My colleague, Lucy Enever, has just begun blogging. She is one of several members of staff who I have been encouraging to start blogging. As my PA, I spend time with her most mornings, discussing the day ahead and reflecting on issues in the news and issues that impact on BHT.
Often she has really a interesting perspective on issues, and it triggers my thinking. Since I started blogging more consistently at the beginning of the year, our conversations have led to a number of posts. (I have another blog, separate from work, on cricket, but I have spectacularly failed to blog consistently – it isn’t easy for someone at my age to learn new tricks!).
Because of her original thinking it was only natural that Lucy was one of the first members of staff I encouraged to start blogging, so I am delighted she has taken the plunge. Her first post was about how she has been encouraging people in BHT to embrace new media, and how her pleadings had fallen on deaf ears. What she didn’t say was the dinosaur was me!
I had played with my cricket blog, and was persuaded by Lucy to try Twitter. I originally found Twitter the most shallow networking forum in the world. I was useless on Facebook, and appalled at the jargon (closing a Facebook account is called “Facebook Suicide” – disgusting).
Then over the Christmas holidays I read a couple of books that opened my eyes to the new reality of “new rules” for communication, PR and marketing. While BHT has been quite successful in its PR output, the approach we were taking was PR of the 1980’s and 90’s. We had to change, and new media is at the heart of it.
So, staff at BHT are being encouraged to blog, Tweet (I don’t think I will ever be comfortable with the jargon), and other things that I am yet to grasp. By embracing a Thought Leadership approach, we don’t have to censor, restrict or police what is being said. There are the normal expectations on personal conduct that apply to letters, emails and conversations. Of course racism, sexism, and other abusive behaviour is not ok, nor is commenting negatively about other organisations and individuals, directly or implied.
So, in 2010 I have entered a brave new world. I am not sure if I am doing it right, but I guess this old dog is learning new tricks. Thanks, Lucy.
