This past week a local restaurant in a small Utah town came under fire after one of its cooks posted anti-police sentiment to his personal Facebook page. By the time restaurant owners reacted (by firing the cook and offering free meals to law enforcement officers) it was too late. Local civil rights activists and police watchdogs then joined the conversation, questioning the restaurant’s decision to fire the individual.
In this instance, a well-written social media policy may have resulted in more timely action from the restaurant owners, or may have even preempted the post from being made in the first place.
It’s an easy point to make when it comes to staff members and their use of social media, but there are plenty of examples where executives have made similar mistakes. The point is this: don’t forget to include your executive team.
Whether it’s a simple or complex document, you need to have some form of a social media policy. Furthermore, everyone from the entry-level team members to your senior executives should be familiar with it – and more importantly – understand what happens if they disobey the policy, regardless of their title.
~ Jim Licko
