Are you present on social media? Even if you don’t, your friends and colleagues are, and they’ve probably already posted some photos with you or at least told you how they spend their day, mentioning your meeting at the coffee house nearby. So, how should we manage the way we behave online, and is it required to preserve formal relationships with our colleagues and managers on social media?

The issue of digital etiquette and communication between a worker and a boss online was analyzed by a deputy dean at the Wharton School, Nancy Rothbard and her colleagues from Harvard Business School and University of Quebec in Montreal professors, and a Wharton doctoral candidate.

It turned out that the employees are less likely to connect online with:
• managers (out of concerns about career and reputational risks),
• female bosses who disclose more personal information,
• male bosses, regardless of the amount of their self-disclosure.

The explanation is pretty simple: people just get anxious about the blurring boundaries between them and people with whom they maintain exclusively formal relationships.

Researchers ensure that the issue of digital business communication should be managed at the level of companies, where managers should develop a corporate culture that respects personal boundaries and eliminates any judgments about the non-acceptance of “friendship” in social media.

Tip – Don’t offend and be respectful (even when ignoring your boss)
So, when expanding your online network, keep in mind that each person has a right to preserve her non-professional side of life hidden from colleagues, and you should not break the boundaries if a person feels uncomfortable about it. In turn, it is not a problem if you don’t want to mix personal and professional communication. Just be respectful to others and keep personal boundaries that are comfortable to you.