Learning how and when to apply a social media filter was difficult for me at first. Those who know me can confirm that a filter doesn't come naturally to me. That makes me loads of fun at dinner parties, but maintaining a professional image without sacrificing my personality is a challenge.

It only took a few knee-jerk, negative posts for me to learn the importance of that professional filter.

Many young professionals who are responsible for credit union communication are probably like me, journalism school graduates who tend toward quick wit over thoughtful, reserved commentary. That's often the opposite of a CEO's personality, or the professional demeanor seasoned executives develop over the years as they advance in their careers.

That presents a dilemma for credit unions when faced with the decision of whether to maintain a social media presence.

How can a CEO trust that his or her social media specialist won't embarrass the credit union with an inappropriate post?

That was the theme of a conference session I moderated earlier this month. The panel featured three credit union CEOs and the employees in charge of their social media presence.

The real-time nature of social media makes it impossible for a CEO or any senior executive to approve all posts ahead of time. I remember about 15 years ago, when my credit union implemented a 24-hour response time for member issues. At the time, that seemed impossibly fast. Nowadays, members expect an immediate response, even if it's just an acknowledgement the message was received.

The key to real-time social media is a well-defined culture. All three CEOs said they didn't worry about what their relatively young employee posted because all employees fully understand the credit union's culture. That doesn't mean there weren't hiccups along the way, but none of the three ever experienced a post so inappropriate it required disciplinary action; rather, the error was treated as a teaching opportunity.

The three credit unions serve different fields of membership, and as a result, have different cultures. However, all said a positive attitude was an important part of their culture. As a result, all social media posts are expected to be positive to remain consistent with the culture. One credit union promotes a culture of fun, and allows a little snark on social media. Another credit union has a family culture, and expects all posts to communicate that value.

Positivity is a great general rule to follow in social media, especially when posting as a professional. One of the speakers on another panel joked that her husband sometimes asks if he can speak to her Twitter persona instead of his real-life wife, because her tweets are always positive and never critical.

However, most people aren't positive when posting on their personal accounts; in fact, many of them are negative. The polarizing nature of some of this year's presidential candidates is fueling this fire.

Last month, a mortgage loan officer at a $158 million South Carolina credit union was fired after she posted a racial slur on her personal Facebook page. Her Sunday evening post wasn't out of the blue – she responded to an inflammatory post from an activist who vowed to incite violence if Donald Trump were to win the presidential election.

By Monday morning, her response had gone viral, resulting in hundreds of reactive comments on Facebook and a local television station's website. Angry members contacted the credit union, threatening to picket the branch and close their accounts. One local resident even shared a copy of the employee's Facebook post and photo and accused the employee of discriminating against people of color when making lending decisions. That post spread like wildfire through social media and was shared by hundreds of residents.

While some may argue that what an employee does off duty or posts on his or her personal social media account is none of an employer's business, the incident was a textbook example of how personal conduct can harm a company. Despite resistance from the employee and her attorney, the credit union legally fired her, as freedom of speech only prevents the government, not employers, from taking action against speech deemed offensive.

Experts contacted by CU Times advised credit unions to include social media policies in their employee handbooks, specifically advising employees that what they post on their personal accounts could result in disciplinary action.

According to our poll, about half of credit union respondents have social media policies that cover this. The other half do not.

Interestingly, when I asked my conference panelists if they have social media policies, they all said no.

Once again, a well-defined culture was the answer. All credit unions vet employees during the interview process, weeding out those who post inappropriate content on social media or possess personalities that suggest they might. Additionally, all new employees are well educated about the credit union culture during the onboarding process, and not only do these credit unions make it clear that they expect an employee's behavior on social media to reflect the credit union's positive culture, all employee behavior on or off the clock should.

Regardless of whether it's 9 a.m. or 9 p.m., members consider the employee to be a representative of the credit union, one CEO observed.

The incident in South Carolina supports that.

This trend isn't limited to financial institutions. Colleges have started reviewing the social media posts of student athletes, rejecting those who, despite athletic ability, show an inability to positively represent the university in public.

It presents a challenge for Generations Y and Z, who possess social media savvy, but lack soft skills and often shock executives when they voice dissent that borders on insubordination.