Should You Keep It Real at Work?
Ethics and authenticity in the workplace
Rising professionals need digital presence. But connecting that virtual presence with in-person interaction can be tricky. This week, the Mode/Switch podcasters—Emily, LaShone, David, & Craig—engage Min Ki Kim’s story about digital overwhelm from the November 12, 2022 issue. Before you press play on this pod, you may want to take in the snapshot of Min Ki’s story below.
Min Ki Kim at the book promotional event where the haters took things down.
The digiwhelm story in brief: Rising Korean social media influencer Min Ki publishes a book and schedules a promotional event. His fans come out in droves. Books get signed, books get sold, pictures get snapped. Then, just after the event, Min Ki checks his phone: his Insta has blown up with haters. Why? They don’t even know him, but they’re trolling a celebrity who’s attending his event. The trolls demand a take-down of every photo—which means, in effect, that for Min Ki’s thousands of followers, it never happened. The PR attack is made more ominous by the haters’ threat that, if he ever posts about the event again, they’ll be back.
In this podcast, the Mode/Switchers discuss the bewildering interaction of virtual and face-to-face interaction for rising professionals.
How do you speak in the office consistently to how you speak online?
How do you grow your digital following without drawing haters?
How do you bring the lonely “I” of social media into meaningful community?
How do you advocate for workplace equity with courage and respect?
Got a Minute? We’d Like to Hear from You…
You care about justice and equity issues of our day. You speak up for environmental concerns, LGBTQ rights, reparations to first-nation people, religious freedom across the globe. But to your way of thinking, how endangered a species is the early-career professional? Do you think more advocacy is needed for the rights of rising professionals? Jot me a note, if you get a chance (craig.mattson@calvin.edu).