some variation of it. This question is not a question that begs an answer, nope, it is a question meant to deride and to discourage the posting of content they deem inappropriate or more precisely not business/work related.

Here is something for the LinkedIn purist… Anything that impacts a person in his/her personal life will eventually impact that person as s/he engages in the world of work. Try as hard as you can you will never truly be able to divest yourself of the power and the influence of your personal life. A sick child (this includes our four-legged family members), a fight with a spouse or significant other, rebellious teens, debt, life’s daily stressors all influence our capacity to engage optimally in our chosen profession. We are not light bulbs to be turned on and off just because we go to work. We are every bit of everything that goes on in every aspect of our life…ALL THE TIME.

So please, please, please don’t rush to judge or dismiss content that does not directly reference the Dow Jones or some other business-related issue. Take a minute and use your imagination, reach for understanding, and see if you can use your keen business savvy to ascertain or decipher what this seemingly un-LinkedIn post has to do with business or professional networking. Maybe, just maybe, you will not only see but also appreciate how the post is “…appropriate for LinkedIn.”