{"id":15277,"date":"2017-11-11T12:39:28","date_gmt":"2017-11-11T20:39:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=15277"},"modified":"2017-11-11T12:45:47","modified_gmt":"2017-11-11T20:45:47","slug":"open-communication-and-the-local-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/open-communication-and-the-local-church\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Communication and the Local Church"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">\u201cLeadership is about relationships, and because social technologies are changing relationships, leadership also needs to change\u201d\u00a0 <\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">(Open Leadership Audiobook \u2013 Chapter 7).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>OPEN LEADERSHIP<\/h2>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">I have been listening to the audiobook \u201cOpen Leadership\u201d by Charlene Li over the past few weeks.\u00a0 Li is a social media expert and consultant.\u00a0 I listened as the topic of openness in the businesses and other organizations was discussed, especially as it related to technology and social media.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">A lot of the book addresses the level of openness an organization has as it relates to the public.\u00a0 While this is not exclusive of social media, the book has some great examples of how social media can either help or hinder an organization.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">One example is the story of singer\/songwriter Dave Carroll who witnessed his guitar being thrown around by United Airlines baggage handlers from the window of his airplane.\u00a0 Upon arrival, he indeed found his Taylor guitar broken.\u00a0 Unfortunately, United Airlines refused to take responsibility.\u00a0 Carroll fought back the only way he knew how\u2026 he wrote a song about the experience and posted the video \u201cUnited Breaks Guitar\u201d on YouTube.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">The video went viral, which was a publicity disaster for United Airlines. \u00a0\u201cUnited Breaks Guitars\u201d is approaching 18 million views on YouTube.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"United Breaks Guitars\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5YGc4zOqozo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">This was just one illustration of an organization realizing the importance of social media in relating to the public.\u00a0 Other illustrations were more positive, like the creation of ideastorm.com by the computer giant Dell.\u00a0 This site allows the public to contribute to ideas that they would like to see Dell develop.\u00a0 It has been a massive success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">More than just a book about big business, Open Leadership has a lot of insights that relate to local churches.\u00a0 Most churches in America have websites and Facebook pages.\u00a0 Many have YouTube channels and Instagram Accounts.\u00a0 Yet, how many churches are utilizing these resources to their fullest potential?\u00a0 Can church leaders verbalize a strategy for their online presence?\u00a0 Do most churches provide written guidelines for to those who contribute online?\u00a0 My guess would be that these are areas that churches are deficient.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">Why is this?\u00a0 After all, churches are unique organizations whose participation is solely voluntary.\u00a0 While the mission of the church is NOT to make churchgoers happy, most churches want to foster positive relationships among members.\u00a0 Since many church members spend a significant time online, church leaders have a unique opportunity to connect with members, and potential members via social media.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">Of course, the more a church connects with the public via technology, the more questions arise regarding openness.\u00a0 For example, what does a church leader do when someone openly criticizes the church (or the leader) via social media?\u00a0 What if the criticism is on the churches\u2019 Facebook page or pastors\u2019 blog?\u00a0 Is the criticism deleted?\u00a0 Is it left visible and is the criticism responded to publicly?\u00a0 Is the problem addressed privately?\u00a0 Are the settings changed to no longer allow comments?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Calibri\"><span style=\"color: #000000\">As you can imagine from the title \u201cOpen Leadership,\u201d Li is an advocate of organizations being transparent with the public via social media.\u00a0 She proposes that leaving criticisms visible adds authenticity, even credibility to an organization.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">There are limits to this openness. Personal insults, profanity, sexual harassment, etc. are not acceptable and should be deleted.\u00a0 A good rule of thumb, Li points out, is to ask yourself \u201chow would I address this person in my office?\u201d\u00a0 If they began screaming insults and threating harm, you probably would not address their problem.\u00a0 You would ask them to leave.\u00a0 Yet, if someone came to your office with a legitimate grievance, you would hear them out and respond.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>SANDBOX COVENANTS<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">Li proposes that organizations allow a wide variety of employees to represent the organization online.\u00a0 She suggests that they create \u201csandbox covenants\u201d so that employees know what the boundaries are as they decide what to post on social media on behalf of the organization. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">Here is Li\u2019s discussion of sandbox covenants:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Charlene Li 7 Sandbox Covenants + Embracing Failure\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JQ2eZ2yOZLE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">The reality is, churches are organizations where a lot of the work is done by volunteers.\u00a0 Most churches are not able to afford a social media director.\u00a0 In some cases, the pastor\/staff member contributes online.\u00a0 In others, church member volunteers to manage a Facebook page, etc.\u00a0 If multiple users represent the church via social media, do they know the boundaries?\u00a0 Should they post personal information about church members or just items of church programming?\u00a0 Are political issues discussed?\u00a0 Are there guidelines for discussing businesses or other organizations?\u00a0 Are controversial theological issues tackled online?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>CONCLUSION<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">The church is in the communication business.\u00a0 This is echoed Jesus\u2019s final words to the church <\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-family: Calibri\"><span style=\"color: #000000\"><sup><span style=\"font-size: small\">19\u00a0<\/span><\/sup>Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, <sup><span style=\"font-size: small\">20\u00a0<\/span><\/sup>and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.\u201d\u00a0 (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV)<\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-family: Calibri\">If we are to GO and TEACH, then we are communicators.\u00a0\u00a0 If we are communicators, should we utilize contemporary communication methods as we represent Christ to the world?\u00a0 I think so.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Open-Leadership-Social-Technology-Transform\/dp\/B003OEUQSK\/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr=\">OPEN LEADERSHIP BY CHARLENE LI, AUDIOBOOK<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cLeadership is about relationships, and because social technologies are changing relationships, leadership also needs to change\u201d\u00a0 (Open Leadership Audiobook \u2013 Chapter 7). &nbsp; OPEN LEADERSHIP I have been listening to the audiobook \u201cOpen Leadership\u201d by Charlene Li over the past few weeks.\u00a0 Li is a social media expert and consultant.\u00a0 I listened as the topic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[708,253,707,957,1081],"class_list":["post-15277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-charlene-li","tag-church","tag-open-leadership","tag-stu-cocanougher","tag-the-one-and-only-sevens","cohort-lgp7"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/87"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15277"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15282,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15277\/revisions\/15282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}