Thoughts Are Not Your Own

With so much outrageous news making headlines lately, it’s only natural that many of us take to our social media platforms to air our frustrations or express our opinions. Believe me, I know it’s hard to resist social media’s allure of immediate gratification. I mean, just ask our President!

We fool ourselves into believing that non-legally binding statements such “views expressed are my own” give carte blanche to say whatever we want. But the fact is these self-proclaimed social disclaimers won’t save you when questionable posts conflict with your company’s policy or culture.

In a nutshell, if any of your conduct—both online and off—is deemed harmful to your company’s brand or reputation, it has the right to show you the door. Your views? Still your own. Your job? Not so much.

Take time to read your company’s social media policy and be clear regarding its expectations. If your organization does not have a social media policy, they’re long overdue for creating one. But an absence of one does not mean that you may not be suspended or fired for questionable posts.

The potential of getting fired is a pretty major reason to think before you tweet. A secondary cause for pause is the potential harm your posts may have on your personal brand.

Your friends, colleagues, even your boss might be okay with your posts today, but these people are not the only audiences you’ll have for the rest of your life. So much of what we post is intended for today, but it won’t be gone tomorrow. Social media is forever. Before you post think about how future employers, clients, or even romantic partners might feel about something you write in the heat of the moment.

It’s vital that we self-police our words and actions online. The brand we create on the internet might be the only impression we get to make on others, so take care and give plenty of consideration before providing your two-cents to the weighty issues of the day.