Protect yourself from social media attacks
The ease of use and relative anonymity of Twitter has made it into the perfect engine for those with grievances, even unfounded ones, to bring their issues into the public spotlight and give someone’s name a quick run through the mud. This is probably fairly obvious to anyone who has spent a good deal of time with the service, but a recent UK survey has attached some hard numbers to the rising trend of social media vengeance. A quote, from a MediaBistro post by Lauren Dugan:
52 percent of those surveyed say they’re thinking about taking revenge on a target right now, and 38 percent say they’ve already gone after someone online for sweet, sweet revenge.
Co-workers are the most targeted people when it comes to online vengeance, followed by friends (sad, but true), and bosses.
One in ten of those surveyed believe that people in the public spotlight actually deserve berating and shaming on social networks if they’re caught doing something wrong, and one in five think that revenge is an acceptable part of modern society.
What does this mean to your organization? Well, if you have more than one employee, then they’re going to rub each other the wrong way at some point. If you’re the boss, unless you’re a saint (and maybe even then), I can guarantee you’re going to royally peeve at least a few people off during your tenure, whether warranted or not.
The key to preventing internal offended parties from leaping to Twitter and airing your company’s dirty laundry? Training. Teach every member of your organization the difference between Tweeting for strictly personal use and Tweeting that can impact the workplace, to include the potential for allegations of harassment, discrimination, defamation and more. Outline specific consequences for violations, and stick to them with a fervor. In addition, let people know what type of information is allowed or even encouraged to be shared on the Web. If they can get their Twitter fix by creating positive interactions, they’re less likely to fire off a 140-character rant the next time someone borrows their stapler.
As far as outside stakeholders go, you can’t tell them what not to post. Your best bet there is Crisis Management 101 – provide top-notch customer service and keep your eyes on social media to correct negative experiences the moment you see that complaint pop up.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/