Leslie White is the risk manager on Team SocialFish. She helps our clients draft social media policies and assess their risk comfort level. See more about Leslie at www.croydonconsult.com.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is at it again, by recently releasing its first two rulings on employer social media policies. In 2010 the NLRB’s administrative law judges issued several findings that employers’ social media policies were violating their employees’ right to engage in “protected concerted activity” as protected by the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. The Board has issued three (3) reports providing guidance on social media policies.
“I’m all for an organization using risk management techniques to address its risks, but a “social media risk management” program should be a part of your enterprise-wide risk management program. If you only address your social media risks your association still has serious threats to its survival.
Don’t misunderstand me, social media creates risks that need to be managed–but those risks go beyond social media. If after reading this report, you take some action to manage these risks, then I’m happy. But your actions should extend into all potential causes of loss, not just social media.”
I understand that many of these finance, human resources and business operations folks don’t “get” social media but they need to recognize that social media is important to their association’s survival and growth. In one session when questioned only a few attendees knew if their association had a private online community. This tells me these folks are out of touch with their members. Perhaps as a CFO, controller, accountant, bookkeeper, facilities manager, or HR person, they don’t see a need to interact with their members. They may believe that is not their job but the responsibility of their membership, marketing and component relations colleagues. BUT, knowing your members and their industry or profession is critical to you doing your job even when you fall into the General and Administration part of the budget. Understanding why your association exists and how you provide value to your members is important for you to be an engaged employee. Otherwise you are just doing a job.
Associations’ social media programs are further along the evolutionary chain than risk management. Many associations have at least one staff person (full- or part-time) dedicated to their social efforts while enabling others to participate. Similarly someone has to be responsible for risk management activities within your association. And all employees, members and volunteers need to be involved – managing risk is everyone’s job. Therefore, both risk management and social media should be embedded in your culture with everyone playing a role.
We need to reframe the risk discussion – risk and fear are not synonymous.
Maddie Grant, CAE and Lindy Dreyer are strategic consultants at ICF Ironworks.
We also manage the SocialFish blog, the biggest industry social media blog for associations and nonprofits. We have regular bloggers writing for us on social strategy, implementation, social theory, social business and lots of other topics that interest us and push our industry forward. Every author's posts are their own, and none represent the views of ICF Ironworks or ICF International.
More on our consulting is here.
Happy reading.
Lindy Dreyer
lindy@socialfish.org
Follow @lindydreyer
Maddie Grant
maddie@socialfish.org
Follow @maddiegrant
Washington, DC
202-713-5343
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