Waltzing Matilda

Even if you don’t really want to, at the beginning of a new year you are expected to look back on what happened and to look forward to what you expect to happen.

We had a tough and challenging 2010. Everybody in the organisation has accepted that using social media is a must. They are not a fad. But how do you use social media in a highly political, diplomatic and safe environment?  How can you change the organisation culture from permission into one of forgiveness?

What were our key events in 2010?

Fireworks! The team of spokespeople that went to the G8/G20 in Toronto at the end of June 2010 wanted to try out Twitter. Our main concern was not the tool in itself, but would they like to use it, would they see at as logical extension of their reaching out, or would they see it as an extra burden. To our relief, Koen and his team enjoyed using Twitter. There is an important word in that sentence: enjoy. Having fun is important in using social media.

Illumination! We had just set up the Twitter account for Vice President Reding when the repatriation of Roma in France was in the news. Ironically, this event came at the “right” moment. Ms Reding expressed her indignation in strong words. Reusing them on her Twitter account immediately put her in the market. A great event or strong emotions are ideal to launch a social media account.

Revolution? Just before the year end, a strategy and guidelines were approved internally at DG COMM and with Vice-President Reding’s cabinet. This process took almost a whole year. It was walking the thin line between using social media to their full potential by having all willing staff to be using them and accommodating the concerns about uncontrolled messaging that could be (willingly) misunderstood or misinterpreted. The approach consists of a network of mandated staff to speak on behalf of the Commission and guidelines for all staff – that can use social media only in their personal capacity. Social media is about change management. The whole organisation has to be prepared and adapted to the new realities of more interaction and conversations. Revolution? No, evolution. But it has to be at a steady pace.

What can we expect in 2011?

Fireworks! We have created a central facebook page that we offer to all Commission services to use for news, discussion or short-term campaign and hope to maintain together with a network of colleagues across DGs. We are organising twitter trainings. Up till now they were for the spokesperson service. But soon we will go and help some members of cabinets, and we might possible offer it to some selected people in the other institutions, like the Economic and Social Committee.

Illumination! New Year’s wish from Annabelle Arki, member of Vice President Reding’s cabinet and main twitter contributor:

#EC on Twitter helps reaching out about the #EU – Shall 2011 bring the right balance between information and interaction

Revolution? As Reijo Kempinnen, Director General Press, Communication and Transparency, said in his speech in the EuropCom meeting (October 2010): we have to go back to basics:

” that every effort of communication started with the few, basic questions we never seem to ask ourselves: Who am I talking to? What do I want to get out of this? Why am I doing this now?“

This should be our guiding principle for the social media actions we will undertake in 2011.

//Bert

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