I’m submitting an abstract to speak at the APQC knowledge management conference in May 2011. As part of the submittal process, I had to write a 50-word bio.
Here’s what I came up with:
Jeff Hester is passionate about communities, working with leaders, employees and developers to help them deliver business value through KM. Co-author of three books and frequent speaker, the combination of engineering background and dot-com experience give him a unique ability to bridge the gap between practice and theory in plain English.
Whatever you think about my bio, I had a few observations about the process that anyone can benefit from.
- Telling someone who you are in 50 words or less is challenging. There’s a lot that goes unspoken in that bio.
- This bio was clearly tailored to the audience (the knowledge management crowd). If I were speaking on WordPress or backpacking the JMT, the bio would look decidedly different. This doesn’t change who I am; it simply acknowledges that I am multi-faceted. They key point? Know your audience.
- It was fun! You may not plan to speak at a conference anytime soon, but having a clear statement about who you are and what distinguishes you from the rest of the pack is an exercise worth doing. Think of it as an elevator pitch for YOU!
Oh, and in case you counted, I came in one word under fifty (not counting my name). Better to come in under budget.