Q2 2024 Q&A
When did you decide to start to use LinkedIn to share posts and why?
I don't claim any great prescience in 2008: I only joined LinkedIn because everyone else was joining too - (unusually for me) I followed the herd.
I wasn't looking for a job or anything - but I did think it would be a great way to connect with my global network across multitudinous time zones. To keep up with their doings and them with me.
LinkedIn fell into desuetude for me until my wife was diagnosed with terminal illness. I found the human need to (first) empty my brain of all that eclectic smorgasbord of thoughts that were circulating-around in my noggin, before (eventually) finding sleep; and respite.
In the morning, before departing the reassuring warmth of my bed, I needed humour to embolden me just to face the day.
But quickly friends and acquaintances piled in to build on my own comments. Often more wryly, more scratchily and more humorously than my own post. The sum of the parts was always 'the blue touchpaper' that launched a wiki-of-wonderful insights, ideas, comments and others thoughts: but on my timeline.
My timeline has become a place where contacts/ connections express themselves thoughtfully, caustically, incautiously, ironically. And its almost become funny when strangers (non-connections) drop-by and their encounters can be wonderful, but often they just don't 'get-it' - as is revealed in their comments. Most often not getting the context or running jokes.
In any public relations disaster by tradition I (or I am prompted by my community) to place myself (ironically) at the centre of any disaster (falsely) claiming credit (sic).
In a recent post:
'Pretty pleased with my first election as campaign adviser to the Conservative Party'
Elicited praise and thanks: from those mistakenly believing it was true.
As well as engagement from my network, building and adding to the incongruity.
Why do you think your posts encourage your followers to comment and engage?
People recognise honesty.
It adds verisimilitude to one's online persona.
What you see is what I'm thinking about. Unfiltered. Engaging, a hedonistic mix of the intellectually curious.
How do you engage with the (not so humble) brag: "I'm thrilled to be ranked in the third tier of Legal 500 again this year"?
How utterly banal. How dull.
And (almost certainly) no insight into the poster's personality, individualism or what motivates or interests them.
No insight into the person for their community or for potential employers. The race to insipidity is not one I wish to join. I wish to recruit thinkers with ideas. I want them to have opinions - I don't care if I share their views - but I do care if they can intellectually support their opinions and ideas.
If you value diversity - you have to genuinely appreciate and value diverse views and ideas.
Otherwise, we recruit inarticulate vanilla'd-clones. And let's face it: who wants to work in an office full of stale, pale, pusillanimous vanilla'd-clones? Certainly, not me.
As if to make good the point, I'm one of the very few lawyers to have been suspended by LinkedIn.
Because someone didn't understand a comment and reported me - nor did the LinkedIn reviewer get the reference.
But my account was promptly restored after I rather laboriously dissected and explained UK references to our former Prime Minister, in (what I thought) a witty post - something about: 'the only acceptable kind of Johnson-supporter' and discovering that we are all too often divided by a common language.
How do you keep thinking of new things to share about?
Each day, it's just the things I'm chatting about at the water cooler or over coffee, a drink or the dinner table.
Have you had any breakthrough results as a result of using the platform?
Yes - I have had several 6-figure mandates; as well as superb minds connect - people I didn't know before.
People in the public-eye often 'lurk'. But often feed-back and comment via DM. Judges can be some of the most dry and acerbic wits in private.
It's OK to be true to yourself. And connections abroad often comment and build connections. If a lawyer, I'm connected with, (say) the US or Malaysia, is engaging with me on their daily feed. I am at the forefront of their mind for today's referral.
Do you get involved in training others on how to use the platform?
I don't get much time to train others. But I do very firmly guide: BE YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF.
If people don't feel an affinity with your content. Then be happy that they have 'jogged-on'. You cannot be all things to all people. To try is nowt but a fools errand.
And never ever connect to 'sell' services on LinkedIn - its deeply unattractive.
Who should we keep an eye out for in future? Do you have any future social media stars in the making?
Anyone authentic is invariably a good connection to make. Introduce yourself and explain why in the invitation note - invariably they will accept you into their network.
Published as given at the time. More Q&As · Something to update?