<a href="http://davepress.net/2008/03/10/public-servants-must-blog/">http://davepress.net/2008/03/10/public-servants-must-blog/</a><br><br>I just came across the above article and I wonder what the thoughts of this groups. One would imagine beyond the official policy and regulations there is a social impediment to public servants blogging. What would need to happen to get us to a point where we have official public blogs?<br>
<br>I also am reminded of an interesting article (below) by the CEO of Sun Microsystems that was published in a Havard Business Review a while back - If you want to Lead, Blog. <br><br><p style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><font color="#660000" face="Arial" size="5"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);" lang="EN"><span id="st" name="st" class="st">If</span>
<span id="st" name="st" class="st">You</span> <span id="st" name="st" class="st">Want</span> <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> <span id="st" name="st" class="st">Lead</span>, <span><span id="st" name="st" class="st">Blog</span></span></span></font></p>
<p><span><i><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN">by</span></font></i></span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN"> <span><i><font color="black"><a href="http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/hbrol/en/includes/sasearch.jhtml?author=Jonathan+Schwartz" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"><span><font color="#660000"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">Jonathan
Schwartz</span></font></span></a></font></i></span></span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN">Many senior executives at Sun,
including me, have blogs that <span>can be read</span> by anyone,
anywhere in the world. We discuss everything from business strategy <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> product
development <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> company values. We host open letters from the outside, and we
openly respond <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> them. We talk about our successes—and our mistakes. (<span id="st" name="st" class="st">If</span>
<span id="st" name="st" class="st">you</span> <span>don't</span> believe me, go <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> <span><a href="http://www.blogs.sun.com/roller/page/jonathan?entry" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">www.blogs.sun.com/roller/page/jonathan?entry</a></span>=<span>dear_john</span>.)</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN">That may seem risky. <span>But</span>
it's riskier not <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> have a <span><span id="st" name="st" class="st">blog</span></span>. Remember when,
not long ago, CEOs would ask their assistants <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> print out their e-mails for
them, and <span>they'd</span> dictate responses <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> be
typewritten and sent via snail mail? Where are those leaders now? (The last of
my contacts of that breed just retired.) In ten years, most of us will
communicate directly with customers, employees, and the broader business
community through blogs. For executives, having a <span><span id="st" name="st" class="st">blog</span></span>
is not going <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> be a matter of choice, any more than using e-mail is today. <span id="st" name="st" class="st">If</span> <span><span id="st" name="st" class="st">you</span>'re</span> not part of the conversation, others will speak
on your behalf—and I'm not talking about your employees.</span></font></p>
<p><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN">Blogging</span></font></span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN"> lets <span id="st" name="st" class="st">you</span> participate in communities <span id="st" name="st" class="st">you</span> <span id="st" name="st" class="st">want</span> <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span>
cultivate—whether it's your employees, potential employees,
customers, or anyone else—and leverage your corporate culture
competitively. <span>Here's</span> a good example: Sun, like
every organization, receives e-mails from happy customers lauding one employee
or another for good work. The idea came up that we should post these e-mails on
a "wall of fame" on our intranet. <span>But</span> we
realized that this venue would profoundly limit the number of readers, so
someone suggested putting the wall of fame up on my external <span><span id="st" name="st" class="st">blog</span></span>. Immediately, people raised the concern that by
identifying our best employees, <span>we'd</span> make them
recruitment targets. Well, of course that could happen. <span>But</span>
it cuts both ways. The upside is the positive ripple effect on workers' morale
and on the public's perception of the company. What's more, my
competitors' employees could see what <span>I'm</span>
saying about my team and could decide whether I'm more compelling than
their own leaders. <span>So rather than being a threat <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> Sun, <span>blogging</span> about my best employees can build loyalty and be a
recruitment tool <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> boot.</span></span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN">How do <span id="st" name="st" class="st">you</span> get started on a <span><span id="st" name="st" class="st">blog</span></span>? I suggest clearly defining a <span>blogging</span>
strategy and guidelines. (<span>Or</span> go ahead and use ours at
<a href="http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/media/blogs/policy.html" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">www.sun.com/aboutsun/media/blogs/policy.html</a>. Just make sure <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> change the
company name.) Then find your voice. Be honest and open. Be respectful of your
audiences. <span>Don't</span> treat <span>blogging</span>
like advertising—it's not. Use humor. <span>Link <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span>
those who interest and influence <span id="st" name="st" class="st">you</span>.</span></span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN">Once <span id="st" name="st" class="st">you</span> get going, <span>don't</span>
micromanage the process. Your legal and corporate communications teams do not
have <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> be involved in every post—after all, <span>they're</span>
not involved in every e-mail <span id="st" name="st" class="st">you</span> send or telephone call <span id="st" name="st" class="st">you</span> make. <span>Once in a while</span>, <span id="st" name="st" class="st">you</span> may need <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> add some clarifying
language. (For example, a 14A filing was required for my <span><span id="st" name="st" class="st">blog</span></span>
posting about acquisition intentions, just as it would be for many other forms
of communication.)</span></font></p>
<p><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN">But</span></font></span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN"> the rule of thumb is simple: Know the guidelines, then
let loose. <span id="st" name="st" class="st">If</span> <span><span id="st" name="st" class="st">you</span>'re</span> unclear about your
company's policy on something, ask around. Maybe it needs <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> <span>be more carefully defined</span>.</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN">Be sure <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> listen <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> feedback and
respond <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> legitimate ideas—from <span>inside and outside</span>.
<span>And</span>, most important, write the <span><span id="st" name="st" class="st">blog</span></span>
yourself. Authenticity is paramount. Some senior executives hire people <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span>
write their blogs. <span>Don't</span> bother. <span>It's</span> like hiring someone <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> write your e-mail. <span>It's</span> not going <span id="st" name="st" class="st">to</span> work.</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN">Trust <span>me, your market
and your employees</span> are clamoring for executive engagement and insight.
They will value and remember your candor. <span>And</span>
<span id="st" name="st" class="st">you</span>'ll be surprised by how much <span id="st" name="st" class="st">you</span> learn from them.</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN">Reprint: F0511J</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial Narrow" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN"> </span></font></p><br>