Blogging for your Boss – Part 1

As in any office job, I’m required to keep my boss posted on the various projects I have going on. We usually meet up once a week to touch base and for me to get direction on existing projects as well as projects that are down the road a bit.

Sometimes, due to our schedules, one or both of us aren’t able to meet. It’s these weeks that are a little more hectic than others and we find ourselves struggling to stay on track. I considered using the wiki I installed a few years ago to keep us on the same page, but it’s best used for documentation (which is what I use it for!). Then I got to thinking about using a WordPress installation and that seemed to fit the bill much better.

Now, I’m sure some of you are thinking, “What about email?!?” Yes, there’s no doubt an endless volley of emails can keep the ball rolling, but I was more interested in creating a report of sorts… kind of like a, “this is what I’ve been up to this week,” which is exactly what most blogs are anyway!

There are several benefits of setting up an internal blog for this purpose. First, there’s a central place for your boss (and his boss and even her boss) to check for updates on your progress. Second, several people can have accounts to post their reports as well. This could be a great way for an entire department to document their progress without concerning themselves with multiple, fragmented email threads. Third, you’ll benefit from all of the built-in features that WordPress offers (site search, categories, date stamps, comments, and the endless influx of plugins). Last, but certainly not least, you’ve got a lot to fall back on when the ‘ole performance review rolls around and a really easy way to gather info for your presentation.[ad name=”250×250″]

The great thing about this is that there’s very little work to be done up front in regards to setting up a WordPress blog on your intranet… yes, even if you’re in an all Windows environment. Another great point is that all you need is an extra computer, and a couple of free apps. Once you have these thing accounted for, you can proceed with installing and configuring as many blogs as you would like!

I’m going to cover the specifics on how to install your own Boss Blog in Part 2, but before I wrap this post up, I figured I would at least point out a few specifics to get you started… just in case you’re feeling spry (By the way, I’m going to assume you’re in a Windows environment, just like rest of Corporate America).

The first thing you’ll need, of course, is an extra computer on your network. Preferably, you’ll have a computer you can dedicate to your Boss Blog. If possible, go ahead and name the computer something appropriate like “BossBlog” so that your users will only need to enter “http://bossblog” into their browser. Second, download Wamp and the latest version of WordPress. That’s it! You’ve got all the pieces you need to get started!

Come back next week for Part 2 of my Boss Blog post to get step-by-step instructions for installing Wamp, installing WordPress, and configuring your new blog. Time permitting, I’ll include a few themes and plugins to further customize your new Boss Blog!