The conversation with a co-worker was simple enough. Knowing that I’m more than a digital-dabbler, she posed the question, “where do you go to keep up to date on the latest in digital”. I rattled off a few resources then said I’ll send you a list.

When I really started pondering it, the list [...]]]>

The conversation with a co-worker was simple enough. Knowing that I’m more than a digital-dabbler, she posed the question, “where do you go to keep up to date on the latest in digital”. I rattled off a few resources then said I’ll send you a list.

When I really started pondering it, the list just kept growing and growing.

It includes online publications, websites, blogs, people. I’ll detail a number of them here in a future post for your reference.

But, the more I thought about it, the more I kept coming back to the simplest of answers. When asked the question “where do you go to keep up to date on the latest in digital?” What I should have said then and am definitely saying now is, “I go to the latest in digital.”

You can read and intellectually digest all you want around the latest digital developments (and I certainly encourage you to do so), but the real learning, the intimate knowledge, the true understanding comes from actually using these tools.  Trying them on for size, going through the growing pains of determining what they can and can’t do, seeing how they connect, what happens in the background, coming up with your own ideas on how to improve them or finding new uses for them is where the real learning happens.

I wholeheartedly believe that to gain a real understanding (and vast appreciation for) digital tools you have to jump in, roll up your sleeves, observe a little, play a lot and learn even more. Like most things in life, you can only learn so much from sitting on the sidelines.

So, if you want to learn the digital basics on through to the latest in digital developments, you’re going to have to “do digital”.

Questions of the day:

What digital tools have you tried lately? What have been your observations? What would you recommend trying and why?

For more than a year now I’ve been working in Credit Union land. My responsibilities include managing a team of marketing and communications, design and digital professionals.

Given I didn’t inherit a full team, I’ve spent a great deal of the past year recruiting and interviewing for various roles. Of these, [...]]]>

Walk the walk

For more than a year now I’ve been working in Credit Union land. My responsibilities include managing a team of marketing and communications, design and digital professionals.

Given I didn’t inherit a full team, I’ve spent a great deal of the past year recruiting and interviewing for various roles. Of these, three of the eight hires were for digital roles.

I cannot begin to tell you how astounded I was when I’d receive a candidate’s resume for a digital role, I’d read it then immediately turn to Google, type in their name and find….nothing. I’d add more descriptive information gleaned from their resume, and still come up empty.

Where was the digital footprint? Where were the blogs, the tweets, the websites, the YouTube videos or flickr photos? Where were the micro sites? the podcasts? the comments on others’ blogs? Where were the examples of their own personal SEO? I pondered how it was that candidates could claim to understand and guide the development of tools they themselves did not use, let alone demonstrate mastery of?

There were countless times when I received CV’s for these digital roles with not a hyperlink to be found? Where were the digital resumes? Where were YouTube videos instead of cover letters? Where were the LinkedIn profiles for heaven’s sake? So often they just weren’t there.

But, in a few rare cases, they did make a refreshing appearance. They stood out. They allowed me, the hiring manager, to take a glimpse into how the candidate thought, how they approached the challenges of sharing or organising information, to see what they created or the possibilities that they identified.

A good communications person learns early that what you do screams so loud that it often drowns out what you say. You learn the incredible power of show over tell.

So, here’s a little tip for those pursuing digital roles – use the tools you purport to be expert in – make them part of your job search. Don’t be afraid to be innovative and try something new in presenting your skills and experience. Show how these new digital tools can be used to challenge the job hunt status quo – consider how they can be the springboard for change – ask yourself how your digital skills might be able to add another dimension to the CV, cover letter, portfolio and the interview discussions.

I can tell you that these efforts do get noticed. Walking the walk, does give you a competitive advantage.

Not sure whether to believe me? Just ask those digital folks who made it on to my team. I’ll let you in on a little something – some even had the job before I had ever met them in person!

Questions of the day?

What interesting tools, techniques, approaches have you seen used by applicants? What was the most creative job search technique you’ve employed?

As stated in their history,

TED was born in 1984 out of the observation by Richard Saul Wurman of a powerful convergence between Technology, Entertainment and Design. [...]]]> What’s the consummate conference experience? TED of course.  TED has become synonymous with innovation, inspiration. It thrills and inspires audiences around the world to join in the conversation.

As stated in their history,

TED was born in 1984 out of the observation by Richard Saul Wurman of a powerful convergence between Technology, Entertainment and Design. The first TED included demos of the newly released Macintosh computer and Sony compact disc, while mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot demonstrated how to map coastlines with his newly discovered fractals and AI guru Marvin Minsky outlined his powerful new model of the mind.

This year’s conference is next week and its theme is what the world needs now… I know what you’re thinking, the song is running through my head too,but it’s more than love, sweet love. What the world needs now is …ideas, creativity and innovation. There’s too little of those things too!

I’ve never attended TED in person, but it is on my bucket list.  However, I have experienced it through the resulting podcasts, their online presence and others who share in its appeal. I’ve witnessed the magic of TED speakers who have moved me to action, brought me to tears or lead me to a greater understanding or appreciation of things, events or concepts. I hold this conference up as the yardstick for all conferences.

Pssst…all you in the conference business… there are lessons here to be learned here if you’d just invest the time to learn them.

Firstly, perhaps you can glean a little something from the winning TED recipe that includes:

• a basic premise and fundamental goal (to present “Ideas worth spreading”),
• the adherence to a consistent format from year to year and around the globe,
• a line-up of superior quality of speakers where the magic is in their diversity (perspectives from industries including; medicine, government, technology, philanthropy, media, science, music, marketing, just to name a few), and
• talks that are all, in one way or another, inspiring, innovative and revolutionary.

As a result, the demand to attend and to speak at TED is staggering. It has become annual global phenomenon. Why wouldn’t it? These “ideas worth spreading” ignite innovation, stir passion, inspire action and evolve the conversation to a higher level.

So, listen up all you conference organizers, regardless of what industries, geographies, or topics your conferences cover, you can borrow a page from TED.

First off, define your purpose, test your ingredients, aim high and develop the winning recipe that will accomplish it.  There are a plethora of goals that you’ll want it to achieve  with your conference (from gaining visibility, facilitating member networking, providing value to the membership, recognizing and advancing the profession, to, yes, MAKING MONEY!) so spend time defining them. Set clear objectives. And do this in SMART terms.

And, if MAKING MONEY is a priority, why not take another lesson from TED. In addition to creating a fabulous conference experience, why not add your own version of the latest TED offering of  The Associate Membership Program.

They are offering a discounted conference fee for those who can’t actually make it to the conference, but want to share the experience of TED as it unfolds with a group of associates, family, or friends of their choosing.

It has always been my belief that there are tremendous untapped revenue streams that can be easily applied to conferences of all topics, geographies and sizes, with a little pre-planning and vision, some tech-savvy support and sound strategic marketing (ahem, here’s the shameless plug).

Why, when so many of  you conference organizers are clamoring to get butts in seats and create decent revenue streams from these events they spend months (and sometimes years) planning, you aren’t also embracing innovative ways of extending the conference conversation, is beyond my bottom line focused comprehension.

One thing I think the world needs now is flexibility that will open us up to consider other options for accomplishing our goals, to broaden our vision and our minds and lead us into doing new things in new ways. I guess that’s why I think that what the world needs now….is also… TED.

Questions of the day

Have you attended TED? Viewed a TEDTalk? What are your favourites? How did the experience change you?

What Matters Now is the latest free  e-book from Seth Godin and friends -it’s provocative, insightful, inspiring and just plain powerful!

Download it, read it, live it….just trust me on this…this IS what matters now.

Tips for Building your Networking Muscle

Using LinkedIn is a Little like Going to the Gym – 7 Tips for Building your Networking Muscle We’ve all heard about it, we know it’s good for us, but how many of us really use [...]]]> A recent article I provided for the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA)

Tips for Building your Networking Muscle

Using LinkedIn is a Little like Going to the Gym – 7 Tips for Building your Networking Muscle

We’ve all heard about it, we know it’s good for us, but how many of us really use it? It might surprise you to know that only 4% of PRIA’s membership has actually joined the official PRIA group on LinkedIn. So, are you on LinkedIn but haven’t yet joined the LinkedIn PRIA group or are you just not on LinkedIn at all?

LinkedIn, the business-oriented social networking site founded in December 2002, launched in May 2003 is mainly used for professional networking. As of February 2009, it had more than 35 million registered users, spanning 170 industries.

LinkedIn relies heavily on user profiles, but what makes for a strong profile? Are you still a little unsure about how to best to flex the power of LinkedIn for your own networking needs? Here are some tips to building some LinkedIn muscle and creating a powerful profile:

1. Be there – spend the time to actually create a profile, make it public sharing its details in full view.

2. Ensure your profile is complete – add a recent photo, list all your relevant details, including past jobs, associations, contact information, accomplishments. Provide the details that will make it easy for people to find and learn about you. As you build your profile you can actually gauge your completion status through the handy status bar.

3. Link your profile to your other websites – show a link to your current employer, if you write a blog, ensure you’ve listed the link for that too – and, where possible, make these links reciprocal by including your LinkedIn icon/button within your standard contact details.

4. Provide meaningful status updates regularly – if you have just received a promotion, your company has launched a new product, secured a new client, or you recently received a new certification or joined a new group, association, share this news with your network.

5. Write referrals for the great people you’ve worked with. And don’t forget to ask for some in return (a bit of shameless self promotion here is okay). Public referrals carry extra weight, especially when you can easily look into the background of those providing them.

6. Join the various industry groups and participate in those you actually join – add some value, share resources, make comments, share your connections, don’t be a hoarder or a passive observer sitting quietly on the sidelines – that’s just not in the spirit of social networking.

7. Proactively expand your network by using the Search People Feature to find key contacts and by regularly scanning the People you may know and the Just joined LinkedIn sections. Then reach out to the people from your past, even if it’s been a while.

Once you’ve created a profile you’re happy with, the next step is to investigate the LinkedIn applications to determine which will be useful to you in meeting your networking needs. Hopefully these tips will help to strengthen your profile and maximise your personal LinkedIn experience. Using LinkedIn is a little like going to the gym – the earlier you start, the better. And, the more often you visit, the more you’ll get out of it!

Good luck and we’ll see you online. Now, about joining that PRIA LinkedIn group… (psst…see #6)

Question of the Day

Are you on LinkedIn? Why or why not? Do you have a LinkedIn experience to share?