While at the Collaborative Technologies Conference this past week in NYC I heard Gordon Quinn, VP of Strategic Technology and BD for Nortel Networks mention the notion of identity. He said "identity is an underlying enabler of 'presence.'" (The session was called Presence: The Battle for the Desktop) He went on to say that we all have a variety of identities - whether it is a work identity, an end user identity, a gaming identity, a blogging identity, etc...and therefore there would need to be "different types of rules for identities" (and therefore presence.)

His comments reflect a technology bent, but I think the same is true for the future of work from an HR perspective. Equally, I could have been sitting in an HR seminar called Presence: The Battle for Hearts and Minds.

Herminia Ibarra's book Working Identity discusses identity in transition, identity in practice and ways to reinvent your career. Throughout, she advises us to experiment and practice as we start changing our working identity. Here is her most recent article. Quinn's remarks about multiple identities seem to be more fitting; we just have multiple identities even when we are not in a career transition. It's just people's nature these days.

Maybe it's also because I seem to have quite a few working identities going on at the moment. You are meeting me via one of my "new" working identities-- as a blogger. It is with great pleasure that I join Corante with a team of esteemed writers and colleagues. And I also have another blogging identity at bnet.com.which explores the dynamics of HR and Branding. Another one of my working identities is starting my own consultancy called The Seventh Suite. Each identity is unique and while they all share a common platform (me and my "circuitry") each has a different lens from which to see and each has a different voice to be heard. (And each identity has its own email address.)

In the past I was the VP of HR/OD for Vodafone (nee Oskar.) I was part of a team committed to making a great company. Before that I had a series of jobs that defined my working and career identity. These past identities have now become part of a career legacy which is giving me the courage to step out in some new unchartered directions.

For the past 24 months my "working identity" has been in transition." I have been moving from my past working identity to my future working identity. Bill Bridges calls this place the neutral zone. It's the place in between. It's neither here nor there. It's somewhere but nowhere. It’s ambiguous and stressful. It's a place to be incredibly creative.

So for me...Now is the time for experimenting, learning, listening, observing and contributing in new ways. Now is the time to take some risks. Now is the time to unearth hidden talents. Now is the time to play in a new, exciting and unusual world full of different possibilities. Now is the time to explore new identities and the presence that goes with them.

With the changing demographics of the workforce, (those starting, those in the middle, those redefining, and those leaving) I see HR and OD professionals needing to consider not only their workforce but "all" of the various working identities within it and/or that surround it. With that in mind, different “rules” (not a favorite word of mine) can be created to engage hearts, minds and identities in some very meaningful and unanticipated ways.

I look forward to meeting all of you and your working/other identities in our continued conversations.