Well - it's only been about two months, since I 'moved in' here, and you may have noticed I haven't been around much in recent weeks. That's because I've been working on taking the next step to bigger and better things (hopefully).

I've set up my very own domain - The Big Speakeasy. Intriguing, no? Well - hopefully intriguing enough for you to head on over there and take a look. Most of my old posts from this Posterous blog have been replicated there, and I know you don't want to read them again,  but I think the inaugural post, kindly contributed by the fabulous Jennifer Frahm, is worth a read. Okay - I know I'm biased (it's my blog, afterall!), but Jen has opened a discussion about the intricacies and the joy of lifelong learning journey. It's a topic very dear to me and I'd love to hear about some of the things that have influenced your learning journey along the way.

The Big Speakeasy is the next step in my journey. It's a place to talk about about words, writing and communication. It’s a place of self expression, proclamation and learning. It’s a space for speaking ‘easy,’ with a certain sense of challenging the norm and maybe – just maybe – being a little subversive.

I'll still come and visit Posterous from time to time - especially for the more random stuff. But for the next little while, my heart and soul will be with The Big Speakeasy. I'll hope you'll join me on the next leg of my journey - you've been great company so far!

Since setting myself the task of building my online presence, portfolio and brand, the conundrum of separating personal and professional personas has been making me increasingly uneasy. I’ve been thinking about it a lot. Karalee Evans has also been ruminating over this puzzle and echoed some of my own thoughts in her post “the PR of your online profile: does it matter?”

 Initially it appeared straightforward. The general consensus seemed to be that it is important to keep your private self private, and maintain a separate professional persona - and I could see good logic in this policy. But now I wonder if it’s realistic, or even completely honest, to have such different – and maybe in some cases, conflicting – representations of yourself in the public domain.   

Public vs private:  Is there really a difference? Should there be one?

Of course, it’s well documented that pretty much nothing online is ‘private.’ The myth of ‘private’ online information, I think, has been well and truly de-bunked.  

On the basis of the assertion that nothing is private, the importance of managing a personal brand online is significant. I don’t want to be seen to be blatantly and publicly bagging my employer - though I know I walk a fine line at times – nor do I want a potential employer wondering if I might cast them in a similar light. I’m also probably not that excited that my sister tagged me in photos from her fancy-dress thirtieth birthday party a few years back, even though it was harmless and good clean fun.

I admit to being conscious of my online interactions maintaining a certain tone, but I also have a strong belief in transparency: I don’t want to censor and sanitise my online presence into someone that I’m not.  

For example – my potty mouth. Sure, I swear online from time to time – but you know what? I drop the F-bomb to senior management in certain settings and conversations. That’s me. I don’t want to have to turn up to work every day and put on a mask and speak and act in a way that is not authentic. I want to be valued and respected for how I perform and who I am – warts, potty-mouth and all.   

Who are you?

Surely it’s only natural that I behave differently in the office to how I behave at home; on a netball court; at a barbeque with friends; at a family dinner; or at the pub on Friday night. I behave differently in all these situations, for different reasons – but it’s still me. It’s just different aspects of me. People have always behaved differently in various forums, but when we weren’t online, chances were that members of each of those forums would never be visible to each other, protecting the work persona from the pub persona – most of the time.  

I believe in being human and authentic and I think that works for me - but I don’t have racy shots of me scantily clad, partaking in lay-backs at some wild party.  

Those that do participate in activities less conservative than those that occupy my time may want to take note of the growing trend for recruiters to vet all behaviour and in fact reject candidates outright on the basis of inappropriate comments and unsuitable photos and videos discovered online.   

Research of online behaviours  

In December 2009, Microsoft commissioned research in the USA, UK and Europe to investigate how people manage their online presence. The results (overviewed by Neville Hobson) reveal some interesting insight into the effects that online behaviours have on the attitudes, decisions and actions of recruiters. The reality is: yes, your online behaviour may well prevent you from getting that dream job. Granted, we can’t just directly apply the results to our market in Australia, but I think it’s safe to extrapolate so far as to say it’s a growing trend.  

Your brand – it’s personal

In order to act in the interests of both brand management and transparency – which I value equally - the only answer can be for an online presence to be a measured representation of the real person. Frankly, I want people to see all aspects of me. I want them to see that I can be professional on LinkedIn and relaxed on Facebook and thoughtful and articulate on Posterous. I’m comfortable for my employer to know that I can enjoy a few drinks with my mates on the weekend - and I probably wouldn’t want to be employed by a company that frowned on me doing that. I think the trick is in balancing the extent to which each personal aspect is publicised online. 

How you manage your online presence can only come down to personal judgement – it’s really what you’re comfortable with - but we’d all do well to take a considered approach to the management of our online personal brand – even while staying authentic. Just one poorly considered tweet might be the difference between landing your dream job and being rejected without an interview.

I have a suspicion. I suspect that we communicators forget - or underestimate - the value of what we do: capturing the essence of what others wish to say and expressing it succinctly, sensitively, appropriately, with clarity and flair. I think we sometimes overlook the fact that the ability to write well is a gift; a talent every bit as creative as painting, drawing, sculpting or playing beautiful music.

Finding another's voice for them

Of course, we all know we have a skill to exploit, but I suspect we get so caught up in key messages, unique selling propositions, and SEO that we discount the core of what we are doing:  finding another’s voice for them. It may be the voice of a CEO, a corporation, a charity, a product or a small business, but regardless of the entity, it’s someone who, without us, will often remain mute and unknown. Or at the very least, misunderstood.

My suspicion of our collective oversight of our talent was raised upon reflection on a very special personal task I was asked to undertake for a friend. My friend’s mother is dying of brain cancer, and she asked me to help her write a last letter to her Mum.

Confronting, right? And daunting. What a hugely challenging, emotional and difficult piece to write. And what a privilege to be entrusted to write it.

"… it doesn't seem right
To look you in the eye
And let all the things you mean to me
Come tumbling out my mouth - indeed its time …" [Bic Runga]

My doubts have been overshadowed by the honour of being asked to help in this manner. To be able to assemble the words in just the way I know my friend would like to say them and capture, in just a couple of pages, what took her several hours (and a couple of bottles of wine) to try to get across to me out loud – to give her thoughts and emotions a voice, clear and true - is surely a gift. I am humbled to be able to offer this to her.

Just getting the job done - or true talent?

Of course, the stuff we write day in and day out is rarely as powerful, emotive or personal as my friend’s letter - and I’m not comparing it to ghost writing your CEO’s blog. However, just because writing is our job, I don’t think it should imply that it’s any less talented, creative or meaningful to totally nail a letter from the CEO to the whole organisation that prompts personal phone calls of appreciation from staff; or to write ad copy that increases enquires that are converted to sales, translating to bottom line profit. Without a good writer, those voices would never be heard and understood.

I don’t know – maybe I’m just blowing smoke up my own arse, but I can’t imagine being unable to express myself in this way – and there are plenty who can’t. I think this use of language is a gift, and maybe – just maybe – we as communicators need to remind ourselves (and others) the value (and the privilege) of giving voice to the mute.

"There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." Nelson Mandela

Writing. I love it - always have. I relished creative writing time in primary school. I wrote stories about my favourite pop group (when I should have been doing my homework) and shared them with my girlfriends in high school. If I had the option to write an assignment or do an exam at uni (didn't you just love 'flexible learning' format?) - you guessed it - I'd take the assignment. Every time. I enjoyed the process of researching and synthesising information to wordsmith a piece that was convincing and plausible. And the lecturers genuinely enjoyed reading my work (at least that's what they told me).

Language is wine upon the lips - Virginia Woolf

Helping boffins say what they mean

Why my career hasn't exactly been one of a writer, I'm not sure - but that's a topic for discussion at another time. My path has taken me in some interesting directions, never too far from language and sharing information. Lately I've found myself surrounded by highly technical people, helping them to shape, refine and polish their selling themes. Most recently, my role has been to craft and deliver stories and messages about our organisation to our own people, as well as to the outside world. I feel like, after twenty years of exploring various career opportunites whenever they came up, that I may have finally found my groove. For now at least.

Enter [stage right]: Susan in the blogosphere

So here I find myself stretching my writing muscles, having decided to foray into the world of blogging - and I'm excited. I arrived here, not on the spur of the moment, but after a reasonable amount of research and some serious consideration.

Whilst I'd been thinking about blogging for some time, the real push and focus came from my new-found colleagues, mentors, co-conspirators, support network and friends discovered with delight at Jennifer Frahm's Conversations of Change Retreat in November 2009. They recommended I start a blog not just for the indulgence of writing because I love it, but to create an online portfolio and gain some recognition. Their collective advice was, that if I've truly decided that Communications is the space I want to work within, I should be planning ahead and looking outside the walls of my safe, supportive, but inherently old-school and conservative organisation.

I poured over Problogger the book, by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett with pen and notepad beside me, as well as investigating their respective websites for any information I could glean on starting up a blog. I also came across Sarge via a re-tweet on Twitter and have been poking around his website, Beginner Blogger. There's such a wealth of information out there for those considering starting a blog - or improving an existing one.

I've looked at search stats, I've tried out a couple of names with friends. I've put under the microscope other blogs I read regularly and admire. I listed a bunch of sections or categories I think I'd like to have as part of my blog and I've listed potential posts within each of these. I feel as prepared as think I'm going to get - and besides, I'm just itching to write ... but something's holding me back ...

My Posterous

Why Posterous? To be honest, I'm still considering how I want my blog to be.

Part of me feels I should just get in and do it and learn as I go. I am naturally a kinetic learner, so this is hardly surprising. The cautious planner in me wants to wait until there's a clear picture of what it will be, how it will work, and how I will be representing myself to the world. But how will I know until I try?

This is my compromise.

Help me (if you can)

Okay - apologies to Aussies for the Farnesy reference, but I really do appreciate you being 'round [cue: groan] for your expert opinions and feedback.

Seriously - I plan to use this space to experiment with blogging. I'm looking for your feedback about what works, what doesn't; what's missing, what should I take out. As people who have been reading and writing blogs for much longer than I have (I'm quite the late bloomer), you are the experts - so critique me! Leave comments, make suggestions, give me advice.

So - what do you think of my strategy of experimenting and learning here with Posterous before I launch a full-blown blog? Let me know!