IABC Café

I couldn’t believe the choices we had on Wednesday morning for the All-Star Sessions–or that I had to actually make a choice. I wanted to attend about four of the sessions based on their subject matter and/or presenter.

I left my original first choice session shortly after it began, because the content seemed to be more basic than I originally thought. (I’m not going to say which session it was, because I’m not going to insult the presenter or the people who stayed.)

I then followed the muffin and coffee trail to the Monroe Conference Room, where I heard the majority of a presentation regarding employee engagement, delivered by Susan Suver of Arrow Electonics, Inc. I had been working with my company’s IT leadership to address employee engagement-related issues, so the topic was very timely.

Susan proved to be a very gifted speaker, providing a great mix of data, real-life examples and tips, based on her successes at Arrow Electronics. Arrow had grown through mergers and acquisitions into a profitable business that never addressed the need to address the issues of differing company cultures when companies were acquired. Business took a downturn, and Arrow found itself needing to face the issue of employee engagement to regain long-term profitability and a positive forward direction.

Measurements and surveys have become a fact of life at Arrow. Susan pointed out the need to survey just as frequently when things are not going well, as when the company is prospering. She described some tactics for dealing with negative views from employees–particularly from those employees who are influencers within the organization.

I’m wrapping up my coverage of the IABC International Conference with a couple of session recaps.

On Tuesday morning, I attended the Business Breakfast 2, “Communication Leaders or Luddites,” led by Tudor Williams, ABC, MC. I chose to attend this session because 1) I had never met Tudor before–although I’ve known of his communication consulting expertise for years, and 2) Anytime you mention Luddites, you get my attention.

Luddites rioted in Britain in the early 1800s, resisting the advances of technology. Although we are not rioting today, many communicators are clinging to old familiar ways of communicating, rather than exploring new communications choices.

I’m the communication analyst for the IT Department of VW Credit, Inc., which makes me more interested than some in discussions of how to balance the love of technology with the basics of communication. Tudor addressed that balance in an engaging presentation that included discussions of what has, and has not, changed in communications.

He started his presentation by holding up that day’s newspaper, pointing to an article describing a recent Supreme Court decision involving communications. “Even today, we have people who are questioning the role of technology in communications, and who are framing the discussion of what we can and cannot do,” he said.

Tudor spent some time tracing the history of communications, pointing out that in the “old days” (a decade ago or longer), messages were sender-driven and owner-controlled. The sender decided when to communicate and which audience(s) would receive the message. With the advent of the Internet, email and other forms of instant, independent communication, information today is receiver-driven and largely uncontrolled by the originator.

What hasn’t changed in communication, according to Tudor? 1) Face-to-face communications is still the most effective form of communication, and 2) People love toys.

Our love of toys is driving the adoption of new technology and communication channels such as blogs and wickis, he said. Four areas where technology is changing communication strategy are:
1) Immediacy
2) Integration
3) Access
4) Collaboration.

Prior to the IABC Conference, I had never blogged, and I used this opportunity to become familiar with that new communication option. My decision was in line with Tudor’s advice to the audience at his breakfast session. He said we communicators should be change agents for communication channels, gaining understanding and then offering advice to our customers regarding effective choices.

I sent an email to Russell Grossman (IABC conference presenter and blogger) to check on him following the terrorist bombings in London. He agreed to let me post his reply to let everyone know that he is ok.

From: Russell Grossman
Sent: Friday, July 08, 2005 2:07 AM
To: Keefe, Tom
Subject: London Transport Emergency

Tom, thanks for the thought.

Was a very busy day as we brought our full emergency plan and comms into operation. We continued into the night. As people are so dependent on the Tube in London we had to provide help for thousands of staff stranded at work. Also for people on rota getting in etc.

But we have practised this a number of times in drills every 6 months since 9-11 - we’ve been expecting something like this to happen for a bit. Thankfully it’s not ‘dirty’ bombs. That’s the real worrier.

The 38 dead and many more injured is terrible, of course but every time this sort of thing happens more lingering is the fear of using the system period kicks in with many people.

My daughter was caught on a stuck tube yesterday but she’s OK thankfully but now more wary of using the system.

Russell