Social Media Policy: The simplest way forward

So many public sector organisations are still banning the use of social media. This seems a bit like being unwilling to give up your horse when the cars are all whizzing past you.  Anyway, the root of this short-sighted vision is often fear. Apart from fear of the unknown (when senior managers have no idea about social media they are more prone to ban it or poo-poo it) there is also the fear of lack of control. In the public sector we're good at writing rules and regulations so when management does get to grips with social media it tends to be via a tortuous and complicated social media policy.

I particularly liked Mike Brown's take on social media policies. He recommends the following (please go to his blogpost to read the whole article:

“Will what you’re about to share online offend, surprise, or shock your

• Spouse
• Mother
• Employer (current or future)
• Clients (current or future)
• Business partners (current or future)
• Coworkers
• Children

in a way which critically jeopardizes your relationship? If you answer even one “Yes” for this short list of people, think long and hard before publishing your content.”