POINTS TO PONDER: Leadership & Social Media

What are Points to Ponder? “Points to Ponder” are articles for you to initiate leadership discussion or casual conversations with other leaders on the topic presented. Take the opportunity to share your discussions or different “Points to Ponder” in the comment section. I would love to hear what you all discussed!

     Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Google Chat. The list goes on and on for how connected our society is today. We post everything from the first day of school photos, to our vacation action adventures, to the food we are about to eat. Then we share the funny memes, game requests, and the articles about a favorite interest items. We also share our private thoughts about the government, religion, our organization, coworkers, and social topics of the day. Is it wise to be so open on social media as a leader? How about as a member of an organization? How about as a nurse?

The discussion is not about our right to do so. Thankfully we live in a country where that right is guaranteed. But what is our responsibility when posting to social media?

Recent articles in the national news highlights the increasing impact personal actions on social media can affect a job or opinion about you. A young lady in Texas tweeted unflattering comments about starting her new job. Her new boss was told about the tweet and she was fired before she started to work.

ESPN sports commentator Curt Schilling was removed from his analyst job during the Little League World Series for re-tweeting a post which compared Muslims to Nazis-era Germans during WWII. He has admitted the post was inappropriate and apologized, but the damage to the public perception of him has been done.

As leaders, perception of our actions has both positive and negative repercussions on our ability to lead. A simple comment on a social media site can have lasting impact to your career and your organization. Many of us have these social media accounts to stay connected with others, but they do represent us to others. It is common knowledge that many organizations during the hiring process go through social media for more “information” on potential hires. These sites tell a story about the person, their habits, likes, and provide a candid characterization of you to others.

1. Do you think about your leadership position when you post/share something?
2. Could what you post be construed as divisive in your organization or discriminatory?
3. What do you think you should change about your social media habit?

All Points to Ponder…

Leading with you

Dean

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