Written by Brendan Heady
Are you promoting or policing social media in your organization? Do you have a social media policy or a social media strategy? What is your company’s current position on employee social media use? Are you fostering creative communication or or are you merely policing Facebook and Twitter as time-wasters in the office? Where and when employers block social networks, enter the smart phone. We’ve become so connected in nearly all aspects of our social lives, employers are less and less likely to keep us unplugged, even when policy tries to encourage (or force) otherwise. So what happens when we loosen the ropes on social media use and let it roam free in our organizations? It begins to grow organically, and after an adoption period, fresh, creative thinking can lead to new ways of increased productivity! That’s not to say that social media can’t be abused, but it depends on the individual, and as a leader, it depends on the tone of respect and expectations for performance you set with your employees. Do you lead by example or with punishment? I personally would like to not only trust my employees, but also have them bring new ideas and thought partnership to our business objectives.
Collaboration is necessary to stay ahead in any of today’s markets - and no one CEO has all the right answers alone, in fact the best leaders leverage the diverse talents of their workforce. Maybe the next big idea for your company is out there in the mind of one of your employees, but if you don’t open the lines of communication you may never discover it. That’s where social media comes into play in my business. I want to hear about what my employees have to say about what our company is doing and what it should be doing. And what better way to foster this communication than through social media services like Twitter, Yammer and Facebook groups! Meetings and phone calls will always be par for the course, but its hard to schedule meetings with your entire team every week to discuss their thoughts and concerns for the company.
Social media opens the doors between CEO’s and other leaders with their individual contributors - if you’re an executive in your organization, it’s important to listen to what’s going on, listen to what’s being said. If you’re not interested in listening to what your employees have to say, be prepared to fall behind the curve. Social media is now officially a game-changer in every field in almost every organization. I read recently about a new social network called the Squad Room - a network for police officers to share information with one another. There is no wasted time when information and knowledge and best practices can be shared amongst law enforcement. Would you rather have your community officers sitting around policing the local coffee shop?
If you use social media for the right purposes - thought/knowledge exchange among a larger group of peers - you will see successful results. You don’t want want your teenage workers at your restaurant updating their Facebook status during work, that makes sense, but try creating a private Facebook group for your business and ask interesting questions - get your employees involved in driving the success of the business, allow them to spend that 10-15 minutes a day online checking in with the group. I think you’ll be surprised at what they can contribute to your business objectives!
It’s not about creating strict policies banning social media, in doing so you’re creating a culture that says “We don’t value sharing or socializing or openness.” Think about how you want your company to be perceived by your employees, and align a social media strategy that meets both your business & cultural objectives.
