To Protect and Serve the Community

Kinda a throwaway post here, but thought I should write this one out. I saw the slogan “To Protect and Serve the Community” on something, and the community manager in me thought, ‘hey, that is an interesting way to describe what I and others do.

Serve and protect community.

The sign was on the side of a police car. Police serve and protect. Community managers protect and serve, but in very different ways. Police are very reactionary. They process and document those that don’t abide by the rules. They have the power to restrain, you know, to serve and protect. If you look at wealthy countries around the world, a respected police force is a common theme (one of many at least). Community managers tend to be a little more proactive. They search for future fans and build them up. They react and support their customers. They aid in service to make their community, and industries better.

Interesting to think about if police took the community managers job. Imagine a police force that would wear a pink tie for breast cancer awareness and accept donations and record messages of support to those fighting. Take a reactionary management style of community, which is plagued with image issues (when is the last time you had a positive, non crime based interaction with a police officer?) and turn it into a proactive uplifting community event.