How Public Safety Agencies Can Use Social Media to Engage Their Employees

The Los Angeles Fire Department is a pioneer among public safety agencies and emergency responders in the usage of social media.  The Department’s initial social media efforts began in 2005 and have since garnered recognition nationwide. LAFD’s presence is spread across multiple social media channels including Twitter, Facebook (look up the group “Los Angeles FD), YouTube, Blogspot and BlogTalkRadio. We owe a debt of gratitude to our Department’s Public Safety Officers (PSOs) for their foresightedness and continued attention to the evolution of social media tools. They regularly connect with the communities we serve and do so not only by providing a steady stream of important information, but also by engaging in two-way conversations on-line, posing and answering questions, offering encouragement and solace, and recognizing the heroic efforts of everyday people.

In 2008, I established the Department’s Workforce Excellence Unit which employs techniques to foster increased employee engagement.  Among our tools to reach employees are various internal social media platforms.

I will be sharing some of what I’ve learned at The Social Media In Law Enforcement Conference (SMILECON).  My workshop “Social Media for Internal Relations” will be delivered at the LAwS Academy on April 7th, the opening day of the conference.  I plan to focus on how public safety agencies can:

1) Effectively communicate with employees through social media channels; and

2) Prepare employees to embrace the roles of supporting the Department’s social media strategy and representing the Department positively through their usage of social media.

Discussions of effective social media usage focus mostly on the private sector and relationships with potential and existing customers.   Return on Investment (ROI) measurement indicators include brand recognition, customer loyalty, purchases, and revenue generated.  Public safety agencies well-versed in social media welcomed Mashable.com’s recent post “6 Ways Law Enforcement Uses Social Media to Fight Crime” which featured examples of successful public safety outreach efforts.  In this arena, ROI could be measured through increased levels of trust and awareness, tips provided, crimes solved, and arrests made.

What, then, would be some appropriate ROI indicators for social media strategies directed at employees?  In general terms, they could be tied to the following areas:

• Employee identification with and embodiment of the agency’s guiding principles (e.g. mission, vision, core values, service statements)
• Employee awareness of new policies and initiatives
• Communication from the workforce of suggestions for increased effectiveness, enhanced productivity, and cost savings
• Reputation of the agency as characterized by current employees

By reviewing just these four areas, it becomes clear what some components of an internal social media strategy might be:

• Clear communication of an agency’s guiding principles and expectations of associated behaviors and outcomes
• Regular and frequent updates on initiatives and policies that affect the workforce
• Opportunities for employees to provide input/feedback and to receive timely responses
• Climate surveys to gauge employee satisfaction, morale, and trust levels

Although internal relations may not garner the attention that external relations do, they merit more care than we may be accustomed to giving them.   Employees of public safety agencies truly are our industry’s greatest asset because their trust and respect for one another, their higher-ups, and the public they serve are the keys to exceptional service.

I hope you’ll join me in Washington, D.C. April 7-9 at SMILECON!

Cell Phones Are A Public Speaker’s Dream!

Last night, I was part of a panel of leadership development and executive coaching experts at a forum sponsored by the Los Angeles chapter of the Professional Coaches and Mentors Association (PCMA). My fellow panelists, Marc Emmer, Ken Shelton, Kathleen Stinnett, and Jack Zenger are distinguished veterans of the coaching profession and – in their midst – I was most definitely the ingenue. I learned a tremendous amount from their presentations, which focused mostly on leadership development in the private sector.

My presentation “Coaching for Leadership in A Command Structure” could only scratch the surface of what it’s like to be a civilian designing and delivering leadership development programs in paramilitary settings.  And although my experience in command-and-control environments certainly set me apart from the other panelists, the move that really identified me as the Gen X-er was my energetic exhortation to attendees to “please turn ON your cell phones.”

It was a move I had learned from Do Something CEO Nancy Lublin, who shared in the October 2009 issue of Fast Company something she regretted not doing last year at a fundraising event:

Make your own paparazzi. At most events, they tell you to turn your cell phones off. Next year, I’ll ask the crowd to turn them on. Then they can take photos, tweet, upload clips, and update their Facebook statuses.

This returns the phone to its original role as a valuable communication device rather than an annoying nuisance during one’s presentation.  Smartphones can push information out in a way that transcends time and space.

You see, the tweet (and its offspring the re-tweet)  ensure that a speaker’s words and ideas live on long beyond her presentation and far beyond the four walls that contain her. And tweets take on a life of their own because they are crafted not by the speaker, but by audience members who decide which points are most relevant and interesting to themselves and their followers.  And if they add their own thoughts…so much the better!

I encourage those who are interested in learning more about presenting in the Twitter and Facebook age to visit Olivia Mitchell’s blog where she provides such invaluable gems as:

To ensure that your key points are tweeted, craft them into tweetbites — short sentences ready-made for tweeting. Both PowerPoint and Keynote have add-ins so that you can schedule your tweet to be posted at the same time as you click on a specific slide.

To my fellow presenters: don’t be afraid of the Twitter backchannel…learn how to use it to your advantage!  And to future audience members: turn on your smartphones and tweet away…I’m @emilypresents!

Worse devastation: Chile or Haiti?

The 8.8  magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on February 27th is estimated to be  250-350x stronger than the 7.0 magnitude quake that struck Haiti on January 12th. Yet the death toll (thus far)in Haiti is 100x that of Chile!

The reasons, as eloquently laid out by Henry Fountain, may surprise you. 

http://ow.ly/1dBoT

Social Entrepreneur search widget!

For those who missed the announcement in mid-February, there’s now a way to research, connect with, and invest in social entrepreneurs based upon cause, location, etc.

You can get more info at:  http://ow.ly/1d0hP

Happy searching – and hopefully – funding!

!deation Conference Apr 5-7 2010

The inaugural !deation Conference Apr 5-6 in Long Beach, CA focuses on
non-profits as they relate to humanitarian care. http://ow.ly/1cE2J

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Go to www.mypersonality.info to see your personality type and to find out more about MBTI.  To take the official Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test, go to http://www.myersbriggs.org

Jackson, Fawcett, McMahon…icons to more than just one generation

The Baby Boomer generation remembers Ed McMahon’s inimitable intro, “Heeeeeeer’s Johnny” as Johnny Carson’s sidekick on “The Tonight Show”.   Generation X knew McMahon as the host of “Star Search” - the show that  jumpstarted the careers of Sinbad and Christina Aguilera.

Baby Boomers watched Farrah Fawcett light up the “boob tube” (pun intended) and raise the jiggle factor of ”Charlie’s Angels” .  X-ers saw a serious actor when she portrayed a survivor of domestic violence in “The Burning Bed”.

Boomers remember the friendly rivalry between The Jackson 5 and the Osmonds, fronted by Michael Jackson and Donny Osmond, respectively. X-ers remember “Thriller” and all the hits it spawned, while Millennials came of age during the era of “The King of Pop.”

Three larger-than-life individuals, each recognizable and unique, and significant to multiple generations.

All three had their final curtain calls this week.

Rest in Peace.

The basics of Generational Diversity

The diversity of today’s workforce is unprecedented in terms of race, ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, disability and socioeconomic status.  And now, for the first time in our history, four generations are working side-by-side in the workplace.

This generational diversity presents opportunities for innovation, growth, improved performance and unparalleled success – if leveraged wisely and inclusively.  However, as we have seen when any type of diversity is managed poorly, generational diversity can also open the door to conflict, balkanization, resentment, and decreased productivity.

• How do you attract and retain the most talented employees from each generation?

• How do you lead and motivate a multi-generational workforce?

• How do you tailor your message to clients from different generations?

• How do you increase the appeal and relevance of your products and services in a multi-generational world?

In short…

How do you successfully communicate your message across today’s generational divide?

The key to thriving within this blended workforce is to raise your awareness about all four generations, paying particular attention to generational markers and generational profiles.

Generational Markers

Each generation has its defining moments. Social scientists refer to the events that define a generation as markers. Such markers usually occur during a generational cohort’s formative years (5-18 years of age). Markers can include events and trends in:

• Global, national, or local politics;
• Demographics and diversity;
• Inventions and innovations;
• Popular culture;
• Vernacular.

Frequently, tragedies and triumphs serve as generational markers.  For example, the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy shaped the cohesion-in-the-face-of-tragedy culture of the Baby Boomers as much as the 1969 moon landing influenced Boomers’ collective belief in exploration and expansion.

Generational Markers form a set of collective experiences that help to shape a generation’s values, attitudes and behaviors.  It is these values, attitudes, and behaviors that compose the generational profile.

Generational Profiles

Each generation profile is marked by distinct commonalities. Understanding what makes each generation ‘tick’ is critical to understanding which messages will be effective and which messages will be ignored – or worse – perceived as offensive or divisive.

Silent Generation (born between 1925 and 1945):

• Skilled manual laborers;
• Believe that respect must be earned by “paying your dues”;
• Value traditional family structure;
• Pragmatic;
• Prefer to pay for things with cash;
• Adhered to traditional gender roles.

Baby Boomers (born between 1945 and 1964):

• Learned to share early in life and grew accustomed to teamwork;
• Can-do attitude;
• Sacrificed home life for work;
• Supportive of growth and expansion;
• Used credit and loans to pay for big-ticket items;
• Explored non-traditional gender roles.

Generation X (born between 1964 and 1981):

• Skeptical of authority and unimpressed by title alone;
• Marry and start families later in life;
• Risk-inclined;
• The first generation that is NOT better educated than the preceding generation. Also has less earning and buying power than previous generations;
• Succeeds at non-traditional gender roles.

Millennials (born between 1981 and 1997):

• View the world as fast-paced, interconnected, and round-the-clock.
• Reserves respect for those who lead by example;
• View parents as role models and long for traditional family structure;
• Risk-tolerant;
• Prefer to be paid right away (instant gratification);
• Accustomed to and accepting of alternative lifestyles.

Generational Profiles can influence:

RECRUITMENT AND HIRING: What strategies will bring the ideal candidate to your door? How do job candidates pursue employment opportunities? What will ensure loyalty to their employer?

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND RETENTION: How do employees internalize the mission and goals of their employer?  What incentives motivate each generation to higher performance?

ORGANIZATIONAL AND INDUSTRY-WIDE CHANGE: How will employees react to changes in structure, policies, and procedures? How do we best prepare them for layoffs, leveraged buyouts, and mergers? How might they express resistance to change?

PUBLIC AND CLIENT PERCEPTION: How do clients and customers respond to marketing based on generational profiles? Can these profiles help us predict their consumer habits during the recession?

Consequences of ignoring generational differences

A lack of understanding regarding generational differences can:

• Contribute to conflict in the workplace;
• Decrease the retention of dedicated employees;
• Lead to frustration on the part of senior staff who misinterpret a seemingly aloof younger generation.
• Foster disengagement by younger staff who encounter entrenched hierarchal structures.

It’s important to approach potential generational differences with the same care and balanced perspective that we ideally bring to other demographic differences.

Remember that our objective is not to develop a set of strict stereotypes so that we can more easily and quickly pigeonhole people.  Rather, our objective is to increase our understanding of the motivators and expectations of each generation, then use this information to make necessary shifts in our thinking and approaches to communication.

More reading:

“Consulting Your Clients to Leverage the Multi-Generational Workforce” , Carrie Ballone, Journal of Practical Consulting, Vol.2, Issue 1, 2007

Generations at Work, Claire Raines, Ron Zemke, Bob Filipczak, AMACOM, 1999.