Comm Comm

Impossible to Ignore

In a New York Times article reporting on Forrester Research stats http://tinyurl.com/nlxdrn, the reporter writes, "Time waster or not, social media are a phenomemon that is now nearly impossible to ignore."

I agree, but would drop the 'nearly' from the comment.  The Forrester stats show 50% of adults visiting social network sites at least monthly.  In my world, the number is even higher.  In a show-of-hands survey in my communication course that just started at SFSU, that number was 100%.  The social sites are a mode of communication so popular that they seem to be replacing much of the phone communication I used when I was in college.

The other Forrester stats are also interesting. Percent of adults who read blogs is 39%, contribute to forums and discussion groups is 23%, review products or services 19%, listen to podcasts 16%, publish, maintain or update a blog 12%, use RSS feeds 9%, and contribute to article in a WIKI 5%.

The contributing content side of these stats are telling of a cultural communication shift.  In my SFSU classroom, other than social networking, the number of students who contribute online is relatively low (10%).  But it is the increase in contributing to this 'impossible to ignore' phenomenon that will have the greatest effect on change.

Sharing my traffic data

I happen to love it when I am stuck in traffic and I can see just how long I will be stuck by looking at Google Maps on my iPhone.  Therefore I am more that willing to share my data back with the rest of you who may also be stuck.  Google is now offering arterial traffic data.  http://tinyurl.com/mhz7nk
The trick is, the data is coming from you and I and all the others who are using the mobile Google maps service.  As we travel, we are sending our speed and location back to Google and that is being used in aggregate to map traffic patterns.

Now some people may not like this data capturing device, and they can opt out of the feature.  But Google has privacy features that make me, and many others, feel safe in sharing our data.  For example, vehicles are anonymous and start and end points are deleted so even anonymous vehicles can't be tracked.  I hope Google's privacy efforts make enough of us feel secure so that there is sufficient data to make the service effective.  Then we all will be sitting in traffic less often.

Fed Bank "Barnstorming" Communication

Bernanke is taking a different approach to communication as chair of the Federal Reserve.  According to a NY Times article today, Bernake is "Barnstorming".  He is actively communicating with the public about the purpose and the strategies of the central bank.  He has appeared on 60 Minutes and hosted a town hall forum on Kansas, MO.

I welcome this new 'open' communication and think it is beneficial to the American people.  Transpancy is a must for regain trust and educating people on the process will also help.  True, he may be politically motivated since his term is up in January, but regardless of the motive, the benefit of open communication is still there.

An Answer for Everyone

Forbes covered news from the TED conference http://tinyurl.com/nu772x
on a project called QuestionBox supported by the Grameen Foundation and OpenMind.

QuestionBox is Google for developing nations. It is accessed by mobile phone and allows people in remote ares to ask questions "about weather, history, science, whatever they want."

What a fabulous way to open up communication and increase knowledge across the globe.  We get so spoiled jumping on the Internet and getting our most random questions answered.  It is wonderful that this privilege is being extended to people all over the world who don't yet have access to laptops and high-speed Internet connections.

Spinning Statistics & Patience Please

The Washington Post-ABC News poll showed that Obama's approval ratings on key issues are slipping.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/19/AR2009071902176.html?wpisrc=newsletter

My response, is  two fold

1. The media gets to spin the statistics however they want
2. We need to be patient because it was our need for instant gratification that got us in to this mess.

"Barely more than half approve of the way he is handling unemployment . . "  could have been written, more that half of America supports the way Obama is handling unemployment.  And the comment "On health care, the poll, conducted by telephone Wednesday through Saturday, found that a majority of Americans (54 percent) approve of the outlines of the legislation now heading toward floor action." could have changed the headline to a positive support headline.  But these particular reporters decided on a negative spin -- which probably will attract more attention.

Speak of attention.  We all need to work on expanding our attention spans and practicing patience.  It is America's need for instant gratification -- wanting the house we couldn't quite afford, banks using leverage to make more money now while pushing the risk to later -- that is part of the problem.  It can't be fixed overnight.  And, as Obama is constantly communicating, we all need to be part of the solution. Part of that is having patience.  I know it is hard when you are out of a job or making a lot less money than before.  But, if we give up hope 6 months into the presidential term, it is only going to get worse.

Sotomayer: Two Sides of the Same (Good) Coin

During the confirmation hearings of Judge Sonia Sotomayer those opposed to her nomination are claiming that she will judge cases based on gender and ethnicity.  She keeps defending that she will rule by law. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/15/us/politics/15confirm.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

 First, good for her for staying so consistent in her messages.  Second, the sides are arguing about either/or, when it is really both.  It is not either she rules by gender and ethnicity or she rules by law. She will rule by both because it impossible to separate. Every human comes as a package -- a cultural and experiential bundle -- that influences all of their decisions and their communication. 

Sotomayer's background will influence her decisions, just like every other judge is influenced by their own background.  At the same time, she will follow the law in her rulings, just like other capable judges.  That is not a bad thing.  It is actually just two sides to the same coin.

In the communication class I teach at San Francisco state we discuss the fact that a human cannot disconnect from their cultural background and life experiences as the interact with the world.  We also discuss that being mindful of what you bring into your interactions, greatly improves your ability to assimilate others' points of view and expand your experiences. 

One coin, two sides -- I think Sotomayer will make good choices that will positively influence the world.  Of course, that statement is influenced by my own culture, gender, and background . . . .

Pitching VCs Reminder Tips

The WSJ published an article on perfecting the pitch to venture capitalists this morning.  It is all stuff we've heard before and I've been coaching for years, but it is a good reminder.  http://tinyurl.com/mkw84r

Since the WSJ seems to be the one paper that refuses to join the rest and offer their content for free, I will summarize the article for those who don't have a subscription.  The article offers 4 areas of tips: 

"Modesty Doesn't Pay"
"Tell it to Mom"
"Don't Play with the Numbers"
"Stay on the Radar"

Modesty doesn't pay is a reminder that what you are selling to the VC is yourself and your team.  Sure the business idea has to be good, but the team has to be able to execute on the idea for the VC to invest.  Tell it to mom is about keeping your pitch simple enough that your mom can understand.  Of course, you need to be prepared to dive deep if the VCs ask questions, but the first communication of the concept and your business plan needs to be simple. Don't play with the numbers is about establishing credibility by accurately depicting your market opportunity.  Stay on the radar is about following up and working to build a relationship with the VC, even if the answer is no to the investment.

My favorite quote from the article comes from Mr. Brotman of Greenhil SAVP in New York.  "A pitch is like going on a date," he says.  A lot of entrepreneurs don't introduce themselves.  They might give you a name and a business card; other times they'll go straight to the pitch.  That's like going on a date and saying, 'Let's get it on.'"

Of course, the best piece of advice is to practice the pitch before the VC meetings.  I have heard from many VCs that they can tell the coherency of the team based on the first presentation -- and that coherency comes from practicing the presentation as a team.

Needle in a Haystack

An article in today's NY Times reports that intelligence wire tapping of Americans did not aid in the thwarting of terrorist activity (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/11/us/11nsa.html?_r=1&th&emc=th).
Quotes from the article:

"Most intelligence officials interviewed “had difficulty citing specific instances” when the National Security Agency’s wiretapping program contributed to successes against terrorists, the report said."

". . . intelligence leads that came from the wiretapping operation were often “vague or without context,” the report said."

But, of course.  What did we expect? I don't have a full understanding of the speech recognition and data mining technology markets, but I know enough to believe that randomly wire tapping Americans in search of terrorist-related communication is like searching for a needle in a haystack.  Too much data and not efficient enough technology to handle the job of broad search-and-seek. 

The-get-a-warrant-then-wire-tap is a better process because it applies human judgment at the front end and then uses technology to assist.  Not to mention it provides a level of rights and protection to citizens.

Now that we've spent tax dollars interviewing "about 200 government and private-sector personnel" to determine the program was not efficient, we can go back to respecting rights and following law. 

“While former Bush administration officials continue to argue that their policies made the country safer,” said Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, “I believe this report shows that their obsession with secrecy and their refusal to accept oversight was actually harmful to U.S. national security, not to mention the privacy rights of law-abiding Americans.”

Mind Maps for Visual Communication

"I suspect that the reason mind maps works so well is that they engage your visual intelligence and provide a way to navigate a much larger space of ideas in a smaller visual field."
In his article relaying the benefits of mind maps, Forbes guest reporter Dan Woodsis, uses examples from Evolved Technologist to show how complex projects and ideas can be managed over time.
http://tinyurl.com/nnmmy7
An open source version of mind mapping software can be downloaded at http://sourceforge.net/projects/freemind/
Mind mapping allows for two-dimensional views of information that traditional outlining prohibits.  When working with clients on creating presentations, I work to get people away from the traditional linear way of thinking through information.  In our visual age, the linear approach does little to help us think and communicate in an effective way.  Mind maps are another way to help us move away from the linear and improve communication.

On and Off -- Both are Good

Good Morning Silicon Valley debates whether or not we can 'turn off' the electronic connectivity that is pervasive in our lives.  http://tinyurl.com/raysqc

Personally, I am glad to have the option to be connected and "on" and I feel I have the power to disconnect and be "off" when I want.

I discuss this social issue in my communication course at SFSU.  Just because we have access to the technology doesn't mean that we need to use it all the time.  And just because we use the technology doesn't mean we are bad or inconsiderate.  We need to use our social judgment and decide for ourselves what is the right balance of "on" and "off".  That balance is not going to be the same for each individual and it will take some time before our society will set norms to guide behavior.

Remember when cell phones were new and before each meeting the leader would have to remind everyone to turn them off.  Then the social norm was formed that it is rude to use a cell phone in a meeting and most people automatically turn them off.  But then texting came along and people are still working out that social norm.  It is the give and take between individuals that determine what the social rules become.  And it starts with individuals making their own judgements about when and where and how they want to use the connecting technology.

Whenever a technology is being adopted, it tends to be used in ways and places that eventually are determined to be socially inappropriate.  And at this time in history, many people are so enthralled with technology that they are reluctant to be "off" and disconnected.  But, I believe that will change with time.  Eventually we will all be able to benefit from the features of the technology and be able to balance the "on" and "off" equation.