Social media is something I naturally enjoy. One of my favorite things in the world to do is to connect with others. What is social media? A platform to connect with anyone anywhere! How could I not fall in love? 
The cool thing about social media in a business is that it allows your potential clients to really get to know you before they decide to make a purchase. It removes the need to sell in the old fashion way. For those that aren’t slick and slimy, it is so much easier because authenticity wins.
However, it is also extremely important to exercise your people skills and some self-leadership when on social media. While you are being authentic, social media does not give you free rein to say anything and everything you think. I’ve seen far too many people think that just because they are behind a computer or mobile device, that people skills do not apply.
Self-leadership and Social Media
There are a few tools that I use to make a decision on if I should post something or not. Sometimes it takes more than one tool to decide. Other times, it’s something that is easy to see right away.
- The Grandma Check. This is a test in which I think about whether or not I would want my grandma to read it. Is it something she would be proud of me for saying? Would it cause her to ask questions? Or would she be disappointed in the post all together?
- The Think Test. This tool is one where I have to step back and remind myself “just because I think it, doesn’t mean I have to post it.” Slowing down and thinking before acting seems easy, but when emotions are evoked it can be the hardest thing to do.
- The Value Test. With this, I ask myself if I am adding any value to the person’s life that is going to read the post. If it provides no value, does it cause harm? What is the point of posting it? If it does more harm than good, it is not worth it.
These are extremely simple ways to use self-leadership and social media. The two really need to go hand and hand. How you act on your social media presence directly reflects you as an individual. This is one of the cool things about social media. We are able to get to know people we may have never had a chance to connect with before. The world is getting smaller and everyone is that much closer.
Your team will decide how hard they want to work for you based on how you represent yourself on social media as well. It is not possible for them to separate the two and say “at work Bob is this way, but it doesn’t matter what Bob posts on Facebook or Twitter”. It all matters.
People work hard for those they know, like and trust. While you should be yourself on social media, don’t forget your audience. Apply these tools for self-leadership and social media won’t come back and bite you.
Have you ever seen something on social media of a co-worker that ruined your opinion of them? Please share below!
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I like the simple tests. Very useful to keep us users true.