I have been reading far too many articles lately about organizations restricting employees from accessing their social media portals like Facebook and MySpace. The powers at be consider this to be time wasting, a distraction and security risk. Who is making these decisions? Is it the IT departments? Who is translating the facts to senior management? Middle management? Lawyers? I don’t understand? Why all the fuss?

Can someone please apply some common sense to this?

The issues with so called “Facebook Abuse” likely stem from issues with core values and competencies, whether employees fit in their current positions and whether they are receiving right amount and type of leadership.

Is anyone looking there first? Who making the decision to just block the symptom and not look deeper?

Consider these two points about online social networking and please comment below.

1) E-competence: Dabbling in personal social networking actually educates users on appropriate online social activity. People learn boundaries and gain experience about appropriate social media use by using their personal Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace accounts. They become familiar with the medium and this prepares them for when social media will become an acceptable and effective marketing and customer relations tool for business. They gain valuable e-competence training on their own.

Look at it this way, you hire employees based on their skill sets. Some embrace technology well, while others need some training.

Sales and customer service people are chosen based on their ability to communicate with clients, prospects and partners. How is online communications any different? Why not create a company policy regarding appropriate use of online social media. Interview and train your new and existing employees on your online strategy, and set up workshops with those that understand the technology. This helps others engage in online social networking, leading to a strengthening of business relationships. Break them loose to do what they do best - communicate your brand.

2) Being First: The online world is only a few Google keystrokes away viewing your online identity. What happens if your competitors engage the online medium before you do? They will develop an online reputation for being honest, open and available before you do. This will result in your web presence becoming shadowed by theirs and you could find yourself swimming against the current of public opinion as the masses will be led to believe that the competition knows more than you do.

In today’s constantly changing online world, you can no longer rely on one person, or a focused team of writers to make your mark online. You need the involvement of the masses. You need to show the public that you listen. You need to show a certain level of transparency through employee dialogue with the outside world.

Lead, don’t follow. Engage the medium early rather than later, and venture outside of your corporate comfort zone even if you compromise some of your security. Learn now while the medium is still not fully discovered. The benefits could be substantial and you will likely beat most of your competition to online success.