[...] “Cuando contratas a alguien, también contratas a su red social” -Mark Krupinski (via The Intangible Risk and Opportunity: Your Network) [...]

[...] there are some risks and opportunities to stimulate a network. We need time to keep the relationship fresh and reliable. If we do nothing, [...]

[...] networks. And, because there is real dollar value in a network Jeremiah Owyang cautions us that social media has risk and reward. Still need to be convinced it is important?Why Build a Social Network?Chances are you have [...]

[...] The Intangible Risk and Opportunity: Your Network [...]

[...] this. Tim Sanders says we should refresh our network often, and Jeremiah Owyang reports on the the risks and opportunities inherent in your network. It’s all pointing towards the same thing: you’ve got to think [...]

[...] networks. And, because there is real dollar value in a network Jeremiah Owyang cautions us that social media has risk and reward. Still need to be convinced it is important?Why Build a Social Network?Chances are you have [...]

[...] networks. And, because there is real dollar value in a network Jeremiah Owyang cautions us that social media has risk and reward.Still need to be convinced it is important?Why Build a Social Network?Chances are you have already [...]

[...] The Intangible Risk and Opportunity: Your Network [...]

[...] this. Tim Sanders says we should refresh our network often, and Jeremiah Owyang reports on the the risks and opportunities inherent in your network. It’s all pointing towards the same thing: you’ve got to think [...]

The other point about quantifying one’s network is interesting. Numbers are meaningless. And the value of someone’s network depends on what you want to do…the same network has different values to different companies. You have to decide what you want to do and then evaluate accordingly.

If you wanted help finding venture capitalists, I’m your guy. If you wanted help finding conceptual modern artists, I’d be a pretty crappy choice, no matter how many LinkedIn/Facebook/Twitter friends I have.

[...] this. Tim Sanders says we should refresh our network often, and Jeremiah Owyang reports on the the risks and opportunities inherent in your network. It’s all pointing towards the same thing: you’ve got to think [...]

I may not have stated what I meant correctly. I apologize for the confusion.

I do mean that a person’s behavior does indeed affect how we perceive their employer. And I mean, it matters more when it is close proximity to your own relationship with the brand e.g if they manage my money at the bank.

And yes, I do care if the fairy boy were my account manager or in fact is anyone’s account manager.

But I really meant to say that the convergence of the private and personal side on the web is also unfortunate especially when many times when it can be taken out of context. NOTE I am not defending the fairy boy or the other one that bad-mouthed the employer.

I am just suggesting that in real life, some, if not most of us, do have different personas that deserves to be kept separate.

It is unfortunate for brands when employees behave in ways with risk of negative perception (note it is also unfortunate that only the perception that matters), as I agree the employee’s behavior will affect the brand as you, Jeremiah, suggest. But it is also an unfortunate loss of individuals’ right to free expression – especially when it is a bit out of mainstream. And on the web such situations, even when they are harmless, can be so easily taken out of CONTEXT – especially by strangers.

I am only suggesting that all individuals need to be aware that there is now very minimal separation of personal and business personas on the web. And they need to heed your suggestion to be careful. Until there is a better solution for them to share their personal wild side (or remarks) with only whom they intended for so that they don’t contaminate their employers’ brand unintentionally, they need to be careful.

If the colleagues you bitched about work to were truly your friends, it would mots likely would have been harmless. The cases you cited definitively indicate that the current social sites that treats all relationships to be equal (and as friends) obviously do not provide such control of your privacy at this time the way you would have intended on the web. Not everybody you are connected to on social networks are your friends. Real friends would have just listen with empathetic ear understanding that you are just having a bad day instead of giving you up to your boss!. Our relationships are multi-dimensional and asymetrical in real life. Unfortunately the online world does not truly reflect that YET!

So people need to be aware and beware!

C.H.Low, CEO, http://www.orbius.com

I disagree though. What he did was more like yelling at the pub, not realizing that his boss and his entire dept were sitting behind him, listening in the entire time. It wouldn’t be a newsworthy story if he got canned after an incident like that.

You always gotta be careful about your words being overheard in the real world…social networks just put more people within virtual earshot.

You wouldn’t have a problem with fairy boy if he was your account manager? If he lied to his employer to take time off, aren’t you concerned if he was your direct interface with the company? I would be.

I agree that there is/should be a separation of personal and business personas. But like it or not, each of us form our feeling of a relationship based on the totality of the person and what/whom they represent.

While I also don’t have a problem opening an account at the bank where the “fairy boy” works at, I would have an issue if the fairly boy were say, the fund manager of the mutual fund I invested in.

In sales, it is said that we don’t buy from the company, but we generally buy based on our interaction with the salesperson. If I like a product but hate the salesperson, I probably won’t buy the product.

The internet makes it hard for us to keep our different personas separate, but that is a fact of our lives on the Net and we have to understand that. Many solutions are begining to emerge to help us better manage our different personas and share our varied personality with only whom we want!

C.H. Low, CEO, http://www.orbius.com

“A difficult issue with a constantly changing balance between employee and company transparency.”

I guess the key is to find someone who can do both.

In my previous post, I was looking at things from the employee perspective, and those viewing his online information; specifically not the employer. The point being, if I saw this guy’s photo on Facebook, it would not affect my decision to open an account at that bank.