Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Social media policy or does common sense prevail?

The issue crossed my path yesterday yet again.Do organisations need a social media policy?

General guidelines should be in place but I firmly believe that the moment an organisation starts bringing in rigid structures,the very essence of social media ,its vibrant coomunication and instant reaction starts to dissipate.

I was therefore quite interested in what Scott Hepburn has to say in this post especially his call for getting rid of a can't do that policy

Social media is a new-ish approach to business. It enables new forms of collaboration, new approaches to problem-solving, and new ways to increase efficiency. “You can’t do that!” is our default response, a knee-jerk posture we instinctively deploy as a defense against discomfort. Hear it, recognize it, accept it, and set it aside


Maybe though his final point is the most important

Since the dawn of commerce, more companies have failed for lack of innovation than because of legal liabilities. Yes, be compliant with the law. Yes, know your risks. But there’s a difference between knowing your risks and deferring to them. Err to flexibility, toward encouraging new ideas and new models, and your people will astound you with their talents.

1 comment:

Scott Hepburn said...

Thanks for joining the conversation, Nigel. It's nice to see this topic get some coverage -- so many companies are wrestling with what their policies should be regarding employee use of social media.

There's no right answer. The best approach is to be thoughtful, deliberate, flexible, open-minded, and willing to see technology as a solution, instead of just a threat.