Comments on: Your Policy Should Reflect YOU http://www.dachisgroup.com/2010/07/your-policy-should-reflect-you/ Social Business, Brand Engagement, Powerful Insights Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:09:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: David H. Deans http://www.dachisgroup.com/2010/07/your-policy-should-reflect-you/#comment-285 David H. Deans Sun, 04 Jul 2010 14:03:40 +0000 http://www.dachisgroup.com/?p=46378#comment-285 One question to ask yourself, before publishing your social media policy, does it offer balanced guidance about the use of social media tools? My point: most are written from the point of view of "damage containment" -- with little, if any, mention of the upside potential of embracing these tools to engage your stakeholders. Therefore, if your policy objective is to outlaw social media activity in your organization -- by making novices very fearful of participation -- then consider the predictable outcome as a mission-accomplished scenario. Realize that most policy documents don't contain one sentence of encouragement. Some actually insult the intelligence of the employees that are mandated to read them. So, if you already have a policy in place, then read it again -- this time looking for these "overly negative" perspectives. Ask yourself, if you (being a novice) would risk engaging in social media activities as a result of this guidance? One question to ask yourself, before publishing your social media policy, does it offer balanced guidance about the use of social media tools?

My point: most are written from the point of view of “damage containment” — with little, if any, mention of the upside potential of embracing these tools to engage your stakeholders.

Therefore, if your policy objective is to outlaw social media activity in your organization — by making novices very fearful of participation — then consider the predictable outcome as a mission-accomplished scenario.

Realize that most policy documents don’t contain one sentence of encouragement. Some actually insult the intelligence of the employees that are mandated to read them.

So, if you already have a policy in place, then read it again — this time looking for these “overly negative” perspectives. Ask yourself, if you (being a novice) would risk engaging in social media activities as a result of this guidance?

]]> By: James Dellow http://www.dachisgroup.com/2010/07/your-policy-should-reflect-you/#comment-284 James Dellow Sat, 03 Jul 2010 01:55:17 +0000 http://www.dachisgroup.com/?p=46378#comment-284 I really agree with your point about copying and pasting social media policies. I also wrote about this here, over on the Headshift blog last year, focusing on the importance of how these guidelines are developed and why staff should be involved in that process: Zen and the Art of Social Media Guideline Maintenance http://www.headshift.com/au/2009/05/zen-and-the-art-of-social-medi.php I really agree with your point about copying and pasting social media policies. I also wrote about this here, over on the Headshift blog last year, focusing on the importance of how these guidelines are developed and why staff should be involved in that process:

Zen and the Art of Social Media Guideline Maintenance
http://www.headshift.com/au/2009/05/zen-and-the-art-of-social-medi.php

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