3-Step Social Media Policy

There remains a large ongoing discussion about whether to allow employees to use social media. The allow, tone and verb, in those discussion always makes me cringe. It's patronizing and inappropriate. An inherent lack of respect is shown with its use.  A tremendous amount of fear is reflected, fear of what they could say if we let them say it.  A bit ironic as in this cases they are the ones who spend their day building that brand. It's not their brand.

Here's my 3-Step Social Media Policy in response:

Step One: Gather Adults.

You’ve gathered adults around you, right? Go no further until you do. If you have any doubts, confirm or dispel them. But, go no further until you do. It's important for the next step.

Step Two: Make the Brand their Brand.

This insures what's said is about what's been decided and what's being done. This insures the same people are talking about what they decided and what they did to carry out their decisions.

Step Three: Allow, ok, Encourage Everyone To Use Social Media

They are adults. Adults can prioritize their time, take responsibility/be accountable for their decisions, understand the impact of their decisions, learn and grow from their decisions, play well and support others. And let others play well with them and their ideas, too. Adults, contrary to egregious examples in the news and the impressions of their kids, really do listen.

The brand is their brand. Everyone works to create it, own it, grow it, celebrate it. Nothing is gained from bashing what they have created or allowed to be created. Incentives, mostly inexpensive ones of recognition and participation and growth, are in place, correctly aligned with their goals for the brand.

Now, social media can be used properly: to accelerate the spread of the story of and by adults who have together created a brand they want to...celebrate with the friends they choose, where and their friends hang out.

What do you think?