Month: December 2017

Tips on how to have social media accounts that won’t get you in trouble at work

Social media and work, sometimes they just don’t mix. But let’s face it, today, most people have a social media account of some kind – including your boss! And so, we think learning how they can co-exist peacefully is pretty important. In this post we wanted to give you some tips on how to ensure your social media doesn’t ruffle feathers in the workplace.

Generally speaking, most people have several different social media accounts that they post different types of content to. Sometimes these platforms are separate but more and more we are noticing that they are linked to one another.

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube…the list goes on. You might have one of these or all of them.

All the above examples are focused on different types of content and interaction; a person might use Facebook for keeping up with family and friends, Instagram for sharing cool photos and perhaps, they use Twitter to keep up with their favourite celebrities.

How ever you use your social media accounts, you’ll realise the one thing they have in common; the way they reflect your identity. Often, social media accounts include your name and personal information. And, this means your employer can search for you and see how you behave online.

Below are a few tips on how to ‘work-proof’ your social media – just in case your employer or workmates decide they want to do a little cyber investigation. Following these guidelines will make sure your social media accounts always reflect the most positive (and appropriate) version of you. Happy posting!

Research

Understand how your accounts are linked to you and your personal information. Read up on your privacy settings and the privacy policies of each social media you use. This will ensure you are well-aware of how your posts are displayed and who can see them.

Settings

Take advantage of the ‘Settings’ section of your accounts. Most social media websites allow users to set different levels of privacy, often you can change them for each individual post. This allows you to post only to a particular group of your ‘followers’ or ‘friends’.

Requests

You don’t have to accept everyone. Sometimes, it’s better to deny a friend request than adding all your workmates. Figuring out some boundaries on what work contacts you will accept and which ones you won’t will help you in the long run. It’s not mean, it’s just #business!

Invite Only

A lot of social media websites give you the ability to create an invite-only group, this is a great way to communicate personal information to your close friends. There’s always the private messaging option as well.

Think Before You Post

Yep, your mum was right! The saying ‘think before you speak’ can be applied to posting online. A helpful question to ask before you post something is “would I be happy for all my LinkedIn contacts to see this post?”.

The lack of motivation, urgency and focus leading into and over the Christmas break can be frustrating for management and leaders in business.

However it is such a vital time for everyone in the workplace to switch off, recover and re-charge.

Many senior AFL teams have just come back after a 6 or 7 week break after a long 2016/2017 season. This has much to do with resetting the mind, as it does the body. In high performance teams – both business and sport – you can’t afford the risk of burn out in the team.

Wear and tear on the mind may be invisible to others, however it’s becoming very apparent in the world of professional sport. Clubs and teams are investing resources in wellness, mindfulness and meditation.  The realization of the brain being fit and healthy as well as the body, has uncovered a winning combination.

It’s important as a manager or leader to give your staff the time and space to escape the office, just as it is for the employee to stay away from the lure of emails and advancing with tasks that realistically can wait.  

If it’s absolutely necessary in your nature of work to stay online, set aside a specific time each day, maybe an hour or two in the morning to get the tasks achieved. Let others know this time in your out of office reply. You must set this time away from your friends and family. Having a mother, brother, friend or guest sat on their phone during the Christmas break is uncomfortable and unwelcome.

Being able to step off the hamster wheel of work and completely switch off – even for a couple of days, has been proven to re-inspire, motivate and improve confidence upon returning to the work place. 

After the Christmas break you should set some ‘Business’ New Year’s resolutions together as a team, giving your workplace ownership on setting goals. You will both see and feel the positive effect within the team, which will flow on through this renewed drive to succeed together.