management
Digital Managing your online PR Richard Naish
work. However, with the rise of the internet and social networking, that is no longer enough. Now they need to be thinking about their website hits, corporate Facebook likes, retweets, blog comments, multiple CVs and LinkedIn recommendations. But how can they manage all this online collateral?
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Controlling digital collateral Most people in business now have some kind of digital footprint. Google’s algorithms are adept at picking up information from different sources with their searches. Googling someone should produce some different pieces of information about them; all put together, it constitutes their digital footprint. Some of this content about an individual will be controllable by that individual (ie their digital collateral) and some may not be. Some of it may be very impressive, but some of may be less so. With no direct boss to regularly review the
consultant’s performance, some of the different bits of content may get out of step with the image/services the consultant wants to promote. For example, they may get so into polishing their blog that their website and LinkedIn profile is left to gather dust and become more and more irrelevant. Change facilitator Jon Harvey decided to do something to help people manage their digital collateral. He did this by setting up half-day workshops for ‘seasoned’ consultants. The aim of the workshops is to help participants revitalise their digital collateral, take a fresh look at their business
n simpler times, a consultant/contractor may have used a CV, a brochure, adverts, mail-shots and referrals to advertise their skills and get new
development plans and exchange ideas on new business opportunities. However, the process is not for the faint-hearted: it involves coming along with your CV/website/ LinkedIn profile and getting some direct but supportive feedback from your peers on the impression that collateral might create in a potential client’s mind. To get everyone in the mood, Harvey works hard to create a relaxed and trusting atmosphere at the outset. He finds people get the best results from the workshop if they are relaxed, positive and open to constructive feedback.
Speed-peer-review The process is effectively ‘speed-peer-reviewing’. After the introduction, the group breaks into pairs. They review each other’s material for a few minutes and then give direct but supportive feedback to each other. After 15 minutes, they reform into different sets of pairs and repeat the process. The advantage of this ‘carousel’ approach is that consultants get at least three different peer reviews of their digital collateral. Clearly, the consultant may discount some bits of feedback they don't agree with if only one reviewer picks up on it, but if a consistent pattern emerges from all the reviews the consultant knows they need to do something about it.
The essential motivation factor E-learning effectiveness studies have shown that while a learner can work though online learning content, unless there is something else to motivate them to action, that learning will not be applied in the workplace. And that means that whatever they do
Most people in business now have some kind of digital footprint. Google’s algorithms are adept at picking up information from different sources with their searches
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manage to learn, will decay rapidly, as Ebbinghaus showed in his famous forgetting curve. For Harvey’s workshop, doing what is needed to win new projects and new clients is the motivation for participants to apply what they have learnt. To break up the sessions, Harvey uses lunch as an opportunity for some agenda-free business conversation. But, as he points out, ‘a good away-day is one where the lunch menu is not the highlight of the day’. Everyone at the workshop goes away with their
own set of action plans for managing their digital collateral. The success factors are that they get unbiased, direct but supportive feedback from their peers, which can be used to move forward. Large corporate organisations use 360-degree feedback (ie feedback from one’s boss, one’s peers and one’s direct reports) to help employees with their personal development. However, the 360-degree approach is a remote
process, and Harvey’s face-to-face event is much more personal, effectively giving participants 180- degree feedback because the feedback comes from peers only. But these peers have a very good idea of what clients want from consultants, and so are able, by proxy, to give a bit more than just 180- degree feedback.
Jamming session Finally, an important success factor is that usually everyone in the workshop has a different skillset. As a result, there is no direct competition between participants and so no fear of disclosing a unique selling point (USP) to competitors. But, as Harvey says, for most consultants there should be no worry about disclosing a USP anyway; otherwise, he says, “Eric Clapton would never have had a jamming session with George Harrison”.
Richard Naish Independent e-learning consultant e.learning age may 2012
seasoning
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