Compendium Blogware CEO Chris Baggott raises a delicate question on his own blog:
For a blogging initiative to live up to its potential, the company has to give its employees latitude in choosing post subject matter. That's what makes a blog authentic.
The Bill of Rights enshrines a right to freedom of speech, and blogging certainly falls under this rubric. However, your right to speak freely does not necessarily abridge the right of the market to go elsewhere if it finds your posts offensive. That's just a corollary that follows from the notion that markets are conversations. You can't have much hope for an extended, meaningful conversation if you start to make pointed statements that invalidate the reader's point of view.
As a start, perhaps the guiding principle should be to pick battles carefully. How relevant is the subject to the company's mission and operation? Politics cover a broad area that ranges from abstract ideology to practical matters like taxation and regulation. If an issue has a direct impact on the company, then a corporate blog can serve as down-to-earth channel of clarification and education.
Suppose the economy is going through some tough times. Tax revenues are down, and the legislature is considering cutting back on tax credits for research and development. A company that has benefitted from such a credit might use a series of posts to describe what the credit enabled the company to do and how it will provide a positive results for the state in the future in the form of more jobs and greater tax revenue. The blog allows company employees to make their case directly to citizens and raise awareness. Some might even be moved to contact their legislator to register their support.
We are a country of many interests and outlooks, and all of us have issues that hit closer to home than others. The sheer size, activity, and energy of the political blogosphere attests to that. Allowing a blogger to venture into less relevant political subjects runs the risk of enmeshing the blog within context of some heated arguments. One link from a highly partisan blog or social network could get your company some attention that you really didn't desire. The administrative control feature of Compendium Blogware provides a nice preemptive circuit breaker against posts composed in the heat of the moment.
Having said that, I don't think the answer is to ban all less relevant political commentary from company blogs, which I'm sure that many a risk averse company would be tempted to do reflexively. Encourage employees instead to be cautious over how they present their stance. As much as possible, state the position in the positive, rather than the negative. "I am for X" is better than "I am against Y." If a positive statement isn't feasible, keep the focus of criticism on ideas, rather than the people behind them. When you personalize the politics, there is greater risk for vilification, and you run the risk of alienating a sizable portion of the audience.
I think it also helps to use a persuasive tone. Rather than categorically dismissing opposing point of view as inherently stupid, dangerous, or downright evil, try to find some common ground and build the case for the correctness of a point of view. Respectful dissent can go a long way toward winning hearts and minds.
Chris raises a question that is as difficult to answer as it is valid, so I'll take him up on his challenge and weigh in on the subject with thoughts of my own.Are Politics appropriate in Corporate Blogs? I don't know the answer to that. I care about stuff beyond our business, I have to assume any Company Blogger also has a bigger view and opinion about a lot of stuff beyond worrying about toeing the line on Blogging Best Practices.
Part of the goal is to humanize your organization. Humans have opinions. With business blogging they also have a pulpit. I think used responsibly and and with blog authoring software that at least allows some review that an occasional slip into Political or Social corporate blogging is probably a good thing.
What do you think?
For a blogging initiative to live up to its potential, the company has to give its employees latitude in choosing post subject matter. That's what makes a blog authentic.
The Bill of Rights enshrines a right to freedom of speech, and blogging certainly falls under this rubric. However, your right to speak freely does not necessarily abridge the right of the market to go elsewhere if it finds your posts offensive. That's just a corollary that follows from the notion that markets are conversations. You can't have much hope for an extended, meaningful conversation if you start to make pointed statements that invalidate the reader's point of view.
As a start, perhaps the guiding principle should be to pick battles carefully. How relevant is the subject to the company's mission and operation? Politics cover a broad area that ranges from abstract ideology to practical matters like taxation and regulation. If an issue has a direct impact on the company, then a corporate blog can serve as down-to-earth channel of clarification and education.
Suppose the economy is going through some tough times. Tax revenues are down, and the legislature is considering cutting back on tax credits for research and development. A company that has benefitted from such a credit might use a series of posts to describe what the credit enabled the company to do and how it will provide a positive results for the state in the future in the form of more jobs and greater tax revenue. The blog allows company employees to make their case directly to citizens and raise awareness. Some might even be moved to contact their legislator to register their support.
We are a country of many interests and outlooks, and all of us have issues that hit closer to home than others. The sheer size, activity, and energy of the political blogosphere attests to that. Allowing a blogger to venture into less relevant political subjects runs the risk of enmeshing the blog within context of some heated arguments. One link from a highly partisan blog or social network could get your company some attention that you really didn't desire. The administrative control feature of Compendium Blogware provides a nice preemptive circuit breaker against posts composed in the heat of the moment.
Having said that, I don't think the answer is to ban all less relevant political commentary from company blogs, which I'm sure that many a risk averse company would be tempted to do reflexively. Encourage employees instead to be cautious over how they present their stance. As much as possible, state the position in the positive, rather than the negative. "I am for X" is better than "I am against Y." If a positive statement isn't feasible, keep the focus of criticism on ideas, rather than the people behind them. When you personalize the politics, there is greater risk for vilification, and you run the risk of alienating a sizable portion of the audience.
I think it also helps to use a persuasive tone. Rather than categorically dismissing opposing point of view as inherently stupid, dangerous, or downright evil, try to find some common ground and build the case for the correctness of a point of view. Respectful dissent can go a long way toward winning hearts and minds.
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