An interesting article in the New York Times argues that blogging fits naturally into a CEO’s working week, and should be a tool used to lead the company and to communication directly with the world at large.
Central to the article’s argument is the example of Jonathan I Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems, who is praised for his use of blogging to promote Sun’s products, discuss industry trends, and engage with allies and adversaries.
Schwartz is quoted as saying: “My number one job is to be a communicator, I don’t understand how a CEO would not blog if committed to open communication.”
In his blog Micropersuasion, Steve Rubel, argues that it’s not enough to encourage CEOs to blog, but that “people blogging from within the gut” of the company to really demonstrate that their entire workforce is engaged in dialogue”.
While I fully agree that CEOs should consider blogging, and I agree with Steve that it’s not just about CEOs, there are a number of questions that should be considered before a CEO decides whether or not he or she should invest their time in a blog.
- Who would the blog be for? Customers, suppliers, staff? Are these stakeholders likely to be interested in or have time to read a blog from the CEO?
- Does a CEO blog fit with the culture of the organisation? Blogging can be used to help cure organisations where there is a perceived lack of information (and mistrust that follows), but only where the CEO manages to keep an authentic blog.
- Does it fit with the politics of the organisation? The last thing that is needed is a blog that is used as a weopon in the politics of an organisation.
- What exactly will be gained by blogging? Internal blogs can be used to mend unhealthy organisations, while external blogs can be used to engage with customers. However, sometimes, depending on the nature of an organisation, the opportunity cost of blogging may be too high, and the CEO’s time may be better spent doing something else.
- What is the intensity of competitive rivalry of the market in which the organisation operates, and will a blog have a positive or negative on the position of the company in the market place?