Question: “I am executive assistant to an executive vice president. I’ve worked for him for nine years and we have a good relationship. For the past five years, I’ve supported him remotely from 200 miles away. We are both members of LinkedIn. While I would never ‘friend’ him on Facebook, LinkedIn is a professional network site. Is it appropriate for me to invite him to ‘connect’ with me?” — Katherine
I say, Yes. Even if you do no other communication w/ your boss but invite him to connect (and he accepts), you never know how having him show up as one of your connections might help you If you’re looking for a job in the future. What I like about Linked In is that, once I connect with a current or former colleague/boss, college friend, etc., its search engine finds (and suggests) more former/current colleagues/classmates for me to connect or reconnect with. It’s especially helpful for finding the Smiths and Jones that would be too hard to find on my own. I like knowing where people that I used to work with are now and what connections we still have in common. If you’ve worked w/ your boss for 10 years you probably have lots of connections in common.
Definitely connect with your boss on LinkedIn. The more often that you, he, and others from your company connect with each other, the more often your company’s name and people will show up in search results when someone is looking for a new vendor/supplier. The company can also set up a company page on there.
I would invite him to be on LinkedIn as this is as you say a professional site. I inviited my former boss and have several recommendations from others on my site.
I agree with Kris. While I would never connect with my boss via Facebook; LinkedIn is absolutely the most appropriate place to ‘Connect’. LinkedIn is for your professional life and while a social network, it is a ‘Professional’ Social Network.
People should be connecting with people in a position to enhance their professional life. This would not be the forum to ‘connect’ with your 4th grade best friend, but the people that can actually help you to get ahead.
If you have a good rapport with your boss and he would say you are a good employee, you should definitely add him to your network. However… I would say that if he isn’t a good boss and might say bad things about you.. DON’T!!! It could actually hurt your professional life.
Katherine, it depends on the purpose of inviting your boss to connect through a networking site. If you and your boss feel this would enhance communication between you, then it would seem appropriate. You mentioned supporting him remotely over the past five years — if the methods you are currently using do not suffice, then you should definitely investigate better methods of communication but communicating through a site only seems like a round about method to connect. The most appropriate would be by “direct” methods of communication such as telephone, email, PDA messaging, and written documentation.
I am and EA working for the President of our company and I am ‘connected’ to my current boss and former bosses on LinkedIn – but not FaceBook. As you said, it is a professional networking site and I find it educational to read their comments/blogs/updates on the site. It helps to keep me involved and up to date with what’s important to them and it helps me grow in my current position.
I say, Yes. Even if you do no other communication w/ your boss but invite him to connect (and he accepts), you never know how having him show up as one of your connections might help you If you’re looking for a job in the future. What I like about Linked In is that, once I connect with a current or former colleague/boss, college friend, etc., its search engine finds (and suggests) more former/current colleagues/classmates for me to connect or reconnect with. It’s especially helpful for finding the Smiths and Jones that would be too hard to find on my own. I like knowing where people that I used to work with are now and what connections we still have in common. If you’ve worked w/ your boss for 10 years you probably have lots of connections in common.
Patty June 3, 2011 at 6:08 pm
Definitely connect with your boss on LinkedIn. The more often that you, he, and others from your company connect with each other, the more often your company’s name and people will show up in search results when someone is looking for a new vendor/supplier. The company can also set up a company page on there.
Colette June 3, 2011 at 4:34 pm
I would invite him to be on LinkedIn as this is as you say a professional site. I inviited my former boss and have several recommendations from others on my site.
Chandra June 3, 2011 at 4:10 pm
I agree with Kris. While I would never connect with my boss via Facebook; LinkedIn is absolutely the most appropriate place to ‘Connect’. LinkedIn is for your professional life and while a social network, it is a ‘Professional’ Social Network.
People should be connecting with people in a position to enhance their professional life. This would not be the forum to ‘connect’ with your 4th grade best friend, but the people that can actually help you to get ahead.
If you have a good rapport with your boss and he would say you are a good employee, you should definitely add him to your network. However… I would say that if he isn’t a good boss and might say bad things about you.. DON’T!!! It could actually hurt your professional life.
Anita June 3, 2011 at 3:07 pm
Katherine, it depends on the purpose of inviting your boss to connect through a networking site. If you and your boss feel this would enhance communication between you, then it would seem appropriate. You mentioned supporting him remotely over the past five years — if the methods you are currently using do not suffice, then you should definitely investigate better methods of communication but communicating through a site only seems like a round about method to connect. The most appropriate would be by “direct” methods of communication such as telephone, email, PDA messaging, and written documentation.
Kris June 3, 2011 at 3:04 pm
I am and EA working for the President of our company and I am ‘connected’ to my current boss and former bosses on LinkedIn – but not FaceBook. As you said, it is a professional networking site and I find it educational to read their comments/blogs/updates on the site. It helps to keep me involved and up to date with what’s important to them and it helps me grow in my current position.