When we show the human face of the Commission, we civil servants aspire to divinity. Think about it. In Christian faith, God isn’t only an omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient being but He’s also very human and vulnerable, e.g. Jesus as a little baby. So you could say that a power structure which isn’t afraid of showing vulnerability, admitting mistakes and that also connects on an emotional level becomes more divine. Now can this European idol also answer the question which mankind has always wanted to know? (check the story in the St Matthew Passion of J.S. Bach)
‘Why are we here?’
On the whole our primary goal is to help people find, understand, and benefit from government information. Yet information often gets lost in the data. Here’s where the ‘Social Media Dude’ comes to the rescue. With the tools from his box you can lower thresholds, so our audiences find their way much easier. These tools will help you to offer relevant content, improve user experience and spread targeted information.
The importance of information with “a human face”.
You can collaborate with your audiences in many ways:
• as a member of a social media community
• as a information producer (wiki’s, reviews, etc.)
• as a reader (polls, feedback, comments, etc.)
• as a subscriber (newsletters, RSS feeds, etc.)
• as a contributor (challenges, contests, ideation programs, etc.)
But how can you guide your audiences through these digital woods? Concrete challenges can lead the way, e.g. Waltzing Matilda is a critical, and at times lighthearted, attempt to cover all aspects of social media. When problems of our everyday lives are addressed social media is performing at its best. Social media can help you handle complaints, offer support, give a voice to your stakeholders, etc. You solve these problems through personal experience and when you discuss them with other people who have relevant experience.
Solutions to EU challenges are being developed at the grass roots and we should support those efforts. Too much central planning is suffocating and leaves little room for best judgement. Although I am a lawyer, I would advocate that we “kill” all lawyers that want to put you in shackles. Instead we should offer goals and boundaries in which you can make better decisions. This way bureaucracy is more efficient, policy becomes functional and human, and we are able to be more spontaneous. A fast, agile and nimble government can respond to today’s disillusion with politics. – P. K. Howard; Life Without Lawyers.
To conclude my thoughts on how social media will make us more divine: have a sense of humor, be human, pay it forward, be friendly, reflect and discuss, be confident, be helpful and go from just taking part to being a part of it.
