The Responsibilities of Having an Online Identity
Last week, I began using Twitter (follow me at @maurocardarelli). I did not do it on impulse; I did not do it because it’s what hot/hip. I came to it after much analysis and (you guessed it) planning. I’ve made a commitment to make it part of my routine.
Here’s the challenge… I’ve blogged for 5+ years. I’m an obsessive LinkedIn user. I started using Facebook several months ago. How can I possibly manage “one more thing”?
When I talk to folks who are new to SharePoint, I describe the challenge they encounter of having multiple roles. As you become “enabled” in your new intranet environment, you begin to look at content (and pages) as: an employee, a member of a department, a subject matter expert, an individual with a unique identity, etc. Your toughest challenge is not remembering how to upload a document or edit page settings (there is lots of training content available). In my opinion, your most complex task is to understand your role in each section, the connected audience and your responsibility to that group.
· I blog because I have (hopefully!) an engaged audience of SharePoint/Microsoft enthusiasts – most strangers to me – who are interested in the stories I tell and the lessons I share. I think through my blogs very carefully. Most, like this one, are a couple of days in refinement before I put fingers to keyboard. I am fully committed to making my blog a collection of short essays that educate and inspire.
· I use LinkedIn to connect with business contacts and share insight into my business identity. I don’t put business cards on windshields. I connect to people I know or care to know better. I watch what they do and who they know and look for ways to help them in their professional paths. I am fully committed to making LinkedIn a tool for staying connected with business associates and using the data to help others advance and help me make decisions based on trends.
· I use Facebook to connect with friends and family. My posts are sometimes silly and mostly share a personal side of who I am and what I am doing. I like to follow others, especially those who are not geographically close, and engage in “conversations” to help me feel connected. I am fully committed to making Facebook my place for sharing the personal side of who I am. Most of my family and friends have no idea what I do (I’m like Chandler Bing!) and they won’t learn more on Facebook.
· I now use Twitter. In my mind, it is a place for me to be more spontaneous; to drop a “nugget of information” that has had a quick impact on my life. I’ll use it mostly on the professional side to give insight into what’s in my head but I’ll balance the occasional personal side note to help personalize the stranger behind the sentences.
There’s a big commitment here, especially if I promise to not push out long stretches of radio silence… because with these types of social tools inconsistency is worse than invisibility. This digital age has allowed me to foster and grow a personal brand that I actually think has value. People have come to rely on me in my various roles to be impactful. I like that. Now before you think I am going to get sappy and break into tranquility chants I’ll shift this back to the intended lesson of the day…
SharePoint is a fantastic framework for information and knowledge gathering (they are different!). It allows you to assume different roles based on where you are and what content you are touching. Always remember that. Know those roles. Only accept the ones you can embrace and play the part well. Be consistent and honest and impactful… because people are watching.