Someone sent me a question about balancing the "intersecting worlds" of personal and professional lives online:I've been thinking lately about how to balance all the worlds that seem to collide on Facebook and other social networking sites, and I thought that you seem to do a really good job at it. You post on your various interests, but it always seems very professional and yet somehow personal, too. I was wondering if this is something you put some thought into or if it just came naturally -- or maybe it evolved over time?This is a really good question about an increasingly important issue. Folks seem to be increasingly concerned at how their online activity will impact their professional lives, but also seem to be thinking more about how to use the Internet to reflect one's "personal brand," so to speak. The most important element of successfully intersecting your worlds online is to successfully do it offline. Be comfortable with who you are, enjoy life, pursue your passions, don't be "all business all the time," but avoid being outrightly unprofessional at any time. I serve in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, I love wine, I am a die-hard Red Sox fan, I am "Senior Manager of Strategy and Marketing" at work, I prefer classical Greco-Roman authors over NYT Best Sellers, I tweet to connect with people, I get my geo-political news and analysis from the Naval Institute's Proceedings magazine, I host parties at holidays, and I love Saturday nights out on the town. Most importantly: I feel good about people knowing all that, personal and professional, it's who I am. Like the photo here, my advice is to love what you do, have fun with it, and tell the story online.
If you can do that in your personal life, successfully taking yourself online becomes much easier.
It takes a bit more work to make the leap from more passive Internet consumer to be a more engaged virtual denizen, someone who actively contributes to conversations, seeks out interesting people and ideas, and uses the web to extend your "personal brand." When I first started to think in these terms, I decided to come up with a personal statement of sorts. I thought about everything I love, everything I like to do, everything I do even though I may not like it, and the values most important to me. A number of different words came to mind, but after a bit of soul searching I decided to emblazon the following on my blog, my Twitter profile, my YouTube channel, and anywhere else I interact with folks online: A connected a prosperous world that thrives on integrity and is driven by innovation. Then I add some further detail depending on the medium. "Life, service, leadership, innovation, Coast Guard, technology, baseball, business, better organizations, biotech, good wine, quality people" are all words that appear in some combination across my profile pages on various web services. That worked for me because it reflects what is important to me. Everyone will find their own way of explaining what they're all about, but I think starting with the question "what are you all about" is important.
That bit of forethought done, I was ready to take to the Internet with a simple rule. If it falls in the scope of my personal statement, then it's probably alright to post. If it doesn't, then I need to think twice about whether it's appropriate to post and why I want to post it at all.
So, to fully answer your question, "yes, I do put thought into this," but also, "yes, it does come more naturally online because I make a concerted effort to live in such a way offline that what happens on the web just flows." Finally, "yes, it is something that evolved and continues to evolve over time -- our ideas and creative impulses are shaped by our experiences -- what I believe and write today is the product of my experiences to this point, and what I experience in the future will shape what I believe and write about down the road."
Thanks for the question, @ErinZ4, and please comment away!