There’s Life (and Business Value) after Email – Lessons from TAG Social Business

By Paul Miller, Product Manager: End User Computing and Collaboration, McKesson Corporation
 

New collaboration technologies are encroaching on our once stable world of Email.   Do tools that enable people to connect and share like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ represent threats to our enterprises or can they accelerate business performance?    Where do you start?

The TAG Social Business Society hosted a CIO panel (Accelerating Business Performance with Enterprise Collaboration) to move beyond the abstract, to discuss concrete examples of real enterprises putting real solutions into action.    The panelists represented a variety of industries – a credit card processor, an industry trade association, an Internet commodity trading platform, and a healthcare services company and the key message was the same.  Business is still business – tools are still just tools.  The new types of collaboration technologies can yield business value to your enterprise NOW IF viewed through the lens of the “New World of Work”, where work is an activity, not a place, and connecting people in new, interesting ways can deliver new sources of value to the business, and relevance for IT.

As IT Product Manager for McKesson responsible for the tools and technologies that employees use to do their work, I was delighted to have the opportunity to moderate this panel.   We’ve made strategic investments in moving beyond Email – enterprise IM, SharePoint, web conferencing, TelePresence – achieving meaningful adoption and enriching our employees’ experience of working at McKesson.  But we feel like we’re only scratching the surface. Practical knowledge in ‘going social’ that can be applied today is going to come from our peers’ real-world experiences – the successes and the failures - not vendor hype and analysts’ abstract models.   That’s why we decided to become an active sponsor with TAG Social Business.

A very active discussion yielded a number of nuggets for the audience:

1) Adapt ‘social’ to the business needs and culture of your organization.   Examples included:
• Using Facebook to transform an IT organization into being more outward-facing and customer-centric
• Using low-cost video conferencing to establish more ‘connectedness’ and community to recently acquired remote facilities • Creating an online marketplace of ideas (crowdsourcing), to tap into latent innovation within the enterprise
• Encouraging new employees to post to the “Welcome Blog” to inculcate a culture of technology leadership critical to the company’s success in the newest members of the organization

2) The proxy for ROI is meaningful adoption.  

These kind of initiatives are tough to justify in advance; each of our panelists essentially suggested that they were able to introduce them because of their own personal standing in the organization.  When programs ‘hit’ and are used, keep them; when they ‘miss’, move onto something else.  The investment required for these programs is typically modest, so the cost of ‘failure’ is low.   However, the opportunity costs of doing nothing can be very high. 

3) ‘Social’ is best introduced as an adjunct to an existing business process – NOT as a separate, standalone activity.

‘Social’ is just another business tool to support key business processes.  ‘Going social’ is best deployed by amplifying the impact or streamlining the effectiveness of an existing process.    • Extending the web-based engagement with hospitals to include interactive features
• Adding video to virtual meetings with remote facilities
• Extending the corporate Intranet already in place with a new branded ‘idea marketplace’.
• Presenting additional options to engage on the customers’ existing user interface

4) The next generation of the workforce views social networking as their “native” communication style

“Millennials” require this collaboration platform and it is becoming mandatory in order to retain the most qualified resources.  They leverage these technologies and platforms in their everyday life and “bring it with them” to the office.

More broadly, the consumerization of IT in which users buy and leverage their own equipment within the company environment is changing the model from IT delivering all the tools people use to IT adapting the tools people are already using to the company purposes.

5) Social media/collaboration exhibits both “transformational” and “evolutionary” characteristics. 

The best social initiatives will be ‘evolutionary’ to the end user experience – so people can readily adapt to them – but ‘transformative’ in their impacts, because they introduce new dynamics of collaborative work. 

Special thanks to all our panelists.  

• Jay Ferro, SVP, CIO - AdCare Health Systems
• Edwin Marcial, CTO - InterContinental Exchange
• Chris Kenyon, CIO – Elavon • Andy Goodwin, CIO - Georgia Hospital Association

LinkedIn – “More Than Just a Profile” John Kalusa
August 2, 2011

When I was asked to blog about this subject for the TAG HR Socity, I had to stop and think a bit, had to focus… I love social media, and from a professional standpoint, LinkedIn has got it going on!  Of course it has its quirks, but by and large LI is THE place to begin building an online career portfolio.   In one place, you can nearly access the entire professional world!    I could easily wax on about so many areas, but the focus is on why LI is more than just a profile.  So…

If you didn’t already know it, LinkedIn has quickly become the online “place” to have your professional “face”.    And from humble beginnings in 2003 LI has grown to become the #1 way that recruiters look for hidden talent and for professionals to connect.   For example, in October of 2009 there were only 50 million users.  Fast forward to March 2011, and over 100 million people had established a profile.  It has become the default “Facebook” for professionals.  It’s easy to understand why, according to a recent survey by Jobvite, nearly 50% of companies always check out candidate’s online profile!  

There are of course alternatives to LinkedIn, other sites with professional connections such as Spoke, XING etc., but these pale in comparison to the power of being first, or better yet, to be considered the defacto standard.    Way “back in the day”,  companies were spending millions to try and make their websites into places that potential customers and candidates would come and meet us, check us out, learn about us, like us, stay with us…., ‘cause you know it really was about us.  Having lived through those exploratory and wonderfully evangelistic days as a marketer, we were all about inviting candidates to come and hang out with us.  But the reality was they only wanted to engage when they needed something.  

So much better that LinkedIn created a way for all of us to connect, and be “out there” with our credentials, successes and questions to build a real community…..Alas,  like all marketing tools, LI is open to misuse.    Most people are only curious or half-heartedly create their profile, thinking that it’s probably like M****** and CB******,   so I should put my profile up there, try to link into anyone and everyone who maybe someday, could possibly help me and then wait for the hordes of companies and recruiters to tell me how much they love me.    

For example, of the thousands of profiles I’ve personally looked at, it has become very tiresome to look at shoddily thrown together profiles with limited information, or in most cases way too much and many cases misleading or “amplified” information (I call that vapor ware) all in the hopes of getting noticed by recruiters.  Honestly, spam is too nice of a word for this but it is the only one that is fit for print.  

Rather than doing what the masses are doing, I suggest listening to what a post on the Linked In blog says (found at http://blog.linkedin.com/2011/07/18/linkedin-etiquette-rules/ ).  The discussion is focused on what not to do on your profile.  One of the more appropriate suggestions is to not over promote yourself and your capabilities or experiences.  You may get found, but you may also get found out…. Save the fish tales for the lake…

Another of my long standing issues with other BIG job boards (and one that most “LinkedIn Gurus suggest) is that you are encouraged to proliferate your profile and resume with tons of  keywords or tags in hopes of increasing your “search value” and to attract recruiters.  SPAM, SPAM, SPAM….!   

Of course it’s a good idea to use keywords and metatags, because you can bring clarity to an extremely busy and crowded online world AND because it is one of the key ways you will be found!  BUT, if it is done carelessly and without thought, and you include keywords that don’t apply even remotely to your experience, your focus, your career, your goal, your brand,  then it is nothing more than a lot of words that end up making recruiters more frustrated and as a result UNLIKE you as a potential candidate.  

Use LI with forethought, as an extension of your overall career marketing plan.  Don’t try to be everything to everyone.  If you are in the office supply business and that’s where the majority of your real experience is, focus on words that indicate what you are doing to advance the industry, or the company you work for, the key areas of your expertise.  Put keywords in your profile that identify what your real ability to deliver value is.  Who cares if you don’t show up in a search for National Sales Director for ERP solutions?  You might think it would be cool, but it’s not what you really do….

For those that have heard me speak about treating your career as “A Company of 1” you know that I am passionate and particular about how you should go about marketing yourself and your career.  Many marketers believe that if social media works, then BE EVERYWHERE!  

I say NO…! (unless that’s your brand!)  Use the right social media outlet and the right marketing tools for the task.  Otherwise you only create noise.  On LinkedIn your profile is your best or worst advertisement.   Used wisely and appropriately, it can attract potential employers, even customers that you may never have connected to offline.

But be warned….. LinkedIn used wrongly can become a public embarrassment if you are called out in the wrong forum for tall tales… .  In today’s e-world, information travels faster than you can say “oops” can I take that back”?


Don’t think of it as just a “profile”.   Think of it as your central place to build an electronic network…. And how do you build a network?  Give back, pay it forward, and create conversation around your passion (which is hopefully, also your career).   So many tools to use on LI, and it can be daunting I know.  So start small.  

 
Easy Ways to Make it More than Just a LinkedIn Profile

1)    Think about what you want your career to be about (this is the only hard part)
2)    Upload a picture that matches who you are professionally.
3)    Make sure your current and most recent positions are accurate.   Make sure the dates are right.   SPELLCHECK!  Think of direct and creative ways to “advertise” your successes.  
4)    Get connected!  Not in a haphazard way that you “hope” will lead to a job offer, but in a way that puts you in an audience of people that are like you, that have similar professional pursuits.  
5)    Join Groups that you are interested in, involved, want to communicate with and then ENGAGE the group…. Add commentary, ask questions that really matter to you.
6)    Follow others conversations, comments, blogs etc…. 7)    Define yourself and your career by becoming known for being the go to place for information on your area of expertise.  
8)    Don’t spend your life on LinkedIn, but visit regularly!
9)    Above all, if getting involved isn’t you, that’s okay.  At least build a strong billboard presence.   (there’s at least a .5 – 1.5% return) so who knows you may win the lottery.

LinkedIn is where professionals go to find and get to know other professionals in their industry, where recruiters go to find the unknown or undiscovered talent in a particular area or profession.  It’s where you can go and share professional experiences, knowledge and get involved with your professional community.  But be authentic…don’t be someone you are not, don’t pretend to be something more than you are to get something.  Better yet, decide how you want to give back to the community instead of viewing LinkedIn as a way to “get to” people and that will lead to a richer, more fulfilling career than you ever thought possible.
Look, LinkedIn is not the “be-all end-all” or Holy Grail of social media marketing, honestly nothing can ever replace a hard earned reputation for delivering results.  Somehow, there are still people who are highly successful sought after talent that don’t have a LinkedIn profile, wouldn’t know a tweet from a honk, and don’t know why they should be on Facebook.  

They are players because they deliver and in their industry, in their circles, they are known for delivering results that drive business success.   Still, LinkedIn is an excellent and forward thinking way of communicating you’re “A Company of 1” brand, expanding your professional community, expanding your corporate reach and as Stephen Covey says, “expanding your circle of influence”.

LinkedIn is much more than just a profile….. It’s a living breathing representation of your professional life.  To make it work at its best, it takes time and it takes involvement.  They call it “social” for a reason.   But it is only one of many very cool and useful tools and someday (think Moore’s Law), LinkedIn will be surpassed by the next generation of connecting tools.  But today, it is a key place to start your professional social networking.    If you use it like one of the BIG boards and “post” your resume and “pray” that it gets found, then you are wasting your time.  It’s not a static “profile” but a gateway to your professional portfolio that can lead to conversation, can connect you to people you never knew, it can lead to being “found”, LinkedIn could lead you to your next great career move…..

Peace

The Globalization of the Entertainment Industry

Once upon a time the entertainment industry was ruled by a small community in Los Angeles called Hollywood.  Over the past 20 years, however, advances in technology and communication, along with the emergence of creative talent in media markets all over the world have changed the Entertainment landscape forever.  Today, Studios, Producers, Content Providers and Entertainment Professionals are not only faced with ever increasing competition for audiences, but they are under intense pressure to produce higher quality content while controlling ever increasing costs.  The result is a worldwide Entertainment industry in which anyone, anywhere in the world, has an opportunity to be a part of the most exciting business on earth.

As I look outside the window from the 6th floor of the Centergy building this morning, I see movie equipment trailers and campers in the adjacent parking lot.  There is a movie currently being filmed here this week.  There was another filming crew in Atlanta last week for another movie.  Atlanta is becoming more and more recognized by the global community as a growing player in the film industry and this is an exciting trend for our local economy and business development.

To further explore the advancements in the Globalization of the Entertainment Industry, join the TAG Entertainment Society for the upcoming event:

When: Dec. 1, 2010, 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM  Where:  Turner Studios at 1020 Techwood Drive  (Limited space is available and you must register to attend)

Presenting Companies: Digital Dreams Post, HP, Level3, Aspera, Digital Film Tree, Georgia Tech and Turner

Moderator:  Dr Benn Konsynski, Emory University

Panelists:
George DeGolian, VP Business Development, Digitial Dreams Post
Gary Stevens, Global Business Development Manager, HP
Rick Cole, VP International, Turner
Cary Capece, SVP Business Development, Aspera
Ramy Katrib, Founder/CEO Digital Film Tree
Derek Anderson, Sr. Director of Product Management, Level3
Renu.Kulkarni, Executive Director, FutureMedia, Georgia Tech

Event Details and Registration

TAG FinTech continues to gain support, adds additional Charter Gold Sponsor

ATLANTA, October 20, 2010 – The TAG FinTech Society of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) today announced that industry executives and  thought leaders from the state’s high-profile FinTech companies will lead panel discussions at FinTech Georgia 2010, the Society’s inaugural symposium to be held on November 8, 2010 at 103 West in Atlanta.  Topics to be discussed are Regulatory Changes and the New Economics of Payments, Data Breaches and the Impact on e-Commerce, and Globalization in the Payments Industry.  In addition, Gwenn Bezard, co-founder and research director at Aite Group, will present 10 Payment Companies to Watch and Georgia’s Position in the FinTech Universe.

TAG FinTech also announced that Raymond James is now the society’s eighth Charter Gold Sponsor, joining operating companies Elavon, Equifax, First Data, and TSYS and three firms that support FinTech companies – Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, Porter Keadle Moore, and the Trade Credit Association of the US.  In addition to being a sponsor, the investment bank at Raymond James, specifically its Business Services & Financial Technology team, has generously supported the Society’s efforts to define the market’s ecosystems within the broader financial technology industry.

Panelists for FinTech Georgia 2010 include:

“We are excited to offer the FinTech community access to insights and

perspectives of respected industry leaders representing these successful FinTech companies,” said C. David Chambless, chairman of the TAG FinTech’s Steering Committee. “TAG FinTech’s mission is to build recognition of Georgia as the business center of choice for the world’s leading financial-technology providers. The support from the State’s FinTech companies and their executives has been tremendous and our upcoming event, FinTech Georgia 2010, promises to add to the momentum created by the Society’s efforts since launching in early 2010.

In addition, the Society announced that companies participating in the Emerging Growth Showcase during the event include AdvanceMe, Cardlytics, ControlScan, Coreserv, CRE Secure, ePayment, eRollover, FirstView Financial, FTRANS, FX Bridge, Interactive Advisory Software, Kabbage, Prime Revenue and Thanks Again.  Some 15+ venture capital firms from across the nation have indicated that they will attend the event to experience first hand what Georgia companies, both large and emerging growth, offer this important market.

FinTech Georgia 2010 will be held on November 8, 2010 at 103 West in Atlanta.  Additional information and registration can be found at http://tinyurl.com/24ylw58 .

About The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)

TAG is a leading technology industry association dedicated to the promotion and economic advancement of the state's technology industry. TAG provides leadership in driving initiatives in the areas of policy, capital, education and giving, and also brings the technology community together through events, initiative programs and networking opportunities. TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 27 special interest groups, or Societies, including Women in Technology (WIT). Additionally, TAG’s charitable arm, the TAG Education Collaborative, is focused on helping science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive. For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org or TAG’s community website at www.TAGthink.com.

About the TAG FinTech Society

TAG FinTech was founded in early 2010 to address the specific needs of companies, individuals, and investors serving the financial industry both domestically and abroad. Financial technology (or FinTech) encompasses products, solutions, services, and information providers which drive decisions, process payments, and facilitate transactions for financial institutions. Georgia FinTech company revenues are more than $34 billion annually, which places Georgia third in the nation behind New York and California. Together, the banking, insurance, and capital markets consistently spend more on technology than any other industry groupings. For more information about the TAG FinTech Society, visit http://www.tagonline.org/TAG-FinTech.php .

"Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen” (Alan Keith)

 And yes, I’m glad to say that we’re extremely fortunate to have an extraordinary pool of talented leaders in Georgia. Just ask Women in Technology (WIT) why it’s been so successful over the years. At entry level, the mid-level executive level, and as senior managers at the board level, many, many talented professionals rolled up their sleeves and got the organization off the ground, championed our growth, and are making extraordinary contributions to our business and civic life.

Which is why – drumroll please – we always delight in celebrating our leaders. Now in its 11^th year, we will recognize this year’s crop of nominees and winners at WIT's Women of the Year in Technology Awards presented by Grant Thornton (WIT Awards), to be held November 10, 2010. This year, WIT Awards honors 52 female technology executives for their accomplishments as leaders in business, visionaries of technology and for making a difference in our communities.  Meet the 201o Honorees here.

First presented in 2000, WIT Awards honored a single winner as Woman of the Year in Technology until 2005 when three separate categories were introduced: Enterprise, Small/Medium Business, and Not for Profit/Public Sector. In 2007 the categories were modified to Enterprise, Midmarket/Medium Business, and Emerging/Small Business.

To date, 14 winners are members of the WIT Awards Hall of Fame and we are proud to salute them. For more info visit http://www.mywit.org/

In today's fast-paced world and technology advancements, many companies still face major issues regarding one of the back-bones of a company's existance.... Records Management.  The Content Management Society is taking a look a how technology can be utilized to enhance record-keeping by utilizing online storage and document sharing technologies.

Corporate and government records provide evidence of an organization’s activities. Management of these records includes activities related to their storage, accessibility, security, and eventual archival or destruction. E-discovery, industry regulations, technology innovations and several other changes in the early part of the 21st century have brought several implications to how records need to be managed. In this rapidly-changing business climate, technology needs to be flexible enough to meet the needs of organizations large and small and in a variety of industries. This session will focus on some of the recent changes in the records management landscape, and how the SharePoint platform has evolved to address these needs.
To find out more on this topic, register for the upcoming event here.

Event Details:
Content Management Society Presents: Records Management: A Technology Solution to a Business Problem

Thursday, September 23, 2010  5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

As we contemplated getting TAG-FinTech off the ground, we looked at the incredible list of FinTech companies in Georgia.  From the largest to the incubating, we have it all here.

Having it all could have been viewed as a challenge:  incubating companies vying for funding, early stage companies establishing their beachhead in a full field, big companies competing with everyone.  How do we find a common ground on which to build TAG-FinTech?

The best way to get anything done is to put a bunch of smart people in a room, give them some guidelines and some boundaries, and step out of the way.  Beginning with an organizational meeting in October, we held a first steering-committee meeting in December which led to monthly meetings.  From those meetings, we are developing a framework which allows competitors to cooperate, odd-fellows to collaborate, each to learn from each other, and all to band together for the collective whole.

An amazing spectacle.

Dave Chambless is Chair, TAG-FinTech and President, Abraxas Business Services.  Dave can be reached at dchambless@abraxas.biz

The TAG Entertainment Society Presents:  Featured Speaker Ken Brady, VP, Systems Technology and Digital Media at Turner Studios.
Join us as Ken discusses the complex process that is necessary to provide the video content that we enjoy watching on our phones, PC's and TV.

For more details or to register for the upcoming August 25th event, click here.
For more information on the Entertainment Society, click here or visit the Society Page on TAGthink.

The TAG Corporate Development Society Discusses Intellectual Property

Gain insights and practical tips on issues such as: how to develop an IP portfolio to maximize licensing potential; maximizing value when being acquired or entering into business partnerships; and strategies for leveraging and protecting intellectual property. Other topics may include: what acquiring companies look for in terms of IP in target companies; how is IP valued in M&A transactions, common mistakes companies make with respect to their IP portfolios that may affect corporate development initiatives.

Moderator
Greg Kirsch, Partner/Patent Attorney, Ballard Spahr, LLP

Panelists

Michael Bishop, General Counsel, AT&T IP Corp.

Chason Carroll, Assistant General Counsel, Director of IP, CompuCredit

Shawn Williams, Senior IP Attorney, GE Nuclear Energy

For more information or to register for this event, click here.

For more details about the Corporate Development Society, click here or visit the Society Page on TAGthink.

Atlanta has quietly become one of the capitals of the financial technology world. 

Consider the facts reported by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) in its recent Industry Report:

·        Georgia has 93 financial technology companies

·        These companies generated $34B in annual revenues

·        Georgia is one of the top three centers in the country for financial technology

How did we get here?  The answer is through a series of occurrences - - some planned and others happenstance.

Banking Growth – In the ‘70s and early ‘80s, Atlanta enjoyed a significant growth in the number of banks.  We had a sizable regional banking presence --  First Atlanta, Trust Company Bank, Georgia Federal, Bank South, National Bank of Georgia.  These were just a few of the dozens of banking choices for Georgians. 

The banks attracted senior executives to our community with strong financial experience and built the foundation of our fintech environment.

Consolidation of Banks – Unfortunately, our banking success was spoiled in the ‘90s.  Our state’s banking laws precluded the aggressive acquisition of other financial institutions. 

By contrast, North Carolina enacted laws that permitted NCNB (now Bank of America), Wachovia and First Union to grow rapidly and buy banks in other states.  Georgia’s banking restrictions were constrictive, limiting the size of our state’s financial institutions. 

There were two significant consequences.  Georgia lost many of our leading banks through acquisition - - a bad thing since the headquarters of these banks moved out-of-state.

Talent Pool Expansion – The second outcome of bank consolidation had a silver lining - - talented bank employees and executives became available to start new businesses.  Dozens of banking executives were demoted from their previously senior positions to become part of a remote office or regional headquarters for a national bank now located in another state. 

The result was an experienced group of front and back office executives and technologists who were in Atlanta and didn’t want to move.

Entrepreneurial Expansion – This talent pool included a number of programmers, systems engineers and back office personnel with experience in developing, designing and programming sophisticated financial systems.  When the banking epicenter moved out of state, many of these executives took their financial technology experience and started new businesses or joined burgeoning ones.  The winners included CheckFree, First Financial Management, NDC, First Data and dozens of start-ups.

Ironically, if the big banks had grown in Atlanta, our fintech entrepreneurial expansion may have never occurred.  (Contrast our city with Charlotte, the beneficiary of big bank growth that never developed an entrepreneurial fintech community.)

Solid Foundation for Fintech Future – The ingredients for fintech growth in Georgia coalesced in the ‘90s - - executive talent, technology experience and an attractive community.  Many executives had come to Atlanta during the banking boom and planted their roots.  To remain in the area, they began their own entrepreneurial ventures and attracted other talented executives from the community.

Our future challenge in Georgia is to provide a solid foundation for growth of entrepreneurial fintech businesses.  We’ll explore the obstacles in an upcoming column.

This column is presented for educational and informational purposes and is not intended to constitute legal advice.

John Yates is the chair of the Technology Group of the Atlanta law firm of Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP.  You can contact him at jyates@mmmlaw.com.