I bet if Roger Goodell could have one wish right now, I bet it would be to have Twitter disappear. And there several CEOs that I think would willingly give up teeth to the Tooth Fairy to see it happen as well.
Twitter is the double-edged sword that keeps on giving. Hilarity and cringe-worthy expressions in one fell swoop, delivered in a 140 characters or less… unless you use something like TwitLonger to really get your message out unfettered.
Organizations are becoming more proactive with social networking. A local diocese of the Church of England has done what some entities have already done, and has given clergy and staffers guidelines to observe before tweeting.
The major points? Here you go:
- Don’t rush in
- Transient yet permanent (nature of tweets)
- You’re an ambassador
- Don’t hide (behind anonymity)
- Blurring of public/private life boundaries
- Safeguarding (relationships with minors).
- Stay within the legal framework
- Confidentiality
- Be mindful of your own security
[Read the Full Guidelines via Bath & Wells]
In the document, each bullet point is followed by some pertinent explanations.
On a practical note, the guidelines do not reach too much (in my estimation); there is some good advice there that should apply to everybody on every social network. The second point should practically be a flashing confirmation warning accompanying tweet utilities.
Do you think non-profits should have formal Twitter guidelines for their employees?
[via BBC News | Image via MKH marketing via Flickr Creative Commons]
Andrew Fallows says
“Do you think non-profits should have formal Twitter guidelines for their employees?”
Yes I do, to the point that I’m almost surprised that’s even a question. We’re in an era of constantly evolving technology, and a large proportion of the workforce is behind the bleeding edge and often pretty disoriented when introduced to tech. As much as it seems ancient to people on the frontier, Twitter is still new territory for a lot of people, especially in the church.
People need introduction, orientation, training, and guidelines. All social media has etiquette, norms, internal culture, and unwritten rules. Introduction to that and expectations around it are all essential for an organization (non-profit or otherwise).
Tre Lawrence says
Well said… I agree.