Leadership Blogging Workshop

I'm currently attending a workshop on leadership blogging presented by Griff Wigley as sponsored by Northern Community Internet and the Blandin Foundation.

A variety of individuals are taking part of the workshop including current bloggers and blogging newbies.

AJ Liebling "Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one"

Blogging first started almost as a "we/they" type mentality. So the importance to get civic leaders online was an impetus for Griff's group.

Led to a podcast which led to a local radio show. Citizens connected to their community. Then lead to 3 person blog which could be used more as a platform for their opinions. Comments are accepted from the community but only the 3 post the blogs

Community blogs are blos where anyone can post.

Culture of civility online. A few rules:
1) Use your real first and last name. Accountability.
2) No Sarcasm. Sarcasm sometimes fuels emotions and need for some to retaliate. Sarcasm one to many (own blog) is usually more acceptable, but in a community forum not so much. (My note: Sarcasm face to face allows the other to interpret tone as well as words--online "tone" isn't as easily "read".)
3) If you disagree with someone, say it as if that person was in the room looking at you in the eye and you are face-to-face.
4) Address the person by first name in your comment
5) If lines are crossed, you give a warning. Then a person can be put on a "moderator"-needed basis so their comments don't automatically get posted. Then if comments become more appropriate you can take them off moderated mode. If not, comments don't get posted.

"Blog" came from Web Log (like Journal) used for many purposes. They take on all forms--personal blogs, corporate blogs, photoblogs, politcal blogs, travel blogs, project blogs, education blogs, leadership blogs. It is basically just a tool, a publishing platform. Comment section does NOT have to be there for it to be considered a blog.

Griff: "A leader is about influence" "Art of blogging is strategically capturing some of those moments that have in your mind as a leader, some significance" "By blogging it it has the capactity to spread...the shelf life of that interaction is much longer...it has leverage."

Ross: "CLOG" Combined blog postings.

Nelson Mandela: "A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pern, then you have something very special."

Why Blog?
*"Near real time" helps keep up following.
*Strategic storytelling (personal voice)
*to leverage (make more of what you do) your leadership activities (thinking, beliefs, problem-solving, interactions) (an alternative to (and leverage with) existing media
*for greater time-saving influence

MY NOTE: *more accessiblility especially in these more difficult economic times (money, time, scheduling, etc) get them informed about other topics they might not have first sought you out for when checking out your blog

Carry your camera. MY NOTE: Pictures help connect people to concepts and to each other.

Put a picture of a person use their name, link link link (helps spread blog)

Linking helps promote your site. Griff: "Google has a bias for blogs". My Note: Links also help your followers get the information they came to you for and to find out more about other resources that interest them.

"Dead brochure type websites" good for now, but a year from now? Use website as an extension of who you are. Blogs give you more personalness. Engaging.

Voice of Authenticity (and a measure of personailty)

Blogs can give you your voice, your own channel to the citizenry. Griff: "If you're going to swim in this ocean, you gotta learn these tools"

Paul Levy, President and CEO of Beth Istrael Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston used blog runningahospital.blogspot.com

Writing for your audience but also for yourself--clarify your thoughts when you actually have to visualize it on the "page"

"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live" -- Henry David Thoreau

Recognize other people, organizations. It multiplies that affirmation. It keeps on giving and is powerful. Dr Lachlan orow "Effective leaders emobdy values, honor them in the rest of us, encouage and fasciliates...positive feedback loop"

NOTE: First couple of sentences in a blog post is very important--HOOK your reader or future reader

Can chroncle learning (transparent learning)

Modeling leadership to others

Stories as they evolve

Teach about the compexities of an issue (MY NOTE: especially when issues tend to become polarized. Right/wrong, my side/the other side, with me/against me, now/never)

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