The Method of Madness

Social media is the new vogue. It’s everywhere. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and a host of other services have created a phenomenon that has allowed people to share, link-up, and learn more about each other’s likes, dislikes, and habits than ever before. HR – recruiters especially – have begun to utilize social media to find candidates, and conversely, candidates are using social media to find job opportunities.

Honestly, social media is one facet of technology that I don’t think I’ve seen so widely – and quickly – embraced since Internet access became easily available to consumers, or maybe the iPod. Like any technology, though, you have to use it right to get what you want out of it.

What to share?

Some folks have made the case that people over-expose. I argue differently: it’s not that we over-expose, we just expose the wrong things. It’s no secret that the job market presently sucks. You know it, I know it, recruiters know it… you get the idea. But when you spend all of your status updates on complaining about life circumstances, you’re ruining yourself.

I’ve said this in a couple places (most recently here), but now is the right time to show employers what you’re made of. I truly believe that resilience is one of the best qualities you can have. Social media is, in essence, a way to share who you are with a broader audience. So here’s a question: do you want to share your best, or your worst, with your online audience?

I’m not terribly old, so I’m still friends (Facebook and otherwise) with a lot of graduating college seniors, and I see many of them falling into the wrong exposure trap. Too many statuses about disappointment not getting a job, complaining about the part-time work that they don’t like, paying back loans, and the list goes on. I get it. Life sucks sometimes. Get used to it.

Change how you share

You can’t change the unpredictability of life, but you can change how you respond. Instead of a status of “omg loans due… how am i going to pay? :(“, frame it this way: “Loan bill came in. Ouch! Looking into how I can start getting this debt paid off.”

Those two sentences are saying the exact same thing: loans are due and now you’ve got to pay them, and paying them is tough. But in Sentence 1, it’s a resignation, and you’re unsure of what to do; Sentence 2 says you’re taking ownership of what’s come your way and you’re taking steps to deal with it.

So to bring this all together in one, succinct paragraph:

Social media is a gateway to share who and what you are with the world. This includes all of the skills, abilities, and talent you can bring into an organization. But a great employee is more than just what they can do; it’s who s/he is. You have to show employers/recruiters that what you can do AND who are is the right fit for their organization.

I live in New Jersey, so it goes without saying that I am expert when it comes to driving douche-baggery. So during this past weeks’ commutes, I got to thinking about what your driving habits say about you. After all, the closest thing we’ve got in psych to a “law” is this: the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. And while I don’t have the validity study to back-up what I’m about to say, any psych researchers can feel free to poach the idea and con your University into giving you a grant. Just be sure to thank me.

The kind of driver you are, in my opinion, says a lot about how you might be as a worker, too. Think about it: driving on the road is a lot like being in the workplace. You share the road with other people, and in order for all hell not to break loose you have to share the space and be polite. Of course, accidents happen – usually due to inattentiveness, lack of consideration for other drivers, and plain stupidity.

I think my HR folks can agree that many workplace problems stem from those same three things. So, without further ado, here’s four driving profile I came up with (and what they say about your work ethic).

The Speeder

You know this guy/gal. The speed limit is merely a recommendation for them, and they swerve in and out of lanes trying to get ahead of everyone. If you’re lucky, they’ll use their blinker to let you know – but why let others know your moves when you can keep them guessing? When it comes to the workplace, watch out for these folks. Despite probably being manic and getting things done quickly, they’re the type to smile while simultaneously driving a knife into your back.

The Slow-Schmoe

The complete opposite of the Speeder, these types are usually in the right-most lane doing 40 in a 65 (though like the Speeder, they too believe the speed limit is a recommendation). They’ll smile and keep on trucking – while blithely holding up everyone else on the road. While their attention to detail is meritable, unless your project is on a year timeline they may be unbearably slow when it comes to getting things done.

The Do-Right

They obey the speed limit, traffic laws, and everything else to make the road a place of harmony to drive on. These are your reliable folks that know how to get things done rightly and honestly. They make take a few risks here and there, but they won’t fly too far from their comfort zone. You can count on these people.

The what-the-$%#^

These people are like the Speeders, but with no sense whatsoever. They would do 80 driving backwards on the wrong side of the road if they happened to feel like it. Arguably, these are the most toxic of people in the workplace. While the Speeder might back-stab you, it’s all in the name of business; the Do-Wrong skirts rules and generally can’t see beyond five feet in front of them. Stay away, stay AWAY, and fire the recruiter who was dumb enough to get them in the door.

To be honest, I wrote this post out of humor. However, I really do believe how we act in other realms of life is reflective of how we act in others. Frankly, driving is a dangerous, mentally and time consuming activity that necessitates everyone following the rules of the road. I see a lot of parallels when it comes to the workplace. We all need to get along to make sure actual work is getting done.

Do you think how you drive is reflective of how you work?