There’s a lot of buzz about how social networks are the new email, and yesterday I read another interesting item on the BBC website on the subject. It reminded me of a situation I was in a couple of months ago.
Being an ex-Nortel Networks employee with 12 years pensionable service, I was really upset to hear the news in January that they had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
As is perhaps so typical these days, I vented my frustration through my Facebook status update. It read something like “Nikki is gutted that her Nortel pension is going down the toilet” (not particularly professional I know but I was totally fed up). My status update was purely a way for me to let off steam…
What was to follow was a testament to the power of social networking. Within minutes I had comments from former Nortel Networks colleagues offering help and advice. I even received a private message giving me full details of the company’s situation as well as links to the company’s pensions website.
Amazing. I’d totally forgotten that among my Facebook ‘friends’ were former colleagues, some of whom still worked at the company. Needless to say, thanks to social networking, I was now fully informed AND felt much better!