Folks who get to know Maddie and me quickly realize that I’m the more, well, conservative of the two of us. Especially when it comes to speaking out online. Recently, Maddie did a blog post that was very passionate, and perhaps the most successful post we’ve ever had in terms of engagement metrics. And that post made me VERY uncomfortable.
For the record, I disagree with a lot of the points that she raised. And while I’ve been known to rant here on occasion, I prefer a more circumspect approach to the language that I use. I would never write a post while I was exhausted and emotional and publish it before letting it settle for a few days. I just wouldn’t. That’s the communications training in me–my inner marcomm pro who knows a misstep will come back to haunt me. And that’s why I’ll never be half the blogger that Maddie is.
Great bloggers create controversy. Great bloggers show passion. Great bloggers speak their mind.
And yes, sometimes there are consequences. But it’s important for organizations who engage in social media to accept the bad with the good, because at the end of the day the benefit can far outweigh the consequences. For association execs, a controversial post is a true test of your commitment to open dialogue. If you’re too quick to judge, and respond too harshly, you’re sending the message that there’s a limit to your openness. At the same time, you don’t want to condone online behavior that you feel is irresponsible–nor should you. It’s important for you to express your concerns and re-direct your staff when necessary, even as you support them in their work. That’s how everyone learns and improves.
It’s a balancing act, and all I can say is!if you’re conservative like me, take a deep breath and err on the side of openness. And get used to feeling uncomfortable. A lot. Remember, there’s something far worse than being controversial!being boring.
- Bit.ly URL for this post:
- http://bit.ly/beo8LA
9 responses to "Ach! Maddie makes me uncomfortable."
{ 9 comments }
Lindy:
I’m glad Maddie wrote the blog post and I’m sure it will have some consequences. Ultimately, it got a lot of people talking online about things that were being said in the hallways, over meals and behind people’s back.
I’m amazed at our American culture that allows sports armchair quarterbacking, Sunday morning political talk show pundits and reality judging shows where we share our thoughts and opinions. However, we shun and neglect open dialogue about our associations, their leadership, their directions and their decisions. If we allowed, even encouraged more open discussion, we’d all be much better off and our associations would be in better places.
Just sayin…
I’m glad Maddie wrote her post and I’m equally glad Lindy wrote hers. The question, the dance, is… when does passion become reckless? Or, conversely, if we worry about being reckless, will we stifle our passion?
Thanks, Howard. I guess I was just trying to say that it’s OK to not be OK with all of this stuff all the time.
I enjoyed the post and thought Maddie’s points were spot on, and she also properly set context AND had a promise of a positive post in the first paragraph. I say… brilliant! And yeah, it sure got people talking, which, in my opinion is the whole idea of a blog. With all the controversy, hopefully ASAE will have read it.
Garry
I just read an interview with Peter Sellars in Psychology Today where he spoke about the “pathologizing of society” (unfortunately, it’s not online, or I’d share it). If there’s pain involved, we’ll do whatever it takes to relieve ourselves of it instead of diving in and working through it. So kudos to you for not taking the easy way out (remaining silent) and expressing to your peers, friends, colleagues, how you really felt.
Hopefully ASAE will “throw some skunks on the table” during their planning process and really address what it takes to provide their members with something even more meaningful in 2011. I’m fairly certain they will.
BTW, Hugh MacLeod is awesome. His book “Ignore Everybody” should not be ignored!
Jeff and Gary – I love that you both thrive in the midst of conflict. I would like to be more like you when I grow up.
Toni Rae – it’s all well and good until someone gets sprayed. LOL. Thanks for your thoughts!
Thanks L for posting this – totally made me cry btw
(and I love the fact that despite your general calmness compared to me you have definitely been known to rant on occasion… LOL!)
I think what makes this blog truly awesome for me is that each of us – you, me, Jamie, Maggie, John and Leslie – speak with integrity and honesty about what we know. And when we don’t know, or we’re not sure of what we’re mulling over, we ask. And that’s true regardless of the differences in our individual voices.
Great post Lindy. Personally I found Maddie’s post refreshing and honest and I was feeling similarly frustrated in the days following the show. There were some basic things that just didn’t go well that should have. Maybe the follow-up post from Maddie should have come out sooner – to yhelp emphasize the positives. I also think Jeff Hurt’s post was a bit more tactical and your post seems to bridge it all. Thanks for the dialogue!
Interesting. I guess great bloggers can create controversy, but I don’t know that they have to.
Great bloggers, writers, leaders, and people (as far as I’m concerned) operate from a space of caring and conviction. Sometimes doing so ends up being considered controversial. I’m not stupid. I get it and understand why, but it has always seemed like a strange way to respond to someone speaking his/her truth. It’s not as if we have to accept it as our own truth. But we do need to appreciate that it is theirs and to remain open to understanding and learning from it.
So long as their position/truth also embodies another C-word — constructive — we should embrace those voices whether or not we agree with them.
Comments on this entry are closed.