A Social Media Journey

I had the opportunity to participate in a session on social media at our American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging's Future of Aging Services conference in Washington, DC last week. I presented with AAHSA's Craig Collins-Young, Eric Schubert of Ecumen, and Larry Zook from Landis Homes. My part was primarily about Facebook. You might find it interesting, at least to know how we're thinking:

I am intrigued by technology, and now by social networking. In 1996, we had three shared computers in the NF where I served as administrator. They were used for accounting and care planning. I had decided I needed a computer so I could get with the program. At the same time, my uncle decided he was old enough to not need one, and he made it to retirement. I was 20 years younger, and didn’t think I could make it to retirement, and that was before the quantum changes we’ve seen in technology. I asked my boss for a computer and he told me NHAs didn’t need a computer. I went out and personally bought a $4,500 top of the line laptop. In just a few months I was using it to draft the verbage for a certificate of need application. It turned out I had a better computer than any in our organization. I never regretted the purchase. And they bought me my next computer.

Think where we’ve come in the last 14 years: cinder block heavy laptop, slow as smoke dial up, frozen software, delicate hardware, no battery life, etc. Remember the executive that said there was no place in business for a personal computer?

Many don’t see the need and don’t participate in social networking like Facebook. It’s not a necessity of life, and it’s not for everyone. But many people need community and communication.

We stay in close contact with our spouse, children, best friends. That’s usually by telephone, email, and now text. There’s a second tier of family and friends that seem well suited for Facebook: the tier one people plus neighbors, friends from work, school friends, etc.

I am not a Facebook expert, just someone who is involved in it and agreed to share my story. I consider myself a novice and not even a huge Facebook fan.

I signed up for Facebook about a year ago for one reason, my granddaughter. Our daughter was in Monterrey with our only grandchild and stopped emailing pictures. When asked, she told me all photos were on Facebook and she wasn’t sending multiple emails and posting in multiple places. Since they have been in Monterrey and now San Antonio, my need for community and communication pushed me into Facebook.

If they weren’t on Facebook, I don’t know that I’d be there today. But have did get interested in how many people I connected with. Not life-sustaining, but interesting and enjoyable.

I’m also a minimalist when it comes to Power Point, so I have three slides of 3 Facebook pages.

At LSA, we talk about development in terms of raising friends and funds. Facebook is a great way to raise friends. We just recently set up a Facebook page for LSA, which now has 145 members. Not huge, but people interested enough to follow us. We are raising friends.

Our marketing person, Mary Ann Johnson, has been tireless in pursuing a social networking strategy for LSA. For her birthday, she asked our Facebook friends to donate money to LSA in honor of Mary Ann’s birthday. She raised over $400 due to one little Facebook post. That’s about a one-minute post to produce $400. When I considered that return, I began to see Facebook in a whole new light.

Our LSA page is generating some interest and helping us make new friends. One gentleman from the Midwest has taken a liking to our ministry, and now just randomly and occasionally sends us $25 or $50. Again, Facebook is bringing us friends and funds.

Somewhere in the process I saw another very important role for Facebook. I have become friends with a fairly large number of staff from across our org. It has been fun and important to learn about and share family moments. Much of my life I have heard managers talk about personal problems being left at the front door, and don’t bring your personal problems affect your work. That sounds good and is impossible. When we work with a person, we get the whole person.

AAHSA doing good job of making friends and communicating.

That brings me to my last point, policies and procedures. LSA has not added any additional policies. Our policies allow staff to use LSA computers for personal use, as long as it doesn’t affect their work and our speed. We haven’t worried about porn or the like since our policies reference actions unbecoming an LSA employee.


Some orgs. deny all outside computer access so it’s not an issue. But I was talking to a person in mid Feb. whose husband works at a company that blocks all social networking sites. But he was Facebooking from his Blackberry from his desk.

Harvard Business Review article of 2-3-10 encourages orgs to allow social networking. They say it creates a better work environment for employees which will yield better productivity than trying in vain to stop social networking.

Some orgs. worry that staff will speak ill of them or the org. I’ve decided I’ll just have to get over it. You can’t stop it. Our policies on confidentiality and on employee standards would apply. But you can’t stop people from talking and you may not even know who it is if someone wants to be anonymous.

Allison Fine wrote Momentum – Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age. She writes that communication is no longer a one way street. The internet allows people to talk back and say whatever they want, and that’s whether we like it or not.

I am reminded of the advice: if one person calls you a horse’s rear, ignore that one person. If two people call you that, you might need to buy a saddle. My hope is that I’m not the horse’s rear, and that the lone voice of discontent will be drowned out by the overwhelming majority who are on board supporting the org.

Facebook addresses our need for community and communication. It’s amazing that it’s only been around since 2004. More amazing, it may not be around next year. The next big thing might be Google Buzz or something that doesn’t exist yet.

We’ve decided to join the journey. We don’t know where we’re going, but we are having fun and doing some good along the way.

Thanks.