As a parent I of course have tried to instill a set of rules for my children to adhere to as a means to teach them as they move along the growth ladder. All parents instill their own set of rules and values and so on to help guide the instruct their children, right?
Well let’s say that when my kids were younger, say around 3, I hung up a sign in the kitchen that read: “Don’t Touch A Hot Stove.” I made the sign big, bright and bold so they could not miss it every time they walked into the kitchen. And they followed the rule and never touched the hot stove.
Now let’s say one time they walked into the kitchen and there I was touching the hot stove, burning my fingers, screaming in pain.
“Daddy, you told us to never touch the hot stove. Why did you touch it?”
“Um, well… it’s different for grown ups.”
“Oh, I see… you want me to get mommy so she can take you to the hospital?”
While this may not be the best analogy the point is very clear that when it comes to social media and the use thereof, far too many CEOs are telling their employees – and the rest of the world for that matter that they know their company needs to be “doing it” yet simply do not practice what they preach.
