From My View

Losing Icons and Stretching Boundaries

Late yesterday we learned that another television news icon passed away from us to another realm. Walter Cronkite, that stalwart who delivered the news with stern professionalism, with the detachment that is expected of one who is supposed to deliver unbiased, balanced reportage.

It isn't so much that we're losing celebrities at a faster rate (as some have argued) as much as it's a function of the fact that we demarcate our entry into the world of Television at approximaely the same time -- 1950. Until then, we had relied on radio to convey our messages. That took a different set of listening and attention skills. It required using the imagination more so that the details could be filled in. And it required a unique vocabulary of both the speaker as well as the listener so that subtle nuances could be absorbed.  It also took a different set of skills for delivery. This new medium came with new challenges, protocols, boundaries, and more.

The medium of television has given way to many avenues to deliver information and keep the public aware. Look around at the new branches that are shooting out before our eyes and try to absorb the rich future they can provide us. The Internet is now used by politicians to announce their candidacy. YouTube competes with CNN to bring up-to-the-minute coverage of great public events such as debates, town hall meetings, and more.

The standards that were created for the more accepted delivery were set by those who started in radio. And it is those who carved the paths for us to follow are the leaders and hallmarks. Those people, like protocols, wear out and die. Life and progress are founded on change and adaptation. They thrive on innovation and improvement of the art in order to make the content more meaningful and drive the reach to farther places so that more can avail theirselves of the message and the knowledge.

We have a responsibility to learn from those icons and replicate the standards they set for us. We also have a responsibility, as with the Olympics, to push the standard a little higher in order to deliver the best possible product. That means we need to not only pay attention but also ask questions about how and why things are done so that we can provide the answers to our audiences as they watch what we produce.

Carefully Choose Your Networks

Just a scant two years ago (maybe three), this whole social networking thing exploded. We started getting networking sites all over the place that were replacing the old communities that traded on the value of discussion boards. They were pushing over places like Yahoo! Groups and other discussion sites that are now gone and whose names are scant to remember.

Now we have sites that provide images of the persons with whom we're interacting. People have increased identity and relevance. These people can blog and write on walls and send private messages and all sorts of things. However, the basic component of these networks is still getting acquainted with others, building relationships with them, sharing information and opinions, having conversations. There seems to be a compelling question about these sites that has yet to be addressed and that is whether these new networking sites have all of the integrity that we desire when dealing with others and striving to develop good, lasting relationships.

Abuse of Resources

So how do you feel when you discover the person you're talking to is actually trying to sell you something that isn't even related to the reason why you're there -- and that's the only reason for their being a member? All they want to do is sell, oh let's say, fly paper. It has absolutely nothing to do with resume paper. It won't help you understand the P&O statement of a corporation nor help you get connected with the VP of Communications nor get you shoulder to shoulder with the analytics officer.

It seems as though the leader of the community should be advised of this discovery so they can handle the person who's taking things off course. Or is reporting the miscreant worth your time? To the extent the "foreigner" is taking the group off its path and deteriorating the meaningful effects and purposes of the network, it is worth your time because of the value that is being sapped from the group that could be maintained -- the loss of all manner of consortium and even more important than that, the measure of trust that can be accorded to individuals who frequent the site.

Return on Investment

For the sake of making certain you're getting the value you expect for your time and efforts in networking and identifying the talent that you seek, you need to evaluate whether it's easy to connect with people on sites you're using. If not, some thought needs to go into what makes it not so and some remedies to that issue?

Perhaps you want a recruiter on your team who has better practices and appreciates the value of the human capital. It's really disappointing when you request information from someone and they (even with one or two reminders) simply never get back to you. It's as though their alliance is false, a transitory matter based on what you have to offer them. Some may consider this part of the human capital game. But when it's used consistently and starts spilling over into the Recruiter's Toolbox of "tricks" it isn't as cute as some would think.

There are many job seekers who have seen this tactic and are definitely turned off by it. One candidate (who is now out of the market and happily ensconced in a plus position with a thriving corporation) said he realized one recruiter only sought him because he could draw a good offer salary. Since the recruiter was so obviously in his mercenary purposes, the candidate would intentionally do things to subvert the placement and allow it to go to another recruiter.

Communication Mismatch

Some of the newer sites automatically add text chat and IM in order to facilitate more communication (and longer stays) on the site. It's in addition to email among members and comes in very handy at times.

In the early days of building communities, a code of conduct for the Net was established that provided a glossary of terms and taboos. For the most part, this Netiquette, as it was called, was simply an Internet version of behaving in a professional and courteous manner. Somewhere along the line, however, people began to forget about these rules of conduct. We've now reached a stage where it seems necessary to remind others to be respectful of many things as they interact. If not, the negative practices and misbehavior spills into the normal work environment and leaves others either aghast or embarrassed at the extent to which people within the organization can be rude or crude or both.

You may be wondering about some examples of the things of which I speak. There are those who will immediately cut off your communication via chat or IM by saying nothing but turning off the chat bubble when they see who the caller is. There is no word of excusal from the call by way of, "Hi Caller, I'm busy right now and can't talk. Send me an email and I'll get back to you later."

Another method dismissing the caller is to see the chat bubble but refuse to answer it or by pretending it didn't happen. Still other forms of rudeness are walking away from the keyboard for more than five or ten minutes (without technical difficulties on either side) without excusing the absence nor explaining it. There used to be a protocol of typing AFK (away from keyboard) or BRB (be right back). That practice seems to have gone by the wayside. Here, there is an assumption that the party on "Hold" is willing to have their time wasted while the other files papers, chats with another friend for as long as they want, or any other number of things except acknowledging the one who initially made the contact. They will put their contact on hold and treat them with all manner of disregard yet expect support and respect when the tables are turned.

These may seem like minor issues in a stream of bigger things impacting the enterprise. But when it's your personnel behaving in these manners and leaving enduring impressions on others who could at some point become customers, you don't have space for these "little things" that are impacting your bottom line via your technology.

Piracy, Plagiarism, and Gossip for Good Measure

While a few of these online perils may sound like schoolyard antics compared with ethical dangers in the workplace, there is reason to be sensitive to too generous a use of technology on these sites. If not prepared for how easy it is to broadcast a trade secret or or confidential negotiations, some major issues could be blown out of the water. Rather than assume your people are savvy, it's prudent to coach, counsel, and advise on best practices and alternate exits. When unsophisticated personnel find themselves in the midst of a group of Wild West recruiters who feel anything goes and they can do anything they want with impunity, things can get ugly. Think of your long-term social responsibility campaign that for some strange reason gets adopted by another organization but wearing another organization's sponsoring name or leads that were essentially locked in that are now claimed or spoken of like yesterday's daily dozen.

Then there's gossip! What a colorful experience. It's grounded on 10% truth and 90% fabrication. It makes one wonder how many networks are operating on the gossip factor for their popularity. A few years ago, one of the old, professional sites began stooping to Jerry Springer-style antics to raise their site traffic numbers and concomitant attributes. The theatrics were effective. But at what price? Those who partake in the gossip still exist and wait for their next dose. Is there a lot of gossip on the networking sites you're using these days? Perhaps the taint of the site and the members will rub off on your organization and your brand and therefore color the quality of the talent that serves your goals.

"Discretion" Is the Watchword

These are mere samplings of the types of disorder that can and do occur on these new generation of networking sites. A site moderator who is vigilant and mature is what they require in order to maintain order. This person also needs to be an expert in human relations and communications in order to keep healthy interaction and growth vibrant. Many excellent outcomes can be achieved from frequenting the social media sites of the New Millennium. Part and parcel of having those become reality, however, is having someone who will steer things with a gentle hand and recognize the site's areas of specialty and strength. In that way, all will be able to derive the best of the fruits that are produced.