CEO Blogs -- Where Angels(?) Fear to Tread

USA Today reports that CEOs are refusing to get tangled up in the blogosphere. Although there are a number of high-level senior executives who already blog (many are given in the story), it seems that most do not want the risks associated with the transparency-demanding blog-reading public.

Each of the cases cited by Del Jones, the USA Today reporter, confirms his assertion that:

The corporate sphere likes its skeletons packed away, or at least vetted through legal and public relations departments.

Most ardent bloggers take offense with the bland pronouncements of carefully scrubbed executive speech. They are looking for the inside scoop, just what corporate insiders are so eager to hide. But, who says that it is not possible to tell the story and not spill the beans.

It is interesting to read the admonitions about how blogs provide companies an excellent means of listening to their market -- Yes! Indeed, this is true, but the market would really like a dialogue one that has some honesty to it.

There is room for the right CEO blogger to create a groundbreaking blog, setting the way for a new transparency and dialogue. It would take a lot of work, but then again, I've taken days writing speeches for CEOs to deliver to much smaller audiences than a blog would garner. No one seems to question the time spent honing the message for an in-person event. There will come a time when no one questions the time spent buffing and honing the clear message of the CEO's blog.

My own advise is read first, listen to what is being said, then join the conversation. The rewards are far greater than the risks.

Comments

[Gautam]

Jonathan Schwartz the COO of Sun blogs at http://blogs.sun.com/roller/page/jonathan