Chasing social media ‘likes’ at work always ends badly
Who doesn’t love to peer into other people’s houses, ogle a neighbour’s new slate countertop and gawp at the interiors of the rich and famous? Particularly in Britain, where soft furnishings, a recently installed kitchen or Victorian-style fireplace can send hearts racing. Combine this with the modern impulse to post photos of absolutely everything, including at home (I can’t tell you how many montages of bookshelves and candles I’ve scrolled through on friends’ Instagram), and you get… the notvery-sad story of Daniel Daggers.
Daggers, a celebrated estate agent for Knight Frank, has left the firm after succumbing to the modern urge to post. Known as Mr Super Prime for his skills at selling £10million properties, Daggers got in trouble after he posted on Instagram images of an opulent home without permission of the client, who complained that doing so had created a security risk. The estate agent and rising social media star is now on gardening leave from the firm.
I don’t pity Daggers exactly, but I do find his slip interesting. It shows that for even the most consummate professional (Daggers, 40, was already a partner at Knight Frank), it’s only a matter of time until the pressure to chase followers online causes a fatal misjudgment. It seems the most basic workplace rules – such as don’t make clients’ sensitive information available to the world – are being forgotten in the race for popularity and power.
Daggers was seen as an Instagram guru by colleagues, and held workshops on how to build fans and followers. His own recipe for success included the tireless uploading and curation of scenes from his glamorousseeming life: film premieres, sports cars, luxury holidays and homes.
In his desire to become a more successful estate agent, Daggers ended up being a terrible one and, for now, not one at all. It’s a lesson for us all: it’s tempting to prioritise likes over everything else, but as Mr Super Prime now knows, the results of doing so are likely to be very bad indeed.