“How can you squander even one more day not taking advantage of the greatest shifts of our generation? How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?”
I find it interesting how companies are reacting to this challenge. Some take the hierarchical approach and have their IT department block all access to any social media sites. Not sure what rational they are giving the people other than it wastes time. And on the other side of the spectrum we have companies that see, "Please, go ahead and take a break from your project to post something on Facebook. No problem." Those in the middle know their people are on these sites but ignore it and hope it goes away.
The reality is you can't really stop your people from socializing while at work. It's kind of a generational thing. Boomers like to get coffee and hang out in the break room. Gen X and Gen Y check with friends online. If you try to stop it at work, they will just get on their phones and do it that way. Instead of focusing on the lost productivity of social media in the workplace, let's talk about the benefits.
Be authentic and organic. It can’t be forced or it won’t work. And most importantly, have fun.
-Richard Branson, Virgin (on using social media)
Social Media Is a Powerful Sales & Marketing Tool
If social media is word of mouth on steroids, wouldn't it be a good idea to let your employees "sell" your products and company online? Of course you can't dictate that your employees are only selling your products when they are online but it stands to reason they are like to post about their employer at some point.
Social Media Is a Powerful Recruiting Tool
If your good employees are online talking about what a great job they have, their friends will be interested. Your good employees are your most powerful asset, as long as you don't try to stifle and confine them.
Social Media Could Hold You More Accountable As a Leader
I have to wonder if some leaders are so averse to social media because they are afraid their employees are talking about them online. Social Media holds us all accountable to be great leaders. Just think of it this way. If you are a great leader, your employees are going to talk about that on social media. That could help you recruit others, it could help your career because word will get out about you, it could even result in other opportunities. In this day and age, your future is largely dependent upon people's perception of you. A great number of employers first conduct a Google search on any prospective employee. How great would it be if someone Google searched you and found comments related to what a great human being and leader you are to work for.
On the other hand, if you have a tendency to be unethical, micro-managing, tyrannical, and a bully, the use of social media will hold you accountable - guaranteed.
Social Media Is A Different Version of the Traditional Break Room
The reality is, people need a break from the stress and monotony of the day. We used to go to the break room, water cooler, outside for a smoke, etc. and now social media is how people take a break and connect with friends. People need to connect - some more than others. Your goal as a leader is to set some parameters for all your employees regarding acceptable behavior and breaks at work.
Addressing Your Fears
The number one biggest complaint I hear regarding the use of social media at work is it wastes time. Seriously? That's all you've got? There are people that abuse every perk at work. There are people that are never on social media but spend four hours a day going from office to office just chatting. Social media is no different. As leaders, we have to get more comfortable with managing by what gets accomplished rather than by how many hours I saw you sitting in your seat working (and not using social media). Gen. Y expects their work to be based on accomplishment of tasks and they have a tendency to be very fast. If you have an employee abusing time at work and not getting the job done, whether it is because they spend too much time chatting or too much time on social media, address it. But don't punish every one in the office because you don't want to address one person's performance.
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