Posted by wlansden |
Filed under commentary, general, social networking
By James Bowden
I have a confession to make: I am friends on Facebook with other attorneys at my firm. All sorts of them – corporate attorneys, litigators, health care attorneys, junior associates, senior partners, and everyone in between. I do not discriminate.
A large number of my peers don’t agree with my lack of social networking inhibitions. They tend to prefer to keep their net-life separate from their so-called-life at work. Every time I tell them about my online social networking proclivities, they cringe and look at me askance. Most of them seem to prefer a certain professional aloofness – perhaps they perceive it as a badge of honor in the legal profession, or even a condition of entry. I’m not really good at being aloof, though, and most of my fellow associates probably think I’ve lost my mind. Perhaps they are correct.
Maybe I’m violating some unwritten rule (or written human resources policy) stating “Thou shalt not be Facebook friends with thy colleagues and thy superiors.” But I don’t think so. In a world where law firms go to great lengths to humanize their attorneys in the eyes of their clients, I think online social networking can go a long way towards reminding me that the people I work with live their own lives outside of the walls of the building just like I do. That knowledge doesn’t lead me to take them less seriously; it leads me to respect the people I work with more and makes me want to work harder for them.
I think that I work with fun and interesting people – and my Facebook friend list confirms that belief. I have no regrets, and plan to continue my serial work-related Facebooking. But I may be crazy …What do you think?
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