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How the 3Rs empower Telstra staff online
David Quilty is Telstra's Group Managing Director for Public Policy and Communications
This year's gathering of business and government leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos in January devoted multiple sessions to social media - a sure sign that the latest internet phenomenon is here to stay and not just a passing fad.
People often ask: what is social media and what makes it different?
We have all heard of Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Twitter and many of us are active participants on these sites. There are many definitions of social media, but the one I like best is 'word of mouth - online and global'. I think it aptly describes the core characteristic of social media. It enables true, two-way communications in trusted communities unrestricted by geography or socio-economic background.
Word of mouth is the most powerful marketing tool known to man. Think about what is most likely to convince you to buy (or not to buy) a particular product or service. More often that not, it is a recommendation from a friend, family member or work colleague. Now think about social media, where people with common interests are able to freely comment and communicate their preferences to anyone and everyone. It is a world of unlimited commercial potential, but one where there is nowhere to hide.
Just as social media cannot be ignored as a business enabler, nor can we afford to ignore it as an increasingly preferred tool of communication by our employees. Telstra is a media comms company. Our business is about encouraging our customers to understand and be active participants in all aspects of the online world. So we need to 'walk the walk' as well as 'talking the talk'. We should encourage our staff to learn about and use social media at work and in their everyday lives. It is an integral part of how we communicate, both to the outside world and within the company.
So what should be the rules of the game? At one end of the continuum, it could be open slather with no rules at all, but that is unrealistic given issues like disclosure and the need for coordination and consistency of messaging in a company like Telstra.
At the other end of the continuum, we could be highly prescriptive, discouraging staff from using social media other than in their own personal time and only about issues unrelated to Telstra. Such a restrictive policy might fit with more traditional corporate approaches to media management. But in the online world, it is likely to be ineffective and counter-productive. People will still use social media and inevitably conversations turn to matters relating to Telstra. So shouldn't we start from a position that Telstra employees are responsible people and, if we give them the opportunity, they are likely to be among our best advocates - our best online 'word of mouthers' if you like?
Over the last five months, we have grappled with what sort of company policy should apply to the use of social media by Telstra staff. Hopefully the policy we have released today gets the balance right for a media comms company that should be actively encouraging its staff to make maximum use of these innovative internet tools.
The 3Rs are good commonsense guardrails. We are saying that as a staff member we encourage you to use social media, but be responsible in your use and be respectful of the online communities in which you participate. We are saying that, as a staff member, you can comment if your personal online conversations turn to matters relating to Telstra, but represent the fact you are a Telstra staff member so others in the online community know the context in which your comments are being made. Of course, you have a right to have and express opinions, but if they relate to matters pertaining to Telstra, then it is responsible that you do your best to make sure what you say is accurate and that you don't go out to damage the company you work for. This is what the 3Rs of social media - responsibility, respect and representation - mean.
But we are under no illusions. This is a novel and ground-breaking area, with few if any precedents in terms of other large Australian companies having similar policies. So we're not pretending we will get it 100% right the first time. We will keep this company policy under review and we are keen for people's input on what works well and what could be improved upon.
In the meantime, happy online chatting, messaging, blogging, tweeting, video sharing and podcasting to everyone!
