Is whinging about work on Twitter the same as having a whinge at the pub?

Dear Aunty B,

I have a staff member who is using Twitter and Facebook to make underhanded comments about the company.

I don’t follow him but other staff are telling me the type of stuff he is saying. Mostly it is about us not listening to him about product development and what a mistake this is. I know he is only talking to his friends, as our clients are not in his networks, but my staff think I should do something.

My opinion is he is just sounding off at the pub, so to speak, and it doesn’t mean anything.

Your thoughts please,

Sydney

Dear Your thoughts please,

Your analogy isn’t sound. The problem is that at the pub it is really noisy, everyone is drunk and no one hears anything anyone says, let alone remembers it the next morning.

But social networks? One voice is magnified thousands of times and people remember the next day what is said. I would absolutely call him in and run through his comments.

Have a heart to heart and ask him what the problem is. Explain the strategy again so that he understands why his Next Big Thing mightn’t be your Next Big Thing. See if you can get him back on the right track.

And tell him that slagging your employer anywhere except the pub is never a good career move. Yes, it gets you noticed, but for the wrong reasons.

Be smart,

Your Aunty B

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