Posts Tagged ‘face-to-face interaction’


Is Your Mobile Device the New Cigarette?

Monday, September 12th, 2011

When I first joined the workforce my colleagues were permitted to smoke in their offices. That’s right…ashtrays on their desks. Seriously! Then one day, a law was passed that forced all of the smokers outside. If they wanted to satisfy their craving, they had to go outside to a designated area. They were given a nice place to sit and smoke and visit so, except for the heat of Arizona summers, I don’t think they minded.iStock_000011719620XSmall

However, I do remember feeling bitter about the perceived special privileges given to smokers. It seemed no matter how much needed to be done – the smokers got their break. They were permitted extra time in some cases because they “needed” their cigarette in order to function. This got me thinking that maybe mobile devices are the new cigarette. We excuse mobile devices in work and social settings because people “need” to be connected.

I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’m guilty of taking out my device when I’m surrounded by interesting people. I guess, one could say that the “need” to know if someone has tweeted or facebooked something that “must” be immediately reviewed is an addiction of mine…

I’m sick of being that person. I want to get more focused, enjoy the real live people in front of me, whenever I have the opportunity, and show respect when people make time for me face-to-face. Wall posts and tweets can be viewed anytime – so they’ll have to wait.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. So far, I’ve come up with these three reasons it’s ok to take out your mobile device when in a meeting or out socially:

  1. If you need to call 911
  2. If the room is dark and light from your device will illuminate the room or a menu/document to be viewed
  3. If something MUST be Googled to settle a debate and avoid a full out riot

So, the next time you’re at a meeting or out socially, think about your companion and the message you’re sending before you pull out your mobile device. If your mobile device was a cigarette would you take it out even just for a quick drag? If the answer is no, then I challenge you to have the same courtesy with your mobile device. Remember courteous smokers would ask people in their group if they “minded if they smoke” … at a minimum be conscious of your mobile addiction.

I don’t think a mobile courtesy law is in our near future, but we can still make a difference. Will you join me in this effort and step away from the device and enjoy the people? If so, leave your name in the comments section and we can police each other on our mobile “smoking” progress. :)

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Posted in Advertising/Marketing, Career Advice, Mobile Media, Public Relations | 1 Comment »

Integrating Social and Real-Life Networking

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Valerie Simon

Integrating Social and I could not be more excited to attend the PRSA T3 conference on June 11, 2010. The co-chairs, PRSA Technology section chair Rich Teplitsky and my #PRStudChat partner, 2.0 expert and author Deirdre Breakenridge, have put together an incredible agenda of topics and speakers that are sure to excite anyone looking to stay ahead of the curve in public relations and social networking.

Here are a few of the ways I’ll be integrating social media into my conference experience to assure I make the most of the opportunity.

Advance preparation

  • Twitter: If you follow me on Twitter, you may already have seen that I’ve begun tweeting about the conference, speakers, and other attendees using the hashtag #techprsa. In addition, I’ve participated in a pre-conference Twitter Chat and started a Twitter list of T3 attendees, so that I could get to know them better outside of the hashtag. I’ve even set up a column using hootsuite.com to begin monitoring pre-conference conversation using the conference hashtag.
  • LinkedIn: I’m a longtime member of the PRSA LinkedIn Group and am watching closely a discussion posted by Nicole Zerillo, marketing communications social media manager, PRSA, regarding the conference. I also joined the PRSA technology section group which is much more focused on the upcoming conference than the general PRSA group on LinkedIn.
  • Facebook: My Facebook account is really more personal, than professional, but sometimes the lines blur a bit. For example, I’m keeping a close eye on the PRSA Facebook page and have left a comment on one discussion about the T3 conference.
  • Google Reader (RSS): I’ve confirmed that the blogs of all speakers are in my Google Reader and organized them in a special folder. Now to continue adding the blogs of other attendees I anticipate meeting…
  • General Social Media: When it gets a bit closer to the event, I plan to update my status on all social sites and share that I will be attending the event. 

As important as the online preparation is, don’t forget the value of offline communication. Many speakers are also authors; in fact, I am hoping to finish speaker Justin Levy’s book, Facebook Marketing: Designing Your New Marketing Campaign, before hearing his session!

Live attendance
When the big day comes, I’ll be there early. While a conference offers many opportunities to share information live, I don’t intend to focus on live blogging/micro-blogging. I am there to take advantage of the benefits of face-to-face networking and learning. Perhaps I’ll tweet a few of the brilliant remarks from speakers, but only if I find that it is not distracting me from making the most of what is happening in that room.

But don’t worry, I won’t forget about you, the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas. I’ll bring my flip cam, in hopes of introducing you later to some of the incredible people I meet. Perhaps I’ll take a few photos to share; I’ve really enjoyed the Whrrl stories created by Perkett PR… maybe it’s time I create my own, or perhaps interview some of the speakers for a future Fresh Ideas or Public Relations Examiner post.

Conference follow-up
I am sure that I will return from the conference with many new connections and valuable resources and expect that the night (and weekend) after the conference, I’ll be very busy. In general, I make it a point to follow EVERY new contact on Twitter (and plan to add those from the conference to my T3 PR Twitter list); this allows me the opportunity to continue listening and learning from them. And I send personal LinkedIn invitations to those I have connected with, and want to be sure I keep in my network. 

I’ll also be downloading video and sifting through notes, taking some time to contemplate all that I heard and learned, before sitting down to blog. And finally, I intend to make a trip to Barnes and Noble. (I always seem to walk away from these conferences with some great new book recommendations.)

Whew. It seems like a lot, but I am a firm believer that there is a direct correlation between investment and return. What steps do you take to maximize the opportunities of the conferences you attend? What are your plans for this year’s PRSA T3 conference? How are you integrating social and real-life networking and capitalizing on the ROI?

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Posted in Career Advice, Industry Events, Public Relations, Social Media | 3 Comments »

Do Communication Styles Really Differ Among The Generations?

Friday, March 26th, 2010

millenial communications

Valerie Simon

Do you choose your words carefully? I’m not referring to SEO, but to everyday communication – blog posts, emails, texts, meetings, and even office conversations.

Recently, I have heard several Gen X managers, voice concerns regarding patterns of communication they are noticing in Gen Y employees; in particular, lengthy email exchanges that could be more efficiently managed with a quick phone call or a stroll 30 feet away, and tweets and emails which appear hastily written and not well thought out. Is this simply the result of a heightened comfort level that comes with growing up immersed in digital communications?

While I have read concerns that these digital habits also have a negative effect on face-to-face communications skills, my experience has been quite the opposite. In fact, I have noticed many of these same members of Gen Y, thrive in “real life” conversations. I see a respect and humility in their body language, and have been touched by the sincerity and thoughtfulness of their words. Looking someone in the eye seems to bring out a heightened awareness of the impact of their words and adds a sense of importance to the discussion.

As a Gen X’er, I grew up with the utmost respect for the written word. Letters were to be carefully crafted and edited. The only content available to the general public was published by professional journalists. To this day the power of the written word leaves me awed, impressed, and perhaps a little intimidated. Conversely, I find it easy to become extremely casual in conversation. A mentor recently encouraged me to write out my thoughts before meetings, so not to let my enthusiasm deter me from effective communication.

My BurrellesLuce colleague Crystal DeGoede recently questioned whether the mentality of other generations is the same as millennials. I wonder whether it is the mentality that is so different or simply the way in which the different generations communicate. Does growing up in a digital environment alter both written and in person communication styles? I’d be curious to hear your thoughts. What differences do you see between the communication styles of Gen Y and Gen X? And let’s not forget about the Boomers… how does their communication style fit into the mix?

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Posted in Career Advice, Public Relations | 11 Comments »

Meeting and Conversing: Real Life vs. Online

Friday, February 5th, 2010

by Colleen Flood*

Flickr Image: jaffry, grace and eliza

Flickr Image: jaffry, grace and eliza

While attending a luncheon in NYC yesterday, I initially sat at an empty table with a colleague from BurrellesLuce.  We sat across from each since we are often together and had just had a lengthy chat in the cab ride over.  A very nice person came and sat to the left of me and we started chatting.  I learned about her business, what types of clients she worked with, where she lived and where she has lived, among other things. I also met the person to the right of me and learned her interesting story as well.  I found this sort of face-to-face engagement to be very different from my most recent online networking situation.

First, let me start by saying that using social media as a networking tool is all pretty new to me still. (I have yet to network on #journchat or some of the other networking areas available online, but look forward to getting involved in the future.)  However, the Twitter networking event that I did participate in, while interesting and informative, was very fast-paced and, at least for me, also very limited as far as networking opportunities.  I could not really get to know the attendees in the way that I would have liked.  I met some very interesting people online, don’t get me wrong, but did not take much away from this initial experience.  Perhaps I need to network more online or become more immersed in the social media universe to really feel and establish the sort of connections that physical industry events provide. 

I think part of feeling a lack of connection can be attributed to feeling as though my online relationships are not real and I often find myself becoming shy towards my online contacts. (And I am guessing, that I am not alone and that others may feel similar.) I can almost compare this to email vs. picking up the phone.  I like to talk to people so I will often call a colleague or client to converse about a business matter.  However, I find many people have gotten away from this and instead request an email. While email is a wonderful thing and I could not live without it, I have determined that much of the business I do could be done more efficiently and effectively with one simple phone call rather than a string of six emails back and forth.  Maybe I’m old fashioned but a conversation whether it’s face-to-face or on the phone helps me to connect and form much more intimate bonds.   

Even so, I am thankful for the relationships I have made online. I would likely never have met these people if it weren’t for social media events and look forward to meeting them in real life someday.  I do think once I become more immersed in online networking/friendships I will be able to keep up my contacts easily through systems like Twitter.  I’ll know more about people by following them and seeing their updates. In the end, social media can be a very powerful and effective tool – helping me build and maintain relationships – but it is just one tool in a much larger communication toolbox.

What are your thoughts on online vs. real-life networking? Do you think one necessarily replaces the other? How do you establish and maintain good relationships regardless of the medium?

*Bio: Colleen Flood has been a sales consultant with BurrellesLuce for over 12 years and is eager to become a more integrated part of the social-public relations community. She primarily handles agency relations in the New York and New Jersey metro-area. She is not only passionate about work, but also about family, friends, and the Jersey Shore. Twitter: @cgflood LinkedIn: Colleen Flood Facebook: BurrellesLuce

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Posted in Career Advice, Industry Events, Public Relations, Social Media | 5 Comments »

Are You a Conference Commando?

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

Steve Shannon
Over the last month and half I have attended six different PR conferences and have learned a lot, but more importantly I have met many new people and renewed business friendships with many others (read: expanded my professional and personal networks and engaged possible new clients and business partners for BurrellesLuce).

istock_000008002627xsmall.jpgUnfortunately, to this reporter, it seems like most folks attending conferences just gladly come and go from session to session, not bothering to interact with their fellow attendees. Hard to believe as PR is all about public relating.

For all intents and purposes, meeting people face-to-face is the true benefit of attending conferences these days. In the past, there was no such thing as a conference call or a webinar. So by default, if you wanted to learn about a particular topic, a conference was the natural place to go. But now, in the Internet age, and with the premium put on time, you can do distance learning by phone and/or web. If you’re going to invest the time, effort, and money it takes to travel to and attend a conference, maximize your face time and be as Keith Ferrazzi would say, a “conference commando.”

What’s a conference commando?  It’s somebody who attends a conference not only to learn, but to meet as many people, and the right people, who might be able to help them somewhere down the line. But successful commandos know it’s not all about them, you’ve got to give to get, as Ferrazzi counsels. 

If you’re ready to be a Conference Commando, it’s easy and the benefits are many, follow this link to Keith Ferrazzi’s website for 15 tips on how you can become one.

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Posted in Career Advice, Industry Events, Public Relations | 2 Comments »