Careful What You Say

Tweet

Search for "business travel" in your favorite blog search tool and the number of blogs that comes up will be disappointing. Why? According to a recent New York Times article, business travelers are reluctant to blog, and not just because of their busy schedules, but also because of more "revealing" reasons.

One business travel blogger noted that after her colleagues began reading her posts about being homeless after Hurricane Katrina, she felt she lost her anonymity. Her quote: "When your boss is reading your blog, you say to yourself, 'Well, maybe I shouldn't be writing about staying at the Ritz-Carlton." Another reason business travelers should be wary to blog: competitive intelligence. A blogging specialist in the article noted that business travelers who mention cities they're staying in or about to visit could reveal "enough information for a competitor to surmise what's going on."

The article goes on to note some business travelers' blogs, how the number is increasing, and how the blogs help others navigate the "hazards and opportunities of the road," but in my mind it served as a good reminder to bloggers, especially those who write business-related blogs. While you might want to "bare it all," you really do need to be careful about what you say. Information that seems entertaining, or even mundane, to you could be misconstrued by colleagues and employers -- and even become useful little tidbits for your competitors.