iPad's Flatterers
That didn't take long. In its first 80 days on the market, Apple sold
three million iPads. Now other technology companies are announcing
their tablet devices. Microsoft announced a Windows 7 slate device. Blackberry is feverishly working on bringing a BlackTab to market. Dell Streak launched last month. And Cisco debuted its Cius last month.
 The Cisco Cius
Photo Credit: Cisco Wisely, Cisco created a device for use in the business enterprise, its stronghold. CEO John Chambers demonstrated the Cius at Cisco Live 2010,
showing how it can improve the classroom experience. Pretty smart. Get
kids hooked on this gateway device early and make them dependent as
newcomers to the workplace.
Aside from the entertainment value of this technology trend, the "me
too" products swiftly entering the market confirm our early prediction
that iPad would change the way people communicate. Thanks to iPad,
Facebook and our Flip camera, Mike and I kept family and friends updated
on our travels through Paris during the last week of June. Consumer
communication is immediate, personal and portable. Business
communication ultimately will be the same.
In this issue of Dialog, read how a "technosaur" got
acclimated to her iPad and see how readers ranked the top seven "soft"
skills for new hires. Be sure to read the item on Gen Y's preferred
communication channel. Then think about the kinds of tools your
executives and employees need to stay connected now.
Best,
Jill
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First, Remove the Shrink Wrap
She uses a flip phone for personal calls and is one of the few people
she knows who doesn’t own an iPod. Meet Colleen Ferguson, a
self-proclaimed "technology dinosaur" by today’s ever-changing
device-driven standards. As Director of Employee Communications for
Northrop Grumman Corporation in Los Angeles, California, Colleen is like
many Baby Boomer communication leaders. She's a slow adopter of the
latest new technologies for herself, but sees both the business need and
social advantage for doing it. In May, Colleen won the brand-new iPad
Vitiello Communications Group raffled off at the Council of
Communication Management Conference in Philadelphia. This month, we
asked Colleen how she likes the device that's grabbing market share and mind share.
Dialog: How did you become comfortable using the iPad?
Colleen: With the help of my staff—a couple of savvy
Gen Xers who couldn’t believe I let it sit unopened for even one day.
They couldn’t wait to get their hands on the device, and more
importantly, to get my hands on it and using it. I admit, I was
impressed when they simply turned it to change the view from portrait to
landscape. Very cool. They immediately sent me off to the Apple store
to "accessorize" it with case and earphones.
Dialog: How do you see the iPad fitting into your life?
Colleen: The first thing that intrigues me is the
size—more substantial than a Blackberry, sleeker than a laptop. I see it
being great for people who struggle with the Blackberry key pad and
small type. I will use the iPad for photos, travel apps, and personal
email. I'm also interested in reading books and newspapers on the device
and using it for music in place of the iPod I’ve yet to purchase. It's
not great for drafting long documents because the touch screen key pad
doesn't function like a keyboard—so it couldn’t replace my laptop.
Dialog: Why not use your new iPad at work?
Colleen: In our company the technology we use is
clearly delineated, and the iPad is not currently on the list in terms
of general IT support. Information security also is a factor here,
especially in our role as a government contractor. All U.S. businesses
are potential targets for cyber attacks, and linking personal technology
devices to our internal information system could be hazardous for the
company in this regard. By the way, communications professionals are
often targeted by industry cyber spies because our names are "out there"
as company contacts.
Dialog: What impact will iPad have on business given those restrictions?
Colleen: I think it’s too soon to tell. From a
corporate use point of view, I would still need my laptop to get work
done, but the size and portability of the iPad make it very attractive
for certain applications. Right now, its value is largely entertainment.
I'm just getting started, but believe me—my minimal exposure has
nothing to do with my enthusiasm. You've done a wonderful thing—winning
the iPad has placed me squarely into a whole new realm, and I’m
thrilled. I’m looking forward to being truly proficient on this. Please
check back with me again in a few months and I'll let you know how I'm
doing.
Help Colleen learn how to use her iPad—and share your wisdom with the world. Visit our VTLO blog to post comments and suggestions that will encourage Colleen to become a super-user.
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Survey: Top Seven Soft Skills for New Hires
The June issue of Dialog focused on recent grads. In it, we
provided some encouragement to Gen Yers coming out of school and into
the workforce. For seasoned professionals who will be bringing these
fresh-faced, but savvy hordes into our workplaces, we included some tips
on how to engage them.
The issue prompted one reader, a communication leader at a
university, to write us. He said, "As professionals, we owe our next
generation…our time and wisdom. We should extend an offer of guidance
and support. Thank you for including a new graduate outreach in your top
messages." We say, "You're welcome and amen to that!"
As part of that outreach, we asked readers to rank seven top job
skills. Thanks to all who took the time to offer their opinions.
Congratulations to Barbara Willis, Global Internal Communications, Merck, for winning the promised $25 Barnes & Noble gift card. Here's what you thought:
Of the seven (which many pointed out were all important), the top three were:
- Attitude: A positive, can-do attitude that shows appropriate
confidence without arrogance or false bravado; energetic and
self-motivated; agreeable temperament; easy to get along with.
- Communication Skills: Ability to express thoughts clearly in
speaking or writing; understand that all email is subject to scrutiny;
use appropriate language for business situations (no cursing).
- Teachability: Able to take direction and follow through on an
assignment; able to accept constructive criticism and apply it to
finished work; demonstrate the ability to learn new concepts, listen to
others' opinions.
Right in the middle was:
- Teamwork: Contribute to the group; complete assignments to best of
ability and on time; give credit where it is due; share the spotlight;
celebrate the success of all members of the team; willing to take on
tedious or tough tasks; put in the hours without complaining.
Coming in as lower priorities were:
- Business Manners: Arrive to work and to meetings on time; pay
attention during group discussions whether on the phone, online or in
person; dress and behave appropriately for the workplace.
- Common Courtesy: Say "please," "thank you," and "excuse me;" use an
attentive tone when speaking on the phone or face-to-face; be
respectful of others and the company.
- Social Skills: Genuine smile; firm handshake; appropriate eye
contact; ability to carry on a conversation; no texting or dozing off in
meetings.
In addition to these seven, readers contributed a few more: Show a
natural curiosity; approach your job with dedication; be a change
agent—thoughtfully challenging the status quo with new solutions.
We asked our intern, Scott Slotkin, a Gen Yer, to provide his perspective on these results.
Scott says: "I was very surprised to see a firm handshake, being on
time and saying 'please' and 'thank you' at the bottom of the list. I
know all of these skills are important. Now that I have this
information, I can see that hiring managers are looking for employees
who have a great attitude, bring creativity to the job, and have the
ability to learn from others in the workplace. I’ll still be on time for
interviews, but also I'll remember to demonstrate the top-rated
skills."
The Wonder Years
At VCG, we've been writing and talking about teenagers as the
harbingers of communications change. Recently, Facebook COO Sheryl
Sandberg told the business people in the audience at Nielsen 360: "In
consumer technology, if you want to know what people like us will be
doing tomorrow, you look at what teenagers are doing today.
The latest research shows that only eleven percent of teenagers email
daily. Instead they SMS (that's short message service) and increasingly
use social networking. Email is going away."
Sure, she has a big stake in that trend. And she has a valid point.
If email is a Gen Xer, then Facebook is a teen. Social media and the
technology that supports it are in their formative stages—the wonder
years of growth and development. While social media hasn't yet permeated
the enterprise as an internal communication tool, it has made
tremendous headway in the external space. We're watching for the
application that will allow Gen Y employees to communicate and
collaborate at work in the way that's natural for them. For now, they
use email grudgingly—just as we Baby Boomers used the buck slip. Do
those exist anymore?
Keep your eye on SMS. Text messaging may grow in importance as a
business communication tool. It helped elect Barack Obama as president
of the United States. And now a Pew Research study, Teens and Mobile Phones,
shows that teens text more often than they talk. One in three teens
sends more than 100 text messages a day or 3,000 a month. According to
the data, two-thirds of teen texters are more likely to use their cell
phones to text their friends than to talk to them.
Note to parents: Buy the text plan.
Note to business communicators: short messages to PDAs may be the
best way to reach a young, mobile workforce. Think about incorporating
this channel into your communications mix if your company supplies
employees with smart phones.
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