Please stop the finger pointing. It hurts creditability. And I hate canned answers. OK – now the details.

I use LinkedIn (their blog here) to build new relationships and maintain old ones. It is one venue I use to increase visibility to be a thought provoker or leader and sometimes is in the form of a post from my blog. The Group forum is a place to share your views and to comment on other contributor’s insights, struggles and successes. People do this to build creditability and seek answers. Over the last few months, I have posted a couple of blog posts that I thought might appeal to groups I belong to, they are:

What are the Differences between a Coach, Mentor or Confident?

About a week ago, I receive an email from LinkedIn informing me that a member or manager of  the group moved my discussion to the Jobs section. If I believe this action is an error, I am to contact my group manager have it moved back.

I write to the group manager to tell her about my problem and asked her to correct it. Having direct access to people is a major benefit of the LinkedIn group membership. The only other way to contact her would be through a mutual connection or by paying for a higher level of service. I hear back from her within five minutes. I am impressed with how quickly she responds.

Unfortunately, she says she does not have control over the movement of my discussion posts. LinkedIn is supposedly doing it based on key words. This appears to be a repeat problem and asks me to contact LinkedIn. At this point, I am thinking someone at least cares, but is not able to fix it. So I am off to find the right person.

As I outline my letter once again to LinkedIn, they try to direct me to their canned Questions & Answers reiterating that my group manager is responsible for correcting post movements. Confident that I have covered this base, I hit the SEND button. I decide to modify my letter – asking them if anyone reads the posts before they move them. It is obvious I am not looking for a job nor am I looking for employees. I know, pointing out their flaws might not help me.

The letter I receive back again directs me to my group manager, again. I wonder if anyone ever reads the letters we send in –  it is obvious my questions are not answered.

Once again, I contact the group manager. No response this time.

Now I am at a stand still. No one wants to be accountable for 1) doing it or 2) correcting the situation. And we wonder why our customers or employees lose confidence in us.