Last year Jon Acuff, wrote an article for Relevant Magazine, entitled, “7 Questions to Ask Before You Throw Down Online”.  Each of these are worth exploring in the context of purposed worKING and how we handle ourselves in the workplace and online.

“The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their foolishness.”

Jon Acuff calls them, “instant experts”.  The internet has a way of creating them.  I’m amazed at the number of people who post or respond to something that they know little, if anything about.  With a simple and subtle push on their knowledge of the subject, they crumble. They just want to be there because others were either piling on, or it seemed that something was trending and they want to show that they can play in the topic, so they engage.  If you want to have your or your company’s credibility questioned, start talking about something as if you know something about it, when you don’t.  From credibility comes trust.  From trust comes repeat and new customers.  I’ve been online with customer service people who try and show they know what is going on, but don’t really have the right information.  I was tweeting with an airline customer service person who kept telling me that the plane I was on was in the air, flying towards our destiantion and would arrive on time.  I just couldn’t get her to accept that I was sitting on the plane, at the gate with a pilot telling us that he didn’t have a clue when we would be taking off  This was a public Twitter exchange.  For my followers, this airline didn’t bolster their credibility in that exchange.

It’s pretty easy.  If we don’t know what we are talking or writing about, then don’t pipe up.  Even if we do have the knowledge, we are taught that the wise don’t flaunt their knowledge, but instead are quiet about what they know.  Not many people like a “know-it-all” and fewer like those who act like they know something when they don’t.  This gets exacerbated and magnified online.  Much of our living witness is based on our life credibility.  let’s be careful on how we use what we know or don’t know in keeping our witness and life example strong.  The people were amazed by how much Jesus knew for someone who was not educated.  But, we may not able to be like Jesus in this way.  Bottom line – ask ourselves what do really know before we speak or write.

Reference: Proverbs 12:23 (New Living Translation)