The Common Thread

I spoke at the ASAE Great Ideas Conference last week with friend and colleague Maddie Grant on “Truth and Authenticity in the Digital Age.” The session explored some of the impacts that the social internet is having on us, both as individuals and as organizations. Following the lead of fellow MSP staffer Jon Benjamin, we did our presentation using the online Prezi software, so you can view the presentation yourself.

One of the basic points of our presentation is that the way we manage our identity has changed. In the “analog” age (before the social internet), we were able to divide our individual identity into separate pieces. There was the part that I shared with my family and very close friends, and there was a part that I shared with work colleagues, and there might be separate parts that I only share with other smaller communities related to my interests or hobbies. When you applied for a job in the old days, you were able to present a fairly thin slice of who you were (via a resume and some hand-picked references), and, more importantly, you got to control what that slice looked like.

Today it is different. We create online identities by leaving our mark on Facebook, Linked In, Delicious, Flickr, YouTube, etc. We review books on Amazon, we comment on blogs..there are many ways that our identity shows up on line. It is still true that we have some control over how we present ourselves. Like many people, my linked in profile has a more professional tone to it, and my Facebook profile is more personal and casual.

Yet we can’t keep all those different identities as separate as we used to, because one search on Google and all those pieces can be listed next to each other, not to mention what other people are saying about you online. If anything, the trend is toward EXPECTING to find a diverse identity when searching for someone.

So what do do about all this? There’s no one right answer, but it does require some clarity on your part. I know a lot of people who simply won’t create a Facebook page because they don’t want their work friends to have access to their personal lives. That’s fine. But this can be a big challenge for people who work in AMCs. For example, I have several clients who each have either a Facebook or LinkedIn group, and I want to be connected to those conversations. Do I have to create a separate account for each of those identities, or can I handle the fact that the Historical Archaeologists will realize that I am also connected to Remodeling Professionals?

I have chosen to keep it mixed. We will see how much “confusion” it creates, though I suspect it won’t be much. And sure, I’m careful about what I post or say on Facebook because I know everyone (related to all my separate identities) might read it. But I also have concluded that I am human and I don’t need to hide that.

You don’t have to do it that way. You can keep things separate, or not reveal as much. But I think that should be a clear strategic choice on your part. Have you thought about the implications of your choice?