Henry Miller, a novelist more honest than most about the links between life and fiction, prefaced Tropic of Cancer with this quotation from Emerson:

These novels will give way, by and by, to diaries or autobiographies – captivating books. If only a man knew how to choose among what he calls his experiences and how to record truth truly.

Emerson was one of the leading lights of the Transcendentalist movement in the US. Transcendentalism began as a movement of cultural protest. Perhaps the idea that defined it more than most was the belief that a person’s principles should be grounded in their inner humanity rather than formed by the imposition of external experience.

Ho hum
This meant that for many transcendentalists – Emerson and Thoreau, especially – writing became a mode of self-examination. They wrote about themselves, their interaction with nature, their beliefs, and how what they believed made them view the world.

In other words, they became full-time autobiographers. This was a huge cultural change. Biographies and autobiographies had long been the preserve of those perceived to be ‘great’ men and women. Achievers: inventors, explorers, military leaders, rulers, and saints. Here were men and women writing about themselves before they had achieved anything. Not even caring about achieving.

Sound familiar?
This was a precursor to the situation on the web now. Blogs and social networks are full of self portraits and the minutiae of daily life.

We are all autobiographers now
The increasingly ubiquitous web-based tools for publishing and information dissemination mean that there is little or no barrier to entry for anyone wishing to make their opinions, thoughts, life story, likes and dislikes, shopping list, friends, or family publicly available. And, in keeping with a widespread human trait, we tend to use these same tools to search for those like us. Even, sometimes, for those who we may like and who may like us.

What does this mean for business?
Well, I think businesses now have three options:

• to be like your customers – share their interests;
• to be liked by your customers – they always check out what’s new with you;
• to be part of your customers’ lives – they can’t imagine doing x without involving you.

If you can’t be part of one of these groups, you’re shouting down the wrong end of a loudspeaker. And that loudspeaker should be in the company museum. Along with the founder’s abacus, the Remington from the typing pool, and the last cheque you wrote for an ad in a consumer magazine.

Companies now need to write autobiographies, too. That’s how you connect. I say autobiographies rather than stories because it’s about authenticity. That’s not to say that bragging, lying, cheating, and fantasy don’t play a part in the teeming flow on show on the web. But in the end, it’s authenticity that lasts. Most people can’t maintain an inauthentic voice for long: somewhere along the line, the cracks appear and the false edifice comes tumbling down. With authenticity, there’s nowhere to go but up: mistakes are forgiven and second chances readily offered.

Some big US companies are already going down this route. There are leading CEOs blogging (at Sun, for example) and there are feedback loops (at Dell, for example) accepting and publishing negative criticism.

It’s a long-term strategy. Old-style communications execs will be sweating into their button-down Oxford collars at the thought of airing anything other than positive spin but the moment has arrived and no amount of tutting and procrastination will stop the flow of information about your company.

Is it better to join in and deal with friends or drown in a tsunami of disapproval? Or, even worse – fade away through neglect?

Start writing your autobiography now.