07
2008
Personal Digital Covenant
Do you have strategy-envy over the groups that have it together in the digital badlands? You should.
- Zappos takes its shoes the extra mile with more than 250 diligent, twittering staffers, all part of a full-immersion dive into Twitter sanctioned by blogging CEO Tony Hsieh.
- Everyone at the Indianapolis Museum of Art is down with integrated social media, too - even the curators.
It’s your job to follow suit & get your own team on board.
Arthur W. Page Society’s “Authentic Enterprise” states that one of the four must-have responsibilities of Chief Communications Officers is to provide “Leadership in enabling the enterprise with ‘new media’ skills and tools.”
The digital lifestyle is one part enterprise ambassador, three parts personal brand. Even if you have one of the mythical blogging CEO’s on your side, and even if your efforts are endorsed by the board, you still need the hands and feet of your organization to take interest and initiative. [Photo credit: "colourful" by partykitten77]
How about setting a mandate for engagement? Really. Don’t forget to be encouraging and provide incentives. Take it one step further with this [draft] of a “personal digital covenant.” (These are initial ideas to simultaneously rally and rein in the faces of your organization. Suggestions for improvement are very welcome.)
Personal Digital Covenant
I choose to support [The Company's] desire to become more relevant in this digital age. I promise to give my best shot at upholding the following tenants of progressive online engagement, and will encourage my colleagues to do the same:
- I won’t hold us back. Even if I’m fearful or a lazy sack, you have my blessing to try this out, for the sake of all of us. I’ll be honest about my concerns, which I expect you to address. (If you don’t address them, kiss my support good bye.)
- I’ll ramp up. In the spirit of “not holding us back,” I will give this a whirl. If it is my first foray, I’ll sample and ask questions, committing to at least one new space in which I’ll regularly play. Maybe LinkedIn is good enough for now.If I’m feeling frisky, I’ll find friends on Facebook, del.icio.us or Digg something (”and be dugg in return”), and maybe even tweet on Twitter.
- I do not have to be - and will not be - everywhere, all the time. There is real work to be done, obvi. Besides, the novelty of my online know-how will wear thin over time, especially if the bubble bursts or people think I’m screwing around.
- It won’t kill me to read or comment on blogs. I’ve experienced much more pain in my life than setting up a Netvibes account. In fact, if I feel so inclined, I’ll start my own blog on something that I personally care about. Of course I’ll abide by [The Company's] Blogging Guidelines, which exist to help me blog smarter and cover my tail. If you don’t support my blogging ambitions, I need a new job.
- I’m not the Lord of 2.0 Craft. There will always be people who know more about this stuff, innovate cooler ways to put it into action, and have more digi-friends than me. At best, I will try to learn from them and share what I know with others. At worst, I’ll ignore you and everyone else.
Lindy Dreyer warns us:
Any association that refuses to adapt and leverage their community in this new medium is at risk.”
Your community includes your staff. All aboard.
Lindy Dreyer Says:
May 7th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Wow! Thanks for quoting me. And you’re right–your community certainly includes your staff. In fact, it revolves around your staff who are the embodiment of your company.
That’s the hard part, isn’t it? The Indianapolis Museum of Art had the courage to let anyone, not just their trained communications team, have a public voice. Maybe you should add another bullet to the personal covenant. Something like this…
“I’ll share the stage.”
Justin Thorp Says:
May 7th, 2008 at 9:32 am
While I don’t disagree with the spirit of your post, it kind of sounds like your saying that blogging or using social media is an ends and not just a means to an ends.
Blogs, twitter, podcasting are all just tools. When I have someone say “I think I need to blog”, if they can’t answer why, then they shouldn’t start a blog.
I’d reword your quote at the top about the CCO’s responsibilities to say “Leadership in enabling the enterprise with the ability to meaningfully connect with its community of users”.
Lauren Vargas Says:
May 7th, 2008 at 10:19 am
I have to agree with Justin. My CMO required all people on MK staff to add blogging goals. The effect was a bunch of copy and paste to internal blog without any conversation or editorial. The employee foray into social media must be meaningful.
QuiDiaz Says:
May 7th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Thanks, Lindy - it really is about looking outside of the communications department on this, and it’s always been that way in terms of marcom efforts.
Justin, Lauren - Amen to meaningful, strategic online engagement. This post was intended to help the CCO/CMO get support/involvement from individuals, not the actual strategy. I think a lot of NON-marcom staff are not thinking, “how can I represent my company through Twitter today?” It’s a tough balance, asking people to consider using new tools as a means to elevate themselves, yes, but also their organization.
If folks are “out there,” then you can take the Big Strategy further. You’ll have more eyes and ears in more places, which ultimately can lead to additional reach. Teach them how to get in the boat before you give them a fishing pole.
Jen Zingsheim Says:
May 7th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Love the post and don’t have much to add, but I agree completely with Justin/Lauren that it has to be meaningful. And, employees must be interested in participating, or their contributions will seem hollow and forced, which of course they will be.
Also, I love the Gummi Bear photos!
Jen
Despi Says:
May 8th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Yikes…required blogging goals? At IMA, that would never fly. There is a large contingent that is likely perplexed by the fact that we blog at all. It definitely isn’t for everyone, and that is part of what makes it good. It works for a particular audience, that seems to really enjoy reading what some engaged staff have to say about working at an art museum, or horticulture, or being obsessed with design…those of us who blog, love it, and support one another and become really interactive with our readers. it has become a really authentic form of communication that has transcended many other “strategies.”
Qui Diaz Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Jen, surely I am not suggesting that anyone be forced to participate. But if they do, it’s okay for them to start off in areas that aren’t necessarily tied to mission. You have to get your feet wet somehow, right? It’s easier to start with something that matters personally to you. Should it be meaningful? If people want their personal brands to flourish, yes. And absolutely yes if you are mobilizing employees around an initiative related to your goals.
Hi Despi, thanks for stopping by. You guys are doing great work and it’s great that Beth Kanter has highlighted IMA so well. I am not suggesting required blogging goals by any means. It would be great if, like IMA, more groups embraced their employees’ personal interests in blogging (or message boards or social networks or other mediums). Nobodies forced to engage, but nobody is stifled either.
Scott Says:
May 13th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Qui,
You sort of reiterated this already, but again and again I even catch myself having a solution without a problem. Facebook is a solution to, well, something, as is blogging and Twittering and so on. But what are we solving with those tools?
It’s great to encourage reticent members of the company to jump into the online fray, but its bad to lead them into think they’re a silver bullet.
Still, I’m printing this one out. Thanks for a thoughtful post.
QuiDiaz Says:
May 13th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Scott - you’re absolutely right. It’s not and never will be a silver bullet. Employees should be empowered to make their own (smart) choices about how they personally do/do not engage online. Empowered to do so in the first place - if they want - and not held back.
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May 7th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
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