Encourage employees to have manners on social media
With the growing prevalence of technologies and virtual forums like instant messaging, texting, and social media, on-screen communication is nearly replacing face-to-face dialogue, says Helene Vermaak, principal consultant at The Human Edge, a leading South African training and consulting company. Vermaak says that according to research undertaken by VitalSmarts, social networks are becoming increasingly hostile. In fact, 78 percent of respondents report rising incivility online and two in five people admit to blocking, unsubscribing, or “unfriending” someone due to an argument they had via social media.
“Social media has enabled us to link with people in and out of our social circles and ultimately develop relationships in ways that weren’t possible before,” says Vermaak. “But as with all new things, etiquette and rules around how to use these platforms haven’t caught up with the massive growth in usage.”
It’s time that we all followed a few simple rules to ensure that crucial conversations held via social media remain informal, but are respectful.
Vermaak quotes eight tips from VitalSmarts for holding crucial conversations via social media:
1.Check your motives.
Social media hasn’t only changed the way we communicate, it has modified our motives. Ask yourself, “Is my goal to get lots of ‘likes’ (or even provoke controversy)?” or “Do I want healthy dialogue?”
2.Use the 4X rule
Since others can’t see or hear you, realise they’ll amplify the emotion of anything you write fourfold.
3.Write it twice
Before posting your comments, re-read your message and ask yourself, “How might someone misunderstand my intent?” Then re-write it to ensure your true feelings come across.
4.Replace hot words
If your goal is to make a point rather than score a point, replace “hot” words that provoke offense with words that help others understand your position. For example, replace “that is idiotic” with “I disagree for the following reasons…”
5.Pause to put emotions in check
Never post a comment when you’re feeling emotionally triggered. Never! If you wait four hours you’re likely to respond differently.
6.Agree before you disagree
It’s fine to disagree, but don’t point out your disagreement until you acknowledge areas where you agree.Often, arguers agree on 80 percent of the topic but create a false sense of conflict when they spend all their time arguing over the other 20 percent.
7.Trust your gut
When reading a response to your post and you feel the conversation is getting too emotional for an online exchange— you’re right! Stop. Take it offline. Or better yet, face-to-face.
8.Apologies take twice as long
If, in the end, you’ve offended someone, “sorry” isn’t nearly long enough. Express your remorse in an extended enough form to demonstrate your sincerity.
Vermaak concludes that recently there have been a number of celebrity faux pas in the social media space. “Perhaps if they had applied the above guidelines they would not be finding themselves in these awkward situations.”
