Ground Rules for Intranets
The second law of thermodynamics states that in a closed or isolated system entropy, or the disorder of the system, tends to increase.
The same rule applies to social networks. Internal nets tend to suffer more greatly from this increase in disorder because they are that much more isolated.
What was once a forum for sharing becomes a forum for whining or complaining. Contributors take the time to spell out what is wrong more, driving the system towards higher disorder. The majority of posts are negative. I do not believe that this is positive dialogue.
My solution: Set ground rules. Enforce them. Here are two ground rules:
Ground Rule 1: Offer Solutions
Any post must be complete. If you expose a problem in the organization you must also include a preliminary examination of the root cause and risks as well as provide some suggestions with how best to address the root cause and minimize the risks.
If you had to really think about how you would change the organization to deal with the criticism, then you would take the time to research and understand the issue properly rather than firing off an easy shot.
Ground Rule 2: Always Be (Honestly) Selling
Your posts are a reflection of you. Always be selling your best product: you and your ideas. Perceived negativity is the easiest method of reducing the perceived stock in you. I added the word honestly to my misquotation of David Mamet’s “Always Be Closing” to underline the importance of being honestly positive, and not overly jingoistic.
There’s no point in smoothing over real issues with bright gloss. If you find yourself continually posting negative posts often then maybe you should rethink your fit with the organization.
