I talked to a lawyer the other day who explained that her firm is blocking access to Facebook and Twitter.

Why?

Because the firm is worried about (1) data security and confidentiality and (2) employees wasting time.

I’m blown away that law firms are still thinking this way, especially small- and medium-sized firms that are scrambling for business. I though we had moved beyond that thinking back when we figured out that more than half a billion people use Facebook regularly.

On data security and confidentiality: it’s not Facebook, Twitter, and other social media you’ve got to worry about—it’s your employees. Your employees are the risk factor. You’ve got to decide whether you trust them with confidential information. If you do, then you’ve got to accept that, if for some reason they decide to breach confidentiality, they’re going to do it regardless of whether you block social media. After all, they’ve got access to e-mail all day. They can send your data out any time they wish. They’re going to do what they’re going to do, and you’ve got to be sure you hire good people, treat them well, and educate them about the rules.

On employees wasting time: you can’t stop time wasters by locking down your computer system. You’ve got to hire good people, train them well, and manage them. If you don’t treat them well, you can’t expect excellent performance. Good people don’t find wasting time on Facebook so irresistible that they can’t stay away from it without your help. We all find ways to waste time. What’s next? Keycard access to the water cooler?

The benefits of allowing your team to network on social media sites are well proven now. Everyone is on Facebook. It’s the town common. It’s where people meet people, build relationships, and decide to do business. If you’re fortunate enough to have employees willing to network online, you should be encouraging them to engage and expand their network. Don’t lock them out of social media: instead, push them out into the world of social media.

There was once a time where your biggest security vulnerability was hackers, viruses, etc. That’s not the case anymore. Employees are where the game is won and lost. Be sure you’ve got good people, trust them, train them, and allow them to engage with the world so they can help you grow your practice, do good deeds, and spread the good word.

IT people need to be in the business of saying yes, not saying no. They need to be connecting your users and helping them become educated about the business development possibilities social media brings to the firm. Of course, they also need to be teaching safe practices.

Social media is an opportunity, not an obstacle. Embrace it; don’t block it. Use it to grow your business.