Jim Estill, CEO of SYNEXX posted a blog on -  My Top Ten Reasons Not to Blog:

1 - Legal
2 - Time
3 - ROI
4 - Privacy

5 - Anonymous ‘flames’
6 – Information overload
7 - Pressure to keep posting
8 - Taxing creativity to keep posting
9 - As with any technology, things do not always work perfectly
10 - Wastes other people's time.

Taking the role of a CEO and taking each in turn.

1. Lawyers – they always advise against anything they consider is a risk. Remember it was a legal requirement that people walked in front of cars with a red flag when they were first developed as there was a risk of death at the high speeds?

2. Time - blogging certain does take time. But what if you could take 20 minutes and get your message across to hundreds of employees and customers directly? Is that not a good investment of time? I meet hundreds of senior executives who moan that customers and employees ‘just understand the strategy’. Wow! Now you have a tool to ‘talk’ directly to people. Use it!

3. ROI – maybe a challenge to quantify but not impossible. If you spend 20 minutes communicating with someone and they understand your message and then take the action (or inaction) you are wanting them to take then it is a good ROI providing their action is more valuable than the time you spent. I have pulled up many senior managers when I ask them what their objective is of a presentation they are planning to make. The response ‘To update people’. The next question ‘To do what?’ and ‘what will this mean for you that is different from now’? An action should have a clear and measurable outcome. What do you want to change, achieve or stop by your communication? Will a blog help ‘touch’ more people and serve your objective? Maybe it’s to create a platform for communicating strategy or helping people understand your objectives or to get feedback from the market place. A CEO blog is a brilliant two way communication tool too. A ‘raw’ feed to the employees or market. Remember most CEO’s are like the Queen. She never sees anywhere without a fresh coat of paint and cleanly swept streets. What reports does the CEO get that have not been specially prepared? Blogs opens a ‘two-way’ dialogue for the CEO to the ‘real world’.

4. Privacy. CEO’s pay and perks are published in the annual accounts. Their performance is questioned by analysts and shareholders. If they avoid public meetings their motives are questioned. Equally if they court media coverage many will view them with suspicion. People – employees, business associates, shareholders, financiers and others want to understand what makes the CEO tick. They are a leader. Why try and hide? I don’t need to know what make of shampoo they use. Some may – why do sports people get paid millions to endorse products? Bottom line – if CEOs want privacy then don’t take the job!

5. Anonymous commentators – flame away. If the comments are unfair you will win sympathy from non-negative people. If they are fair comment then who cares who said them – just fix the issue. Don’t argue. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. If you do not agree – say so and say why. Don’t let negative sentiment stay festering. Address issues on the blogosphere’ head-on’. Don’t play the ostrich.

6. Does the world need more information – maybe or maybe not! After all I think it was an official in the US Patent Office who said in 1900 ‘Everything that needs to be invented has been done so now. There is no need for more patents’. Information and knowledge is the life blood of any organisation. Tim Berners-Lee invented the concept of the WWW to help academics share information across different geographies and incompatible networks. Information and knowledge and its application is at the heart of any competitive advantage. Many years ago scientists and other thought leaders worked in isolation and ignorance of each others work. Now imagine what heights the human race can reach if multiple original thinkers like Newton or Einstein could connect with each other and blog.

7. An obligation to keep posting – well maybe. But only in the same way that having made the Kick-Off speech as CEO you have said everything that you need for say for the year. Now go home and let the team do everything. Just show up at the next Annual meeting and repeat. The reality – an orchestra needs a conductor. A CEO needs to refine and adjust the message and keep delivering – frequently. As the market and company moves on it needs fine tuning. The employees need a visible leader – using every communication tool at hand.

8. Tax creativity to keep blogging – guess I said it above. If you communicate your current thoughts, ideas etc a CEO will have far too much to say. Why have all those meetings they attend? What decisions are being made? Why not share what keeps the CEO active during the day? Are you not interested in feedback and comments from members of the audience?

9. Technology gremlins – sad but true.

10.  Waste other peoples time – you cannot be the judge of that only the audience can. A comedian will know if the audience likes them – do they get applause or not? For a blogging CEO – are you getting comments? Are you getting a readership? How many have subscribed? When you meet customers and business partners and employees what do they say about your blog? Do they like it? What feedback and engagement do you get?