Although the session had an agenda, it suffered from the following issues:

1. Long sessions for each subject  – I could see the expressions on peoples faces, gasping for a water!
2. No time-outs
3. Simplistic use of note taking, for example: A list of issues parked on route on one flipchart rather than using consolidating techniques such as 6 hat or Yellow Post it. NB Over 26 attendees sat in a u-shape room layout and the room was very stuffy after the first hour.
4. Very quick introductions
5. Limited context outlined for the event
6. Other attendees who appeared as interested parties rather than main contributors
7. Loose agenda
8. Strategic importance not communicated
9. A dominance of resolution passing by a large number of supplier attendees
10. Low interaction between the attendees

The two latter items were of most concern. For example, at one point a resolution was agreed regarding the provision of data entities for the deaf. It emerged at the end of the workshop day that the attending representative of the deaf medical team felt shy about contributing. Maybe it was the facilitators responsibility or the structure of the day that contributed to this failing. Or, was it because sometimes people can feel it easier to communicate discretely!? Consider how vocal some people are by email and when you meet them in-person, they are as sweet as pie! It is almost as if they have a different personality or feel more liberated to speak their mind with the protection of the machine in sight, especially if you set-up a masked identification.

Using Twitter  could be one way of bringing greater contributions from the range of personalities in attendance at a typical project or discussion workshop, training session, classroom or website / development / test feedback session / webinar / discussion panel / public meeting.

A practical example can be reviewed here.

Twitter can support

Remote monitoring in the classroom or project workshop session – project #tags via a white board in the classroom
Remote monitoring for distance learners / Attendees – (see below for a list of on line tools)
Opening up discussion to students who would be reluctant to participate.
Collated writing notes can be posted later

The following on line resources can prove invaluable for getting people to engage either in public or via a protected name.

What the Trend?: Learn about what tags are currently trendy – suitable for research

Twubs: Aggregates tweets and imports pictures to help illuminate the topics being discussed.

Hashtags.org: Great at showing you its use over time and recent tweets.

Tagalus: A dictionary for hashtags.

However, is there not a danger that without proper policing/moderation it could be vehicle for spammers delight?!

For corporate testing of view-point / gaining instant feedback it will be extremely useful.

It is clearly early days as Facebook have recently announced a concept called an ‘inlay’, i.e: As a user you can view links shared in the Facebook newspage in the context of your friends.

The power offered by Sidewiki is that now potentially every webpage has become social.
To avoid chaos I suggest the need to develop procedures, moderation/monitoring panels, roles with escalation policies and published Net-etiquette.

It would therefore come in handy if you could be on demand, after office hours. In such a competitive business environment being on call for customers whenever they have an enquiry would improve your business status, customer loyalty and your company’s reputation of quality customer service.

To access and respond to customers demands off office hours would require an increase in the necessity of a mobile workforce. To meet the needs of both businesses wanting to meet customer needs and customers seeking round the clock service, SAP and Research In Motion (RIM) have developed a mobile customer relationship management (CRM) application for the Blackberry.

The SAP CRM application uses Blackberry applications, such as e-mail, address book and calendar, to deliver mobile CRM data for sales people, customer services, field services and marketing.

Applications such as this benefits both the business and the customers, where the employees can meet the needs of customers on the go , whether outside the office or otherwise, boasting customer relations.

However though there are many positive impacts of having CRM application on your phone, which can help your business/ organisation to sky-rocket, there are also the negative drawbacks to having such an application. A very common disadvantage in having a CRM application on your phone may be, though you are available for customers out of the office, this may also cut into personal time which may cause a slight annoyance.

Especially in this currect financial climate, businesses need to hold on to the current customers that they have so that through them and the service provided they can attract new customers and build on a reliable business reputaion. Though small applications such as this can make a big different in the direction of a company and the reputation that it carries.

We’ve been busy putting the final touches to the site, it has been put off on a few occasions, just to ensure it is more consumer friendly and has a much greater accessibility.

The website has been redesigned to make it easier to use and understand the services that we offer, how you can use these services to advance your business or organization and how we can help you in doing this.

The new site our team have been working on now includes our four main areas of expertise which our business engages in, Audio, Video, e-Learning and Web Development and Training. Under each main heading we further branch off into sub-sections, giving a detailed outline of the different types of features that each main topic will contain (ie Audio – Audio Podcast), and how we can help you in developing each area for your organization according to your specification.

We’d love to hear what you think about the new site – so any and all comments are welcome.
To subscribe and listen, head for i-tunes or listen now by clicking on the play button below:

The wonderful featured music is courtesy of the amazing Travis Vega

Interestingly, the points I made then are relevant today in the context of product selection. i.e: Categorising the type of programme activity and ensuring that management are onboard.  NB The original article was published in the periodicals: Project Management Today and TrainingZone.co.uk.

Recently, I’ve been looking into formulating a consistent approach to customised development of eLearning. The following table represents a six part approach, allowing for a greater period of refinement once a prototype has been delivered. The emphasis in the latter stage is to assure acceptance and role of eLearning, especially in when it is being established as a complementary and supportive tool. 

• Stage 1 : Analysis & Familiarisation : Document findings, i.e: A critical review of current environment and suggestions for improvement.
• Stage 2: Planning : Initial Storyboard release, i.e: Documenting project and specification : Inc: Agreed Acceptance criteria for stage 6b
• Stage 3a: Instructional Design Review : Module structure, i.e: Extending work from Stage 1, this stage involves verifying feasibility of suggested pedagogy
• Stage 3b: Build prototype : Build Modules, i.e: The prototype is installed and configured typically on a server
• Stage 4: Storyboard finalisation : Subject Matter expert full support & sign-off, i.e: Validation with subject matter experts and suggesting interactive approaches to reduce lead time to production.
• Stage 5: Enhancement cycle, Feedback recording, actioning and associated release management
• Stage 6a: Review, i.e: A chance for all parties to view and comment on changes with a pre-defined focus group, make changes based on recommendations and then, ‘go live’
• Stage 6b: Final Sign-off, i.e: based on final review and independent testing

This week we look at the benefits of documenting at using Corporate Podcasting as an aid to developing effective Information Technology solutions. We consider, for example:

- How social networks can be adapted and made useful in the business analysis stage
- How a corporate podcasting can be included for project updates, especially during a pilot stage
- How users can upload files, e.g: feedback on screen designs to a single invitation only private social network

Feedback is welcome, as always.

In part 1 We look at effective strategies for implementing e-Learning programmes

Part 2 outlines the concept of Content Remediation and associated project tips.

The latter, Content Remediation is an interesting area as it involves re-visting your corporate content, for example, if new compliance training is required, when corporate competencies change or even when a company has to change due to a takeover or merger.

Feedback, as always, is most welcome.

- Developing an effective Podcast for business (inc: The many Ps of Corporate Podcasting)
- Key Production techniques (inc: getting the right equipment, cost of ownership, archiving standards and effective engagement techniques).
- Corporate Communication Strategies (inc: Boundary scanning and lobbying techniques)
- Phonecast and Monetizing your Podcast
- Utilising the Power of Web 2.0 for business
- The benefits of Open source solutions
- eLearning & eInduction Integration Strategies (learning how standards like SCORM actually function and why many organisations adopt an Learning Management system).

It is worth reviewing their catalogue for an initial outline and outcomes specification for each course.

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