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Not Your Grandma’s Cup of Sugar: 5 Essentials for Being a Good Digital Neighbor

Originally posted on the Women in Student Affairs NASPA Knowledge Community blog on December 2, 2015.
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The neighborhood’s not what it used to be. With the digital revolution moving in and planning to stay, the concept of a community is no longer confined to geographical boundaries. Social media platforms, blogs, apps, and the general internet of things have connected people with similar interests from around the world, helping them develop communities that would not have been possible just a couple decades ago. The “send” button is our new “howdy, neighbor!” – but that doesn’t mean the need for congeniality has changed just because we have a new method of delivery. While you’re busy keeping up with @TheJoneses, make sure you’re still acknowledging the people behind the profile pics. It’s only neighborly, after all.

1. Introduce yourself.

No need to hide behind that default Twitter egg! Make an effort to present yourself well, with a photograph of yourself (not your kid or your cat. YOU) and a fully filled-in profile. There is a reason you were drawn to this platform, be it Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or anything else. Think about why you chose this space to communicate. Tell people what you want them to know about you. Shake off that blank bio and start making your presence known.

2. Show up to the block party – and don’t come empty-handed.

It’s not enough to simply take up real estate on the corner lot; you have to make the effort to participate in your community if you expect to see any benefits. Find out where the interesting conversations are happening, and make sure you’re contributing value to the dialogue when you post. Never make an ask without first making an offer. Want people to read your blog? Consider you for a job? Promote your latest project? That’s great. But why would they want to? Be sure you’re commenting on other people’s posts, sharing their content, and creating helpful content of your own before you need to ask anyone for a favor.

3. Keep the noise down.

No one likes to see their timeline bombarded with spammy, braggy, look-at-me posts. Remember, if you’re not adding value, you’re adding noise pollution. Talk like a person, not a sales pitch.

4. Don’t steal the newspaper.

The rules are simple: If it’s not yours, don’t act like it is. This is as true for intellectual property as it is for tangible objects. Give credit where it’s due. If you’re quoting someone, tag them. If you use an image or graphic, make sure it’s licensed under Creative Commons. Link to the original sources when you share content. Students aren’t allowed to present other people’s work as there own, and neither are you. Besides, it’s just good manners.

5. Keep your dog off the neighbor’s lawn.

In other words? Keep your crap away from other people’s stuff. Negativity and gossip don’t make great lawn ornaments, and they look ten times worse in the digital world. Tarnishing another person’s digital identity is a smarmy thing to do – and it’s a permanent reflection on the both of you. Keep the dirt to yourself and make the internet a better neighborhood for everybody.

Most importantly, remember that each of those avatars and usernames have actual human beings behind them. Social media is “real life,” with all of the intersocial complexities we’ve always faced. It’s a communal space, and we are indeed a community. So be kind, be yourself, and be a good neighbor. It makes a difference.

Connect. Don’t Contact. Leveraging Social Media for Social Good

The past few years have seen a lot of disparaging commentary about “hashtag activism.” After all, critics say, what good does a tweet do for a starving person? What does a great Instagram shot provide for the homeless? Tragedy doesn’t wait for somebody to hit the “share” button.

That’s all true. Social media can’t do much to serve a cause all on its own. However, in a time when our society is increasingly apathetic and jaded, we are also hungrier than ever for change. We want to make an impact. We just don’t know where to start. Social media can be the catalyst so many of us are looking for.

The key is that titular adjective, “social.” Social media. Meaning, interactive. Person-to-person. An appeal to another’s humanity. People use these platforms to feel connected — to friends, family, peers, colleagues. Even celebrities. We are desperate to feel that we have a place in the world alongside the people we love and admire. Social media is, therefore, the perfect space in which to educate, motivate, inspire, and recruit people for a cause. Where many organizations go wrong, when the result is truly just the sharing of a hashtag and nothing else, is in that first initial step. They contact, when they should instead take the opportunity to connect.

Feeding America, for example, could easily send out messages requesting donations: “Hey, people are hungry and we want to feed them. Send some money? Drop some canned corn in a box for us?” A noble initiative — but that’s not the kind of call to action that will convert an overtired, overwhelmed, cynical citizen of the modern world into an ambassador for change. It probably won’t even get them to hand over that can of corn. It’s just a contact. A hard ask with very little humanity attached. So what does Feeding America do instead?

66% of people we serve choose between food and medical care

@FeedingAmerica

They post images like this. The reasoning behind the post is the same: People are hungry. We want to feed them. But the presentation drives home a point to the audience: How would you feel if you couldn’t get medicine because you can’t afford both health care and groceries? It shows the real day-to-day effects that food insecurity and poverty have on real people. It tells a story. And even better, it uses a strong, simple visual to convey its message. It connects.

Here’s a solid rule of thumb: If it doesn’t provide value to your audience, you shouldn’t post it. Spamming viewers with unwanted “look at me!” content is the quickest way to get unfollowed. So when people are kind enough to invite you onto their news feeds, be sure you don’t take the responsibility lightly. Give them something worth looking at. Think about why they chose to follow you in the first place, and provide materials that feed that interest. The Trevor Project is a great example:

Facebook post from the Trevor Project reads Thanks for these facts, Trans Student Educational Resources! It's great to know we can always learn more, whether it's about ourselves or others. Image of a TSER flier entitled 5 things you should know about trans people with a link

The Trevor Project

They don’t just publicize the efforts of their organization. They know that their audience signed up because they care about LGBTQ rights. Therefore, the Facebook page serves up content like “5 Things You Should Know About Trans People” — a quick, shareable infographic that addresses personal experiences. It informs and garners support for their cause without being demanding. It directs people to the Trevor Project’s website and social channels, thereby encouraging deeper involvement.

Social media has a major role to play in the future of activism. It is, after all, primarily a forum for sharing ideas and stories. What could be a better starting point for the social movements of our time?

In the ‘60s, Martin Luther King, Jr. told stories through the mediums available to him. (Think about his tale of fatherly hope, delivered to an audience from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Or the autobiographical account of his own arrest and imprisonment, told in a letter from Birmingham Jail.) These narratives inspired action that led to huge reforms across the nation. The changes that resulted were not simply products of their time. The civil rights movement of the ‘60s was sustained by its storytellers — skilled storytellers, who knew that contacting potential supporters was not enough. They connected.

The audience in attendance at the Lincoln Memorial for Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was comprised of approximately 250,000 people. Today, Facebook has over a billion active users. The opportunity to connect is greater than ever.

So tell your story, and tell it well. The response might surprise you.

Write Like You Mean It: Communicating With Intention & Clarity

Most professionals, aside from journalists and a few others, don’t consider themselves “writers.” That word immediately conjures images of a bedraggled coffee addict, bent over a typewriter — certainly not in tune with the hectic pace we keep in our modern workplaces. But here’s the thing: We all write, usually every day. Communication is an integral part of every job, no matter the stage of your career. And a good portion of that communication comes in a written form.

What do we write?

Emails, presentations, memos, notes to colleagues, fliers, reports, letters of recommendation, social media updates, website copy, text messages, to-do lists. It’s endless. We write constantly, and for what?

Why do we write?

  • To provide & exchange information
  • To instruct
  • To establish relationships
  • To request assistance
  • To share ideas
  • To be understood

So how can we help others understand us? Communication is a two-way street, after all, and you can’t assume your audience will be able to read your mind if you don’t provide proper clues about the meaning of your message.

1. Grammar

It sounds obnoxious, I know. Another siren going off from the Grammar Police squad car. But I promise you, it matters.

Meme with three baby seals on a disco dance floor reads "Stop clubbing, baby seals. Once again, punctuation makes all the difference."

This is one of my favorite grammar memes of all time (and yes, I am absolutely nerdy enough to have a favorite grammar meme).

The point is, simple things like comma placement can affect your reader’s interpretation of your sentence. Here’s a more practical example.

Imagine you have a coworker, Tom, who sends you the following email:

“I’m going to eat my work study student’s back in five minutes.”

What is Tom trying to tell you? Does he mean, as his punctuation indicates, that he is going to eat his work study student, vertebra by vertebra, in just five minutes’ time? If so, you’d better intervene. Cannibalism is frowned upon in the higher education sector.

Or does he mean, hopefully, “I’m going to eat. My work study student’s back in five minutes.” So don’t worry, he’s not planning on leaving the desk unattended for long.

Or should we assume that his sentence is riddled not only with grammatical errors, but also typos, and he actually meant to say “I’m going to eat with my work study students. Back in five minutes.”

In short, Tom is making you work pretty hard to understand what he’s trying to say.

2. Organization

Imagine that our friend Tom’s next task is to create a flier for an event at the college where he works. This gets posted around the school:

“It’s going to be a ton of fun! Refreshments will be served, starting at 6:30. Panelists include Hillary Clinton, J.Lo & Stephen Hawking. Join the discussion about child pageantry’s impact on American economic growth on November 8, 2014. 5pm in the auditorium.”

What time will the students show up for this event? (Spoiler alert: Probably 6:30.) But what time does it actually start? …5pm. Oops. Tom should have lead with his main idea.

In my own writing, I often use the chart below to organize thoughts and keep my structure in line (I actually learned this trick from my 10th grade English teacher. Shoutout to Mrs. Danis!)

Diagram shows a square with an upside down triangle above it, funneling into the square. Below it, there is a rightside up triangle. Top triangle reads "Intro," start broad with a brief introduction; then, express the point of your message clearly and quickly. Square reads "Make your point and/or provide information," say waht you need to say. Provide the necessary information to back up any claims you're making. Support your message. Bottom triangle reads "Wrap-Up," restate the intention of your message. Relate your point to the broader picture again, if necessary.

You want to be sure to present your information, your message, in a logical progression. Be clear. Have a point. Get that point across to your reader.

Which brings me to…

3. Tone

Tone can be a tricky thing. We all know that it’s not just what you say, but how you say it, and sometimes it’s easy to misinterpret intentions. We’ll visit our buddy, Tom, again.

As a follow-up to the event mentioned on his less-than-ideal flier, Tom writes an email to his colleague, Alice:

“Where are the photos from Econ of Child Pageantry? Thanks.”

If you’re Alice, what are you thinking when you open this email? What kind of mood is Tom in? How is he making you feel? Does he respect you? Value your work? Even if he meant it perfectly innocently, and is simply requesting Alice’s assistance with the photographs, this is not a great way to go about it. In two sentences, Tom comes off as abrupt, dismissive, cold, and a little condescending. Adding “thanks” at the end hardly adds a warm, fuzzy feeling to the previous sentence.

For a better example, we’ll look at Alice’s response. As you can see, she follows the diagram from earlier: A brief introduction, followed by a clear message, and then a closing remark.

“Hi, Tom. The photos are all in the shared drive, in a folder labeled
“Horrible Mistakes — 11.08.14.” Let me know if you have trouble finding them, but they should all be there. Thanks for all your help with the event! I thought it went great!” — Alice

Feel the difference?

4. Keep it concise.

As a general rule, you should say whatever it is you have to say…and then stop. We’re all guilty of being a little wordy from time to time, but it only serves to bore your reader and bury your real message in a mess of lengthy text.

Try to cut sentences down as much as possible. Instead of saying “On account of financial difficulties, I believe it would be most prudent to re-evaluate our stance on budgetary expenditures,” put your red pen to work. In most cases, it’s both clearer and easier to say something like, “We should re-evaluate our spending in light of financial difficulties.” Make the red pen your friend.

5. Read what you write.

Wait a few seconds before hitting send on that email, or publishing that blog post. Read over your work with an eye for detail. It’s easier to fix mistakes now than to apologize for them later.

Things to Try:

  • Reading aloud
  • Putting your writing to the side & re-reading it later
  • Change the font & THEN read it.
  • Write. Wait 15 seconds. Hit send/post.

With a little extra effort, you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches.
Apply some of these strategies, and let me know in the comments if they helped improve your communication! Happy writing!

Bonus!
Some of my go-to writing resources:

Beyond the Red Tape: Communicating Through Bureaucracy in Higher Ed

This post originally appeared on www.studentaffairscollective.org, on October 15, 2014.

Recently, the Student Affairs Collective’s Twitter #SAChat held a discussion about issues with bureaucracy in higher education — and wow, do people ever have issues with bureaucracy! Student affairs pros nationwide hashtagged their grievances about hierarchy, institutional distrust, and office politics. As a newcomer to the college-as-workplace, I have fewer years of cynicism to overcome than many of my colleagues. Still, you don’t have to work for a school to understand that educational institutions in this country are tangled up in red tape. It’s hardly surprising that so many of our professionals are frustrated.

Now, I should mention that I’m in the somewhat uncommon position of not having a background in student affairs. My prior experience and education are rooted in communications, specifically writing and marketing, so my natural inclination is to see these kinds of challenges in terms of a communication problem. And it seems clear to me that the higher ed field is the victim of its own communication breakdown. On a fundamental level, we have not only failed to keep up with the times; we have failed to keep up with our students’ expectations. Even worse, we have failed to keep up with their needs.

Over the past ten or twenty years, the world has changed in unprecedented ways. Personal technology usage has skyrocketed, transforming the way we interact and the methods we use to acquire information. Today’s students and prospective students — the notoriously techy Millennials, and their even more digitally advanced younger siblings, Gen Z — have been brought up in a culture of immediacy. For them, knowledge has always been literally at their fingertips, available with the click of a mouse or tap of a tablet. They’ve spent their whole lives updating Facebook statuses, writing blog posts, buying music from the iTunes store, and texting.

Imagine, then, how they must feel when faced with a university website that’s practically impossible to navigate. Put yourselves in the shoes of an individual who has been tweeting since middle school, and think about how they would react when someone says, “Sorry, we don’t have that information. You need to visit [insert name of cross-campus office here].” And why would anyone who downloads entire software programs onto their telephone in a matter of seconds ever find it acceptable to hear “we’ll get back to you in a couple weeks?”

I know what you’re thinking. Spoiled. Lazy. Self-centered. But here’s the thing: They’re not the ones who are trying to sell something. And make no mistake — higher education is trying to sell something. It is not a student’s job to adapt to our needs; it’s our job to anticipate theirs, and to create an environment in which they can thrive. In a time when the world’s greatest minds are writing articles for the Huffington Post, chronicling their formidable thoughts on Blogger, teaching MOOCs, and recording speeches for YouTube, it is becoming increasingly important for colleges and universities to improve the sales pitch for our services. Academia doesn’t have a monopoly on knowledge these days. Our business model has to change accordingly, and while that’s a topic for another blog post, it begins with developing effective, efficient communications strategies. Like any other business, we need to meet our customers where they are. Our message is only relevant if it is heard.

I won’t pretend that I have all the answers, and certainly every campus has a different set of needs to match their unique student populations. But I do know that it is essential for various divisions, departments, and offices to communicate with each other, as well as students. Campus websites need to be user-friendly, with easy access to information. Social media accounts must be implemented, not only eagerly, but strategically. We need to stop the constant back-and-forth, the long wait times, the sluggish response rates. We have to evaluate our structures and processes, particularly those that are most time consuming from a student services perspective, and ask ourselves: Why do we do this? Is there a better way? We should be our students’ best advocates when they come to us with complaints, not voices of dissent telling them, “This is how it is,” and making excuses for institutional inefficiencies. We need to be proactive, instead of reactive when it comes to emerging technologies — after all, there’s no use hopping on the bandwagon for the latest trend if, by the time we get on board, our audience has already moved onto the next big thing.

Students need to be able to work effectively in the fast-paced digital age, and the people preparing them for future careers are responsible for setting a good example. It’s long past time for us to start.