Remember the British politician whose kids barged into his study while he was on a video interview with the BBC? Try not to laugh when his daughter marches in like she owns the place. And that was *before* the pandemic when we’ve all risked—or welcomed—blending our personal and public lives.
How many times have you seen a co-worker’s pets, or family members, or an unmade bed since nearly all meetings moved to virtual?
A glimpse behind the scenes turns out to be a welcome opening for many people with which we do business. People do business with people, and it seems that we like our contacts to have three dimensions.
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve lived an online experiment, not entirely intentionally.
Some of my LinkedIn contacts have noticed that I’m showing up in your timelines more frequently. I love my work and love sharing thoughts on excellent business communication and how to bring more ❤ into the world with excellent customer relationships. LinkedIn provides a perfect platform for amplifying useful articles that I come across, quotes that inspire or serve as reminders, and my thoughts.
Plus, as the social media gurus advise, I happily share some elements of my non-professional self.
If you’ve seen my February 2021 posts, which one do you think got the most attention—views, likes, and comments? Yep! It’s the one featuring this shot. My five fine feathered friends (two Black Copper Marans, three Brown Silkies; that’s a Silkie in the picture) have been great entertainment and a welcome distraction during the pandemic.
What else have I posted lately?
- Wise quotes with clever illustrations
- My original writing on business communications and building strong relationships
- Links to smart articles by insightful writers
- New videos I’ve created and ones from my archive
And nothing—NOTHING—got the kind of attention, friendly comments, and interaction that the bird and I did.
I’m grateful for the gift that my LinkedIn friends have given me—a reminder that sharing what’s important to us, what makes us unique, what motivates us in our work and our life, is of interest to our business contacts.
Calls and virtual meetings this month have begun or ended with, “How are the chickens?” or, “How many eggs today?” Other urban chicken farmers have made themselves known; sometimes, people I never would have thought shared my passion. And colleagues who grew up on farms, now many years removed from their agrarian roots, have told me wonderful stories of the fields and kitchens of their youth.
What defines you, in addition to your dedication to your work? Family? Hobbies? Music? A passion for a genre of novels or films? Some experience? Let it out. Show the world who you are, and you’ll make it easier for your audience to find and appreciate you and make you more memorable—and isn’t that why we’re here on social media?
Share your passion in the comments, and then let your network see it in our LinkedIn feed! And I’ll promise more chicken pics in weeks to come.