Posted on Sep 17, 2013
What is the proper protocol for senior officers/NCOs to connect with junior officers/NCO/Soldiers in Social Media?
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As a Lieutenant Colonel, and a Battalion Commander, I often see junior members of my battalion listed for me to connect with as well as others stationed at the same post. What kind of protocol is proper for me to connect and for my responses to requests to connect?
Customs and Courtesies
RallyPoint
Protocol
Edited 12 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 44
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I personnally am not Friends on Facebook with my Soldiers or my Leaders while they are my Soldiers or Leaders. After I or they leave the unit then I accept/send the requestfor 2 reasons 1)Just to see how they are doing and progressing, and 2) in case they or I need to get in contact for assistance. I explain to my Soldiers why at the time I cannot accept their request and have not had any ramifications for the denial. Now if they request me on here then yes I will make them a connection because this is a profession growth site, but facebook can get people into trouble.
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SSG Laureano Pabon
PS: Your hat, I like it, it was worn by many SM whom were Cavalry during the NAM war and worn shortly after post NAM, I recall seeing many SM wearing it like we wore the Black Bert with a red and white full flash. History showed that during my time only Rangers wore the Black Berets, but seeing this shows some form of history coming back to the present. perhaps not just uniforms but other things as well. As an insight, in my time we where allowed to serve 20 years then retire, during the Ragan admisintration that was changed from 20 to 30 years then on your 30th year you had to wait till your in your old age to start your retirement pay. But when the war was kicked off, that went back to like it was in my earlier years. Something interesting if I may say so. Now with the down sizing I can only see history kind of repeating its self.
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SFC (Join to see)
Thank you SSG Pabon, I have been in various Cavalry units for the last 7-8 years, and I wear my Stetson and Spurs every chance I get.
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MSG Lance Kelly
SSG Pabon, wear them with pride. I have served with the 11th and 3rd ACR and earned my spurs in Desert Storm. I wish I could still wear them in uniform. The best response I got to the spurs was when I wore them for a service school graduation and someone asked me what kind of shoes I was wearing because they had never seen the spurs.
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This is an excellent question - it's good to see it being discussed here. Â I would not be too concerned with connecting with subordinates on RallyPoint or milBook since these are professional forums. Â I would take great care with Facebook, however. Â I should not be posting things on my Facebook page that are unprofessional so that's not my concern but there are limits to how much of my personal and family life I want all of my subordinates aware of. Â My personal habit has been to accept Facebook requests from my immediate subordinates while I'm serving with them and with others after we have moved on to other organizations or transitioned out of the service. Â I have not had any issues with doing so and the social media contact has stayed appropriate. Â In one case, I had connected with an NCO with whom I had served in the past. Â I noted an inappropriate political post on his wall, let him know about it in a private message, and he removed the post. Â As several have mentioned the unit Facebook page or an alternative "Government Official" or "Military Commander" page - like many of our senior leaders use - can be very effective at building and maintaining the professional relationship with the organization and their family members. Â
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I must agree with SPC Benjamin. Social Media is not the future anymore, it currently IS the present and most popular way to connect and network with anyone and everyone. If you feel uncomfortable connecting, don't connect, instead start a group for your unit on Facebook and communicate via the group and make yourself available via group, this will keep you from connecting to individuals while still being able to interact with them on your terms. If you decide your the sociable kind of leader you could add your own "sub group" in your friends list and give limited permissions to those people within said group. There are different options available to you. A 3rd alternative is to make a "Military Commander" only Facebook/Twitter profile separate from your personal profile and utilize that for your social media interaction with other military/subordinates/foreign national work connections.
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COL (Join to see)
Excellent suggestions, SGT Sullivan. I've seen the Facebook group work effectively for communicating with families and keeping them updated on activities and information from the organization. I've also seen the alternative profile work to connect commanders with subordinates without using their personal Facebook profile. Before deciding what is the best approach, the leader needs to decide what he hopes to gain from using social media within his unit and between him and his subordinates. Building relationships is important and social media is one way to help with that. But enforcing and supporting the chain of command is also vital and social media can be detrimental to this if proper rules are not established. Much like when a Soldier approaches me with a problem, my first question is usually "have you talked with your squad leader about this?" Same kind of questions should be asked when discussing individual issues on social media.
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I consider maintaining a Facebook connection with my Soldiers to be a vital means of maintaining connection and monitoring for problems. If one of my Soldiers has money problems, I know about it. If one of my Soldiers posts something questionable, I know about it. If there are undercurrents or discontent, I know about it. I consider Facebook to the the leaders ultimate open-door policy with the extra benefit of providing an NSA-like wiretap into the social goings on of the E-4 Mafia.
Now this does not mean that I trade jello shot recipes with my Soldiers or post duck faces selfies of me in the john. I maintain one Facebook profile (professional) for my unit and one for my friends and family (Duck-face jello shot selfies et al.)
Now this does not mean that I trade jello shot recipes with my Soldiers or post duck faces selfies of me in the john. I maintain one Facebook profile (professional) for my unit and one for my friends and family (Duck-face jello shot selfies et al.)
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CPT (Join to see)
That is one way of doing things. So you have two profiles you maintain. That is a good idea. I like that. I can only hope to see your duck face shot on here. I do agree about your ability to gain information about your soldiers. I have been able to do that.
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Sgt (Join to see)
CPT Carraway,
I have seen the same thing from many of my friends on Recruiting duty. They maintain a "professional" Facebook profile to be available to poolees and parents at any time, and a "personal" Facebook profile to complain about being on Recruiting duty.
I have seen the same thing from many of my friends on Recruiting duty. They maintain a "professional" Facebook profile to be available to poolees and parents at any time, and a "personal" Facebook profile to complain about being on Recruiting duty.
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SFC Rick H
As an old retired soldier, here is how I see you leaders and your subordinates when we speak on the topic of Social Media- its not a good idea for several reasons. If leadership in your organization is working- NCOs and Officers actually doing the job, keeping track of your soldiers- as we did back in the day, why would you need social media to do that? oh, we didn't have social media back then and didn't need it. We had our precious and well refined leadership skills to work with our soldiers and their family on either one - to - one basis or as a group. I'm not understand why I would have ever need to " chat up " one of my soldiers on any social media tool!? What has happened to that good old fashion, roll up your sleeves and apply your leadership skills face to face concept?
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Sir, for the current policies and procedures the United States Army Handbook for Social Media 2013 on page 15 leaves it up to you to determine your contact with subordinates in your command and offers examples for use.<br><br><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/USArmySocialMedia/social-media-handbook-2013">http://www.slideshare.net/USArmySocialMedia/social-media-handbook-2013</a><br><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/socialmediahandbook3-1b [login to see] 36-phpapp02-thumbnail-4.jpg? [login to see] "></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.slideshare.net/USArmySocialMedia/social-media-handbook-2013">Social Media Handbook 2013</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">This document provides extensive social media guidance. It contains information for Army leaders, guidance for Army Families, operations security tips, branding</div></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>
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LTC
Honestly sir, as long as you are connecting to enhance leadership development and to be available for advice through multiple avenues, and as long as the junior soldier to you understands that the connection is to be professional then I believe that connecting through whichever approach you deem necessary is acceptable.
With candid respect,
SPC Camron
Honestly sir, as long as you are connecting to enhance leadership development and to be available for advice through multiple avenues, and as long as the junior soldier to you understands that the connection is to be professional then I believe that connecting through whichever approach you deem necessary is acceptable.
With candid respect,
SPC Camron
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Times are changing and connecting through social media is important...unless you or your subordinates/leaders are acting irresponsible on social media.
You (or other leaders) can disseminate unofficial information quicker than calling everyone in (face-to-face) and/or calling everyone via phone (mouth-to-ear?).
You (or other leaders) can disseminate unofficial information quicker than calling everyone in (face-to-face) and/or calling everyone via phone (mouth-to-ear?).
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SGM Matthew Quick
MSG Stewart,
It's all how it's managed. If it's the only way our junior leaders are connecting with their subordinates, senior NCOs needs to step and and make corrections.
Education is the key...for both the Soldiers and leaders.
It's all how it's managed. If it's the only way our junior leaders are connecting with their subordinates, senior NCOs needs to step and and make corrections.
Education is the key...for both the Soldiers and leaders.
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SSG Chris Choate
MSG Michaels has a point. I feel that you should have that face to face connection to better Lead your Soldiers. Without ftf your Soldiers just look at what you send and move on. They don't comprehend what is actually trying to be portrayed to them.
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CPT (Join to see)
Just so you know I am connected to my soldiers and to my leadership on facebook. Often I ask myself if I post this how would others think of me, from my BC or my privates. In some cases I will rethink what I post. In most cases I am a family man that keeps a clean facebook page that has no issue with letting my leadership see everything I post.
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Eric,
I got a lot of facebook requests from Soldiers in my first platoon. I just let them sit in my inbox until I was moved to another position. I have accepted many of their requests now. I think a lot of it has to do with how you use facebook. For me, facebook is a means to communicate with family and friends. It is an Army-free zone. Thus, I didn't think it appropriate to share that with my boys until I had moved on.
On another note, I am RP contacts with many of my current and past Soldiers. This is a professional forum and I have found that my Soldiers will engage me regarding the discussions we've participated in on RP. It's been an interesting means of professional development for all parties.
I got a lot of facebook requests from Soldiers in my first platoon. I just let them sit in my inbox until I was moved to another position. I have accepted many of their requests now. I think a lot of it has to do with how you use facebook. For me, facebook is a means to communicate with family and friends. It is an Army-free zone. Thus, I didn't think it appropriate to share that with my boys until I had moved on.
On another note, I am RP contacts with many of my current and past Soldiers. This is a professional forum and I have found that my Soldiers will engage me regarding the discussions we've participated in on RP. It's been an interesting means of professional development for all parties.
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CPT (Join to see)
True, it is how you use it. I have it from a very unique perspective. I was a squad leader in the platoon where I am now the Platoon Leader. Being the National Guard we don't have many infantry units. This doesn't happen ever. The officer strength manager sent me to another company that was over strength and it just so happened that my platoon was the only platoon that needed a PL. I knew many of my soldiers already.
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I feel as though it really boils down to how you behave on FB. If you plan on posting pictures of you out drinking with the boys and post things that could shine you in a negative light then it would not be a good idea to be friends with them on FB. If on the other hand you use FB in a responsible manor and watch what you say or do on there, it's not a bad idea. Showing your subordinates that you are a human being with interests outside the military can help your soldiers relate to you and can improve your relationship. I personally try to minimize my FB contact to people that I trust. I do not choose to be friends with every single one of my soldiers.
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CPT (Join to see)
You make a very good assessment of the situation. As a family man I will post pics of the family as i did post some pics of my daughter and I at Great Wolf Lodge this week. If I were posting pics at some bar with my shirt off drunk I would not want everyone in my CoC to see that or my soldiers.
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Keep it professional like many have suggested sir, it's tough to keep your personal life separate from your professional life but there are methods and features of many sites that would allow you to at the very least keep a buffer from your subordinates. The group pages on the more "informal" sites like Facebook would allow those you lead to maintain contact and post useful information. The more professional sites like RallyPoint, and Linkedin would allow more mentoring to occur. To allow subordinates to be "friends" on the less formal sites would likely create more problems than they're worth because some may perceive favoritism even when there isn't any. On top of that, I don't think even as a Battalion Commander you want to go home and still have to deal with the personal issues of those you lead or end up having work encroach on time you would prefer to relax and decompress from a stressful day.
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