Slides from the Emergency Services Show 2011

I took part in an afternoon session looking at social media in the emergency services yesterday (23rd November 2011) at the Emergency Services Show in Stoneleigh, Warks.

My task was to speak about how to improve your personal digital skills. Thanks to everyone who stayed and asked questions. Also thanks to Dave Thackery for chairing the whole thing. I promised to put the slides up here. Unusually for my slides I think they stand up without having my commentary.

One theme that ran through the day was the question of trust. The trust organisations must vest in their staff to enable them to use social networking effectively, the trust the public must have in the online expressions of public services (and servants), the trust agencies must vest in  each other, the trust staff must have in their managers and comms teams, and the trust between agencies, the media and the general public.

This is an evolving area. I tend to support view of DCC Gordon Scobbie that managers should start from the point of view of trusting their staff. They trust them to do complex, challenging and difficult jobs. Indeed if managers can’t trust their staff this is surely something for the organisation to reflect upon.

I spoke to someone employed by a large Cat One responder who is banned from mentioning his connection to his employer on social networks. This seems to me to be exactly the opposite of best practice. Anonymity and secrecy destroys rather than building trust. It’s time we moved past this.

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