The New Snub

I lost a friend. Nothing bad, I just can't seem to find her. Last time I knew where she was, she was outside of Chicago, having just returned from Iraq and was putting her life back together.

I went to Facebook, found her, sent a friend request and lo and behold - it was denied. WHAT? Talk about a feeling worse than finding out there was a party and you were not invited. Turns out I had the wrong person and this person did not know me at all.

For a moment I was in a space that I had not been in since I was 16 and really didn't get invited to the party. My best friend did, and went, but I digress.

Friends unfriending friends on Facebook. Is this the new snub? Is this what my daughter is growing up into and what we see entering our workplaces?

If an employee had told me a few weeks ago that the reason they were not getting along with a  coworker was because he/she was unfriended on Facebook, I would have told them to grow up and get back to work. Having been "snubbed" myself,  I probably would still say the same thing but with a little more understanding.

Although it is new to me, I know I am a little late to the game and that this is not new. It is in our workplaces now and we, as a collective group, are not even aware of it.

If you are in HR, pick or create your own social network and get out there. Consider it professional development. Consider it market research. Consider it learning and growth. Consider it whatever you want, just do it.

I promise you, you won't regret it.