It's a friendly place, the blogosphere. Following news here that that Stephen Bubb, chief executive of the organisation for nonprofit chief executives acevo has started blogging at Bubb's blog, a couple of more established bloggers have launched a support group.
First of all Shane McCracken set up a Facebook group, now Paul Caplan has a public page on his blog inviting more nominations and offering a badge.
I've pointed Paul over to Matthew Taylor at the RSA, and Andrew Brown's suggestion of Eric Carlin.
All good fun - with the very important underlying purpose, as Paul points out, of helping encourage the non-bosses to believe they can speak up too:
Some heros are breaking free and we salute them. There are brave men and women bearing the title CEO or Director of this, that or the other who are stepping up and talking as the passionate and interesting men and women they are. They are brave and forward thinking and they make it easier for those of us who are talking to the frontline troops in the public sector and saying: “Yes it’s OK to get out there and have conversations. Yes it’s OK to talk like a human being and tell stories.” Because now we can add: “… because look, your Boss is doing it!”
That's best answer to We can't do that - and they mustn't do it either. More examples of public or nonprofit blogging bosses over at Paul's place, please.
Thanks for the link David. Just top let you know, I have set up a page on 'content to be different' so there is a nice simple URL for anyone to link to:
www.theinternationale.org/back-the-bloggin-bosses/
Posted by: Paul Caplan | March 24, 2008 at 08:52 PM
I absoultely agree with the idea of getting bosses to blog- and moreover to get active citizens or higher profile members of a given community eg. head teachers to blog as a way of setting a precedent for the rest of us to join in.
The Lords blog: http://tinyurl.com/2rxjmp
and Permanent secretary blog: http://www.idealgovernment.com/index.php/blog/comments/1566/
are good examples from the public sector.
But its not just about these individuals as official leaders, its the informality of community leaders such as the rather fabulously active 80yr old Peter (aka geriatric1927) who has been doing great videoblogs on YouTube for quite a while now and encouraging other older folk to get involved in life online. http://tinyurl.com/2nrob8
Posted by: Alice Casey | March 27, 2008 at 03:43 PM
Alice - I'm with you about many voices. And just because bosses start blogging, it doesn't mean they adopt a conversational tone. Stephen Bubb now has a further post up with some sideswipes at others in the sector ... but no acknowledgement for we minor beings who wished him well in comments. Just another platform?
Posted by: David Wilcox | March 27, 2008 at 05:05 PM