The technical communication profession collectively peers through a window of opportunity. I work at the intersection of technical communication and customer service. My digital strategy tasks focus on the efficient delivery of effective content. So when I see someone who truly understands how valuable quality content can be to a customer, I jump for joy. [...]
Read moreRenewable Service in Disposable Industries
“Please state your date of birth.” A few feet in front of me, an elderly woman looked up at a young cashier. Stunned and flustered, the elegant matron asked “Why do you need to know my date of birth?” The cashier deadpanned, “Halo 3 is rated M for Mature: I can’t sell it to you [...]
Read morePlanned Inconvenience
The Customer Service revolution is OVERDUE. This week, I called my bank to close an extra business account that I no longer needed. What happened next was stunning. Before the bank finally closed the account: I spoke with five different humans I was read a formal apology sentence by all five I was authenticated four [...]
Read moreRenewable Documentation in a Disposable World
Recently, the Lead Change Group invited me to share my thoughts on Renewable Leadership in a Disposable World. In the post, I explain how several 20th-Century organizations fixated on quarterly profits at the expense of their own long-term viability. There are many differences between the disposable and renewable organization and I won’t repeat them all [...]
Read moreThe Age of Accountability
Mark Twain once quipped, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” And for so long, this was so. But something is underway, a great shift toward truth or consequences. Technology has transformed the times. Access to instant information has pulled back the curtain on the [...]
Read moreDefeating Disappointment
Though often stereotyped, we Technical Communicators are truly NOT all alike. We paint our word pictures using every color of the visible light spectrum. We differ in our tastes, preferences and opinions, just like workers in any other profession. That said, throughout my 15 years in this field, I HAVE noticed a few key similarities [...]
Read moreNurturing Advocacy
Like any other tool, Social media can be used for good or ill. Some brands use social channels primarily to promote products. Like a car alarm in a parking lot, a stream of hype quickly becomes a noisy annoyance to customers. But once in a while, a brand takes great care to understand and then [...]
Read moreBring your WHOLE self to Work?
With the rise of social sharing, we’ve seen a new emphasis on personality and authenticity. There is a dialog underway about whether or not traditional “corporate speak” truly build an engaged social community. Can formality drive passionate brand advocacy? Have your say!
Read moreThe Subtleties of Success
Originally guest-blogged 9/20/2010 on Get Your Leadership Big On, the home site of my amazing friend Jane Perdue, aka The HR Goddess. In rare cases, a concept can be more easily defined by describing what it ISN’T, rather than what it is. For example, many Physicists describe “darkness” as “the absence of light.” The Physics [...]
Read moreLavaCon: Knowledge Nuggets: Day 2
The LavaCon 2010 conference covered innovation in digital media and content strategy. This post is a summary of thoughts from the Day 2 Keynote Speakers.
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December 14, 2010
