Want to speak up in the military and still be promoted?
Tips to share your story, advocate for change, but keep your career intact
Sharing my story last year as part of a NATO exercise
In the digital age, there is no shortage of people sharing on social media. The world is dependent on online communications. The digital landscape is vastly different since my time as a brand new public affairs officer in 2006, when there was controversy surrounding a destroyer executive officer who had the novel idea to write a ship’s blog.
When he linked to the blog on the command’s official website, there was no policy to guide him on what to write or convey a compelling idea consistent with the Navy’s mission. To make matters worse, the approval process on the most benign topics was overly cumbersome, leading up to my office at U.S. Pacific Fleet, where a Navy Captain ultimately had to weigh in on the issue.
Fast forward to the present. While there are social media handbooks to help guide military leaders on how to communicate on duty, what about when they want to share online in their off time? Can they do so, even call attention to problems, but still be promoted through the ranks?
I say yes, and as somebody active in the online space since 2010, speaking up and calling for change but still promoting, I will explain how. Remember: your First Amendment rights do not go out the door because you serve on active duty.
Today, I see ships' commanding officers with popular Instagram pages and they write memoirs. Although not required, many are encouraged to seek command approval for personal online communications, and sadly, I have even heard of instances where PAOs tell people not to talk to the press.
Presently, military members use their personal social media accounts to share struggles with addictions, tips for leadership, fitness inspiration, and some (although not many) advocate for policy change. Two years ago, I wrote in War Horse about a previous problem I dealt with regarding excessive alcohol consumption.
With this ability for authentic expression via digital mediums, there is a balance between writing an impactful and hard-hitting manifesto for change. I believe in preserving the sanctity of military service and writing a gripping story that draws in the reader and can even call for change. You can do both.
I will not insult your intelligence by listing all the DoD social media policy instructions. You can get it from your JAG officer, but unfortunately, they don’t spend any time telling you how to speak up respectfully, thoughtfully, and with a compelling message. I have advocated for off-duty social media literacy training and working with active-duty influencers in a series of three annual writings for PRSA’s PRsay blog.
Instead, what I hope is helpful are the top lessons I took away as an online communicator in my off-duty capacity. There is a lot I would do differently in the ten-plus years I have been sharing my story and the stories of others and advocating for policy change.
I hope these tips can help as you share more of yourself with others and tap into that vulnerability that makes us all human.
Know up front your way
What do you want the audience to feel, know, or do after consuming your content? Are you pushing for policy change? Do you want to give voice to something stigmatized/buried in the shadows so others do not feel alone? Begin with why you want to share this message. I often keep my “why” at the top of my mind as I write. This mindset helps me build the story or share the key points.
Study the techniques of storytelling
Stories that resonate have an arc. They have a hero journey. They have a structure. Just as a good song follows certain music principles, your writing/video/social media post should do the same. Study the people whose stories you love. What are they doing to hook you into the journey? Are they a master with descriptive language, punchy copywriting, or beautiful graphics? Storytelling is an art, and you can slightly deviate from the technical aspects, but like a song, there is still a trusty skeleton of what makes something shine.
If you are not a storytelling guru, practice using a simple format. For example, mine is as follows when posting a story to LinkedIn:
Compelling hook (something that starts my piece to draw in the reader)
Describe the issue, concern, etc
Reflect on a few key observations on that issue
Close with what I took away from those observations
Relate it to how the reader can do the same
Add an image of myself to personalize or a picture that tells the story of the post.
Find fellow military mentors to tell you if you are going off the deep end
Many times when I was emotional, feeling a bit fragile, but safe enough for vulnerability, I took to social media to share with my followers. However, reflecting, I realize parts of the story offended a particular population, or some people took my message out of context, which distracted from my “why” of the posting.
Part of sharing yourself and getting in that arena means taking these hits. However, never underestimate the power of a colleague who understands perception better than you. They will tell you when you are going too far. I credit fellow Navy public affairs officers who let me know when I needed to reword something or remove a section that distracted the audience from my main message.
Get creative
Example from a post that I did on work/life balance while on a cruise ship
There are opportunities all around us for inspiration. I take pictures and record clips from daily life. Often, I do not know how to use the content, but I see the potential for a lesson or story later on. Using the notes in your phone is another way as you come across an insight in a book or through a conversation. If you look for it, a story happens daily, even in the mundane ones.
Journaling is a great way to start; if you are not ready to share with the world, share it for yourself. Such a release comes when you let go of a painful memory, causing pain or work to make sense of it in another context. Then, think of images or video clips to accompany the story.
If you do not know how to take quality images with your phone, start small with selfies in front of beautiful landscapes. It will a) immerse you in beautiful nature, b) personalize your message, and c) help you be more relatable.
These lessons helped me get comfortable telling stories and improving my craft. I had to lose a perfectionist mindset. We must allow technical mistakes to happen while slowly chiseling to make our stories more cohesive.
The learning never stops, but to know that something you communicated helped somebody feel safer or seen is so powerful, affirming, and fulfilling. I am thankful to have found this art form.
Additionally, I am incredibly grateful for the feedback I receive. Active duty members can be positive social media ambassadors. A few weeks ago, I heard from an active-duty YouTube subscriber. He writes,
“Hi Theresa,
Thank you for your YouTube Channel. I have been a YouTuber for over ten years. In 2017, my CO did not like what I had to say concerning the harms of pornography and video gaming. I developed an 8-hour course on digital media and trained thousands of service members and medical professionals in the military.
I was flown worldwide, on temporary duty, to train others. Civilian organizations asked me to present. However, in 2017, due to one complaint about my content, I had to delete my videos on the internet, and talks to the military bases in Europe and the Commandant at the Pentagon were abruptly canceled.
Now, I am wiser about the Navy’s social media policy. I am starting to make videos for YouTube again. Your channel is an excellent channel to review before starting a social media presence!
Because of your videos, I submitted an off-duty employment request up my chain of command. Even though I do not make any money from YouTube, it is wise to have that in place and ‘not surprise my CO.’”
Andrew P. Doan, MPH, MD, PhD CAPT MC(FS), USN
Share your story with creative licensing, but so do wisely. You might change somebody’s life. After all, storytelling has the power to heal and enact positive policy change, and at any pay grade, we all can do this.
What are you waiting for?
