The rise in digital information sources make it extremely challenging to keep your message interesting and engaging. Rosemari Ochoa looks at the decreased importance of being an expert when it comes to keeping people interested and engaged, and Vanguard’s training manager, Jane Tobler, looks at the changing world of training in light of technology improvements.

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The rise in digital information sources make it extremely challenging to keep your message interesting and engaging. Rosemari Ochoa looks at the decreased importance of being an expert when it comes to keeping people interested and engaged, and Vanguard’s training manager, Jane Tobler, looks at the changing world of training in light of technology improvements.

The Case for Curiosity in 2012: Why Interest and Engagement Can Beat Subject Matter Expertise

I predict that in 2012, we will be accessing more diverse information from the same — if not fewer — sources.  Long gone are the days in which we follow a specific issue or expert. Instead, the individuals and organizations that will have an impact in 2012 will have two things in common: curiosity and digital savvy. They will be autodidactic — educating themselves on  subjects and issues they may know nothing about. They will be polymaths — multifaceted and interdisciplinary in their approach to understanding the world. They will be mavens — engaged and have the access to share their findings with others. (One of my favorite examples of 2011 has been the rise of Tumblr.) They will be on the “right” side of the digital divide that plagues our online world — enjoying the privileges that technology brings. But many will not be subject matter experts.

For PR professionals, this could be a double-edged sword.  It means that it will be more competitive to get your message into the hands of the autodidactic, polymath mavens.  And yet no one is saying that you and your staff can’t be those same individuals.  Hiring smart people will always be important, but the organizations that make a difference will be the ones with smart people who also exude a curiosity about a diverse range of issues and have the nature and technology to strategically share it on the organization’s behalf.

– By Rosemari Ochoa

It Ain’t What You Do, It’s the Way That You Do It…

Ella Fitzgerald, diva of swing, had it right — it is the way you do it. The amount spent on training increased in 2011, and this trend will likely continue. Each year in recent memory has brought trainers more promising social media options, and smart communicators and trainers know that the channel in which they share their expertise — the way that you do it — has never been as important as it is now.

News conferences migrated to the online environment smoothly, since virtual events allowed many more media representatives to tune in.

But what about effective communication trainings? If the channel isn’t two-way, then the trainer can’t pick up on visual cues from the audience — the blank stares, incessant checking of email or looks of boredom.

In 2012, we’ll continue to see improvements in online technologies that allow trainers to benefit from those visual cues and encourage interactivity among participants. Resources for in-person trainings may have become more scarce, but the need for staff and partners be able to communicate for social change effectively has never been so great.

– By Jane Tobler

This post over at Lifehacker illustrates a great new technology that could be very useful for training purposes:

Windows: LogMeIn Express is a screen sharing tool from the makers of the popular remote-desktop software, LogMeIn. With this new offering, sharing your desktop is as simple as sending your friend or associate a URL.

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This post over at Lifehacker illustrates a great new technology that could be very useful for training purposes:

Windows: LogMeIn Express is a screen sharing tool from the makers of the popular remote-desktop software, LogMeIn. With this new offering, sharing your desktop is as simple as sending your friend or associate a URL.

Only the person doing the screen sharing needs to download anything. The sharer only requires a small application from LogMeIn; the viewer only needs to visit the LogMeIn Express site and plug in the number that the sharer has given them.

Screen sharing, for those unfamiliar, is a technology that allows users on different computers to view what a presenter is doing on his or her computer screen. So, for example, I could walk an audience through the steps that I take in setting up a blog, allowing them to view my screen in real time so they can see what I click on, where the different menu items are, how to craft a post, and so forth. What’s more, LogMeIn Express has a chat room function, which allows for an ongoing discussion regarding the training. This could easily be integrated with a conference call to provide for further feedback. The technology works with up to 100 users, and is free.

This platform enables organizations to easily connect with satellite groups to give computer training and instruction. Want an affiliate to learn to upload and tag YouTube videos appropriately? Want to demonstrate how Twitter hashtags work? Want to do a seminar on search engine optimization? LogMeIn Express is a tool that could help facilitate all of this training and more.