Social Media: Does Your Boss 'Get' It?

At this first training, it was no surprise that almost all of the attendees were battling the "my boss doesn't get it" conundrum. The media made MySpace, and social networking in general, out to be dangerous, life-threatening even. Executives were terrified by the legal implications of using social-networking tools. Long-term professional communications and fundraising staff had a hard time accepting the aesthetic of new media. It went against everything they had learned in their careers about design and online messaging. And almost all executives had a very difficult time letting go of control and embracing the concept of empowering supporters and donors to be content creators and fundraisers for their nonprofits online.