Anecdotes and Privacy

When I explain situations I've encountered in the past, I make some small tweaks.

1. Name and Gender - I pick a random name from a random name generator, and then use the appropriate gender. I don't want to bring in any unintentional bias regarding gender or ethnicity.

2. Details - If there's any reason I believe that it is unwise to identify a specific department or product, I will change a critical identifying detail to avoid identifying things specifically.

3. Wording - Most of my wording, from email or discussions is based on my best memory, not specifically copied. The only exception is if I'm referring to newsletter communications from current readers.

4. Timeline and dates and numbers - When it matters, I try to keep timelines and dates and numbers honest. When I need to obfuscate things, I’ll change them as necessary, without changing the message behind the story.

5. Combining - What I will sometimes do is combine two or more situations into one story. This means the elements are all true, but potentially different aspects were with different people. This helps ensure privacy for everyone involved.

6. Swapping places - When it helps, I may swap people in a story. For example, I may word things as if I’m the senior leader in the story, but perhaps I was the line manager at the time. It depends on how I want to write up the narrative, and again, ensure that I’ve shuffled the details appropriately so that people don’t feel called out.