Less History, More Mystery

In a recent post, I asked how secretive applicants should be about their searches. The comments have been very interesting.

This recent piece at CNN.com touches on some of the same thoughts: what kinds of information you should keep to yourself at work. It’s very helpful.

I suppose that we all are a part of the afternoon talk-show culture at this point, but too much self-disclosure is never a good thing. In Shakespeare, King Henry IV once noted that by carefully managing his public appearances, he could create an aura of respect around himself: “By being seldom seen, I could not stir/But like a comet I was wonder’d at.” Or, as a talk-show critic once observed, “More times than not, it’s better to provide people with a little less history and instead create a little more mystery about one’s life.”

How should we handle colleagues who are addicted to drama and self-revelation?