Social Media – Food for Thought

Social Media – Food for Thought

I'm Watching You

With the increased usage of social media like twitter, facebook, youtube and blogs, there is an awareness that word-of-mouth comments about a business can spread very fast.

It is one thing to deal with people outside an organisation making comments or criticisms, but what happens when staff within an organisation starts to share their personal opinions and views online?

Where is the boundary of personal freedom (including freedom of speech) and control of a staff member’s ability to express an opinion publicly?

Some issues can be addressed with clauses within employment agreements regarding confidentiality of information and clauses that mention bringing the organisation into disrepute. There is no difference between offline and online activities in regards to this.

For the person who is using these forums it is good to remember a few basic rules about social media:

• Online, treat everything as public regardless of personal privacy settings

• People, including the media, employers and staff, are watching your personal accounts

• It is recommended to think twice before you post anything online, for example those comments and photos of that party last night may not be the best thing for your employer (or employee) to see.

Remember that it works both ways, you may check up on staff but they may be checking up on you.

Now what happens when staff members who have personal social media accounts become known publicly as being part of the business? The line between personal and business becomes blurred. If a staff member expresses an opinion or discusses personal values, beliefs or ideologies or even details about their routine or daily lives, does it reflect on the business? Can an employer insist that staff stop using social media or control/restrict what is said?

There are other questions in this area as well.

• Should an employer be searching a staff member’s account?

• Is it appropriate for an employer to “follow” or “friend” a staff member?

• Should you ignore/decline/block staff members (or your boss’s) friend request?

The question is where are the boundaries? Should it be left to chance or common sense or does it need to be controlled by policy or legislation?

Social media is here, to try to stop it is futile, to control it is problematic, so the other option is to become aware of how it works and educate yourself and others as to the appropriate use of this media.

Food for thought.

Paul S Allen

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The Art Of Good Communication

Here are a few points about communication for you to reflect on. Ask yourself “how well do I measure up on these?” then ask someone else to use the same statements to measure you.

Learn the art of good communication.

• Be open to communication
• Input and output are required
• be concise not verbose
• Ask the question: “are words required?”
• Body language and vocal tone matter
• Let your actions support your words and your words support your actions
• Honesty is required, but delivery requires tact and skill
• Not all knowledge is for sharing
• Know how to keep confidences
• Know your subject
• Know yourself
• Develop a soft heart and a thick skin
• be prepared for disagreement
• Ask questions
• seek to be questioned
• Think before you speak
• Think before you answer
• Value diversity
• be cautious of those who always say “yes”
• What you don’t say is just as important as what you do say
• How you say it is just as important as what you say
• Use the language of those you wish to communicate with
• Value differences of opinion
• Honour the other
• Listen, listen well, listen generously
• distill your thought to deliver the message as clearly as you can
• Conflict is not always bad and agreement is not always good

These are just a few point to help with basic communication. If you are a leader you need to be able to communicate well and this does not mean just issuing commands, it will require practiced skill. Get training to help or find a good mentor to give you honest evaluation of your ability. Do not assume that you communicate well or that others know what you are about.

This is a very large subject and this is just a scratch at the surface of it

Paul S Allen

Dangerous Questions

Let me encourage you to question your leaders.

Asking dangerous and unpopular questions may cause trouble but don’t stop asking them. A question is not an accusation, it is a search for the truth. A question is a powerful weapon, it has pulled down governments, businesses and churches, and that is a good thing.

Question everything… policy, values, belief, religion, philosophy, ideology, price, leadership, authority, even yourself… The truth is never threatened by a question, but relishes the opportunity to be revealed.

Be warned, you will upset the status quo when you question like this, some in leadership will try to  silence you, but truth screams to be discovered. It takes courage to question, it will have consequences both for that which you question and for yourself. You will be seen as a trouble maker by some and a rebel by others.

No great discoveries have been made without someone questioning something or someone.

The truth awaits.

Paul S Allen

To Think and Question

Does your organisation allow you to think or question?

Be cautious of organisations that do not encourage their members to think!

I have come across this process before where a consultative meeting is called for with a guise the get peoples input into a decision that has already been made. The “right words” are spoken but the reality is that all decisions have already been made.

I think that in some organisations and churches today there is a lack of critical thinking skills in both leaders and followers.

What will advance a cause is not blind following of an ideology based on tradition (no matter how young or old it is) or based on an ego or personality.

Critical thinking is essential, and the need to question is a paramount freedom that needs to exist in the life of the organisation or church. No leader should feel threatened by questioning unless they are so insecure in themselves, and if that is the case should they be in leadership? Remember not all leaders are good leaders and the insecure and egocentric leader is dangerous.

Paul S Allen
Strategic Leadership