ItsDevelopmental - content + technology + people

Video: Twinity's virtual world (Berlin)

First Great Western: start talking to your customers

It amazes me the extent to which some businesses are failing to engage with their customers. Train operator First Great Western, for example, has a great opportunity to talk to its customers on Twitter because they are already on Twitter talking about the company.

So far, FGW has done nothing about this but when it finally gets its head around the fact its customers are gathering in one place (Twitter) I hope it might start engaging with them publicly. Such transparency can only be a good thing - especially for a train company.

In the meantime, you can follow what people are saying about FGW on Twitter and the follow @fgwfail here. And there is the unofficial FGW profile @uktr_firstgw here.

Video: bringing data alive

Worth a look because using data in this way is not only amazing it is very insightful and challenges our preconceived ideas. The fact it is brought to life in such a way is quite incredible.

Then think about all the data stored in databases around the world . . .

 

Video: the employment law singalong

Just found this video from Manpower. Now, just trying to work out if my new team would like to do a similar type of promotion ;-)

Video: Habitat's failed use of Twitter

Technology is the great leveller

There has been much talk about the impact of generation Y on the workplace and the challenges for digital immigrants to manage and lead digital natives.

The real challenge for digital immigrants is to understand technology and how it works. In the training environment this might mean a senior manager sitting alongside a junior member of staff AND having to learn from them - not aonly listen and learn but ask.

Managers that are open to this will succeed, but how many are? My feeling is that poor local management capability is at the root of a lot of organisational inefficiences. Technological change and different outlooks and expectations of the workplace mean this management openness and understanding of how technology works and can empower people is crtitical.

Video: devices that interact with our surroundings

Know why customers leave your website

Great post from Michelle Carvill on the importance of where and why users are exiting your site.

Particularly liked this short checklist:

• Ask yourself what the key goal of your online presence is?
• Once you’ve decided that take a step back and review whether that is the most paramount thing your site promotes?
• Do you make it easy, clear and simple for the user to do exactly what they want to do?
• Does your ‘adwords’ content clearly promote what the user is going to get when they get to your site?
• Do you regularly review and update where people are leaving your site – troubleshoot and enhance the user experience?
• Do you know what your conversion rate is?
• How regularly do you review it and what do you do to improve it?

Video: Wired's Chris Anderson on technology and disruption

Why it is hard work being a new starter

According to my wife, the reason it is such hard work starting a new job is because you have to be nice to people all the time. Made me laugh.