Blogger’s note: almost 5 years ago I ran this series of blog posts on LinkedIn and EI. Judging from recent events and behaviors, I, and you, can benefit from a refresher. One a day for the next 13 days will follow. Earlier, many of you commented positively. It’s worth repeating IMO.

Expect and learn from criticism

I can guarantee one thing about LinkedIn-from experience-experts about and they add their perspective on everything. That’s’ good.

But criticism, when positive, is learn-worthy. Assuming the giver is an expert in his/her field which you can ascertain from the LinkedIn profile, you can continue the dialog in a professional manner and hopefully by the natural end of the conversation have made a new colleague and can ask to connect if it feels right. You will know if it does and there is no expectation that you do ask him/her to connect. A simple thank you works. Or a more sincere thank you by sending an article for them to appreciate that touches on the topic at hand is ales a nice gesture.

When negative, it rankles and festers, and you commit the emotional intelligence sin of breaking rules 1-3 so far: you speak before you think, you speak before you pause to consider the merits of what you are about to say, you cannot control the thoughts welling up inside. So the criticism is not taken well at all, and it’s written all over your face, or your LinkedIn Home page in this case.

So you know which to choose for giving. And you need to exert self-control when receiving. It’s a teeter-totter and it swings one side to another quickly, unless you manage it.

Be critically acclaimed, it’s a good thing in most cases.