This last week, something amazing happened to me at work. Someone came to my office building and tried to tell me something. Yes, I know that may not be amazing to most people, but hear me out; I bet you’ll see the “amazingness” by the end of my post!
First, my office building is smack-dab in the middle of the Main Avenue road construction in West Fargo. There is now only one way to get to our building, and that way looks a lot like a dead end or an alley to the untrained eye. You have to be pretty darned determined to find the building, and really competitive if you want to get a parking spot in the lot itself.
Second, the person that came to visit me was from the Ramada Plaza and Suites, one of the largest hotels in the Fargo-Moorhead area. She was the Director of Sales, and she was in my office to talk to me about the $3 million renovations they are starting in November, their new catering menu, and their new corporate member’s club.
After the initial shock wore off, I really listened to her spiel. She was a great salesperson; if their prices weren’t so high and I hadn’t already signed a contract with another hotel, I may have given her my employer’s business. In fact, I would have given her our business for the sheer fact that she came out and saw me. No other hotel in the area has ever sent someone to see me, and we are one of the largest employers in the area!
As we all have discussed over the past five weeks, and longer for some of us, the era of face to face conversations and telephone calls is dying. When I was looking for a hotel for our conferences, I had to go out and practically beg for someone to give me information. No one was waiting on my doorstep, or even on their doorstep, to win my business.
I have seen a lot of retail businesses going the way of social media tools as a way to advertise their product. For businesses that provide services, like hotels and convention facilities, I think the social media tools, websites and brochures are all well and good, but the personal touch cannot die. Before you sign over thousands of dollars, it’s rather comforting to know the person that you’re paying.
So, for any of you that are thinking of going into a service industry, think about my blog. Do you agree that the personal touch will always be needed? Or do you think I’m stuck in the old ways?
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Students + Computers + Educational Environment = Global Success
In the Fargo Forum today, one article in particular caught my eye. It was about students at Fargo’s Madison Elementary School and their new pilot program. This pilot program will put five mini-laptops in every classroom at Madison Elementary School, giving a rough student to computer ratio of four to one.
I found this interesting because a big focus of this class is technology and the different ways it is available to different types of people. I think these mini-laptops are a great way to introduce children to technologies and their associated responsibilities on a scale that they will be comfortable with.
West Fargo Public Schools actually ordered 200 of the mini-laptops this summer for our new STEM Center that opened this fall. Each student that attends the STEM Center is issued a laptop at the same time they are issued textbooks. It is their responsibility throughout the year, and if it is not returned in the way it was issued, the student and their parents are responsible for replacing it, just like a textbook.
Thus the mini-laptops are used to teach the whole student 21st century skills. For anyone involved in the education industry, you know that 21st century skills and 21st century learning are becoming topics of mass discussion and debate across the country. Everyone wants good things and new things for their kids. The only thing we seem to disagree on is how we get it to them.
Yes, the mini-laptops are a fairly new tool, but they will not remain the newest tool for very long. The question plaguing school districts is when should they pull the trigger and become a technologically savvy district? Should they do it now with mini-laptops, or should they wait for the next technology wave that brings phone-sized devices with laptop-sized capabilities? Most districts will not be capable of upgrading from one technology to another every time a new one hits the market.
Thankfully, a lot of big corporations and organizations see the benefits of 21st century learning, and many have created partnerships or grants that are awarded to schools to do things like what Fargo and West Fargo are doing. Without the financial, and often technological, expertise of people like this, school districts would be left behind.
If we want our students to participate and excel in the global market, doing things like West Fargo’s STEM Center and Madison Elementary’s pilot program are critical. Supporting those initiatives is also crucial. They are the foundation for getting technology into the hands of children at an early age.
I found this interesting because a big focus of this class is technology and the different ways it is available to different types of people. I think these mini-laptops are a great way to introduce children to technologies and their associated responsibilities on a scale that they will be comfortable with.
West Fargo Public Schools actually ordered 200 of the mini-laptops this summer for our new STEM Center that opened this fall. Each student that attends the STEM Center is issued a laptop at the same time they are issued textbooks. It is their responsibility throughout the year, and if it is not returned in the way it was issued, the student and their parents are responsible for replacing it, just like a textbook.
Thus the mini-laptops are used to teach the whole student 21st century skills. For anyone involved in the education industry, you know that 21st century skills and 21st century learning are becoming topics of mass discussion and debate across the country. Everyone wants good things and new things for their kids. The only thing we seem to disagree on is how we get it to them.
Yes, the mini-laptops are a fairly new tool, but they will not remain the newest tool for very long. The question plaguing school districts is when should they pull the trigger and become a technologically savvy district? Should they do it now with mini-laptops, or should they wait for the next technology wave that brings phone-sized devices with laptop-sized capabilities? Most districts will not be capable of upgrading from one technology to another every time a new one hits the market.
Thankfully, a lot of big corporations and organizations see the benefits of 21st century learning, and many have created partnerships or grants that are awarded to schools to do things like what Fargo and West Fargo are doing. Without the financial, and often technological, expertise of people like this, school districts would be left behind.
If we want our students to participate and excel in the global market, doing things like West Fargo’s STEM Center and Madison Elementary’s pilot program are critical. Supporting those initiatives is also crucial. They are the foundation for getting technology into the hands of children at an early age.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Social Media is like a Weed - Popping up Everywhere!
If you have ever purchased a new vehicle, have you ever experienced that feeling that everyone in your community either drives the same vehicle as you do or has one the same color? Have you ever purchased a really neat gadget, thinking you were so on top of things, and then realized that everyone you see has the same gadget?
Well, that is how I have been feeling lately in regard to social media tools. Before this class started, social media tools were not in the forefront of my mind. I did not spend hours each day on Facebook or Twitter or BlogSpot; I knew they existed, but was not an avid user or consumer. Now, it seems that everywhere I turn I see or hear references to one tool or another.
Very early this morning (Tuesday), a student from Shanley High School was found dead in his home, perhaps from a “big hit” he sustained during a high school football last night. Friends of mine have a son that knew Nick from summer football camps, and he told me that I would not believe the number of hits Nick’s Facebook page had received by the end of school today. Not only do students use their pages as a way to keep friends updated, they also use them as a sort of virtual memorial to a lost friend. Although wrapped in sadness, the concept is extremely cool, especially for when the family is ready to view the page.
This afternoon, some students at West Fargo High School discovered a low level threat written on the bathroom wall. Almost before district administration could be notified, students had texted, e-mailed, or tweeted to people outside the building about what had been found. If the threat had been more serious, parents would probably have been on the scene before administration arrived from the district office! This ability of students to inform their parents and other outside people with the tapping of a few keys makes work tough for school officials. If discussing this type of message wasn’t hard enough, they now have to do it ASAP, so as not to be beaten by a text from a student.
The women’s group that I am a part of met last week to discuss how we want to keep our group together over the years, and the unanimous choice was by creating a Facebook group. I was one of two people that had to make the announcement of shame that I did not have a Facebook account, but would promise to get one so we can make good on this group. I am still unsure why we had to move away from e-mailing; it seemed to work just fine for the last ten months, but apparently e-mail is so last season :)
Finally, I received an e-mail notification of a sale at one of my favorite clothing stores, Ann Taylor Loft. At the bottom of the e-mail, underneath the photographs of the sale items, was a little box that said “Find Us on Facebook!” Holy cow! When did clothing stores get Facebook accounts, and what the heck do they use them for?!
All in all, social media tools are popping up all over the place, sometimes where you least expect them to. Look out world; even if you’re not ready for social media, it’s ready and knocking down the door for us!
Well, that is how I have been feeling lately in regard to social media tools. Before this class started, social media tools were not in the forefront of my mind. I did not spend hours each day on Facebook or Twitter or BlogSpot; I knew they existed, but was not an avid user or consumer. Now, it seems that everywhere I turn I see or hear references to one tool or another.
Very early this morning (Tuesday), a student from Shanley High School was found dead in his home, perhaps from a “big hit” he sustained during a high school football last night. Friends of mine have a son that knew Nick from summer football camps, and he told me that I would not believe the number of hits Nick’s Facebook page had received by the end of school today. Not only do students use their pages as a way to keep friends updated, they also use them as a sort of virtual memorial to a lost friend. Although wrapped in sadness, the concept is extremely cool, especially for when the family is ready to view the page.
This afternoon, some students at West Fargo High School discovered a low level threat written on the bathroom wall. Almost before district administration could be notified, students had texted, e-mailed, or tweeted to people outside the building about what had been found. If the threat had been more serious, parents would probably have been on the scene before administration arrived from the district office! This ability of students to inform their parents and other outside people with the tapping of a few keys makes work tough for school officials. If discussing this type of message wasn’t hard enough, they now have to do it ASAP, so as not to be beaten by a text from a student.
The women’s group that I am a part of met last week to discuss how we want to keep our group together over the years, and the unanimous choice was by creating a Facebook group. I was one of two people that had to make the announcement of shame that I did not have a Facebook account, but would promise to get one so we can make good on this group. I am still unsure why we had to move away from e-mailing; it seemed to work just fine for the last ten months, but apparently e-mail is so last season :)
Finally, I received an e-mail notification of a sale at one of my favorite clothing stores, Ann Taylor Loft. At the bottom of the e-mail, underneath the photographs of the sale items, was a little box that said “Find Us on Facebook!” Holy cow! When did clothing stores get Facebook accounts, and what the heck do they use them for?!
All in all, social media tools are popping up all over the place, sometimes where you least expect them to. Look out world; even if you’re not ready for social media, it’s ready and knocking down the door for us!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
BCBS Needs Serious Help, from Social Media & Otherwise!
Today when I logged onto the Fargo Forum online, I experienced a sickening sense of déjà vu. Just six short months ago, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota was on the front page of the paper for spending excessive amounts of money on a bonus trip for some employees. About a week later, they were on the front page again when they fired their longtime president and CEO Mike Unjehm. Now they are making headlines again with the findings of a financial audit report that was done.
The last time I wrote about Blue Cross Blue Shield, the moral of my blog was that they were experiencing a public relations nightmare and needed assistance quickly. Today, the moral of my blog remains the same, but with different tactics employed!
As a member of the youngest generation that is currently paying for healthcare, the findings of the audit report revealed in today’s paper disgust me. How can they justify spending millions of dollars in bonuses that they received by raising the premiums of those people that can least afford it? How do they justify paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in salaries each year to at least 10 employees while others are thanking their lucky stars that they still have jobs?
Blue Cross Blue Shield needs to invest their money in a damn good public relations campaign. They need to start building trust with their premium payers, especially those like me from the younger generation. I am going to need health insurance for a lot of years yet, and seeing things like this in the newspaper does not make me feel very good about sticking with BCBS.
BCBS needs to use this campaign to address their issues truthfully as well as what they intend on doing to alleviate those issues. These messages need to be sent out via every available source, so that people from every generation have equal opportunity of viewing them. Not only do they need a good media relations department to talk to the media, they also need a department that can wield the tools of social media.
Even though updating the public on the status of the report is probably not on the forefront of their mind, it is a step I feel they should take in the interest of being open and honest. Videos should be sent out through YouTube; a blog should be started where executives correspond with premium payers; and they could livecast any important information using SHOUTcast or Live 365.
With a lot of hard work, I honestly feel that their situation is redeemable. If they make a concerted, public effort to face their wrongdoings and reverse some of their bad decisions, they can remain as my insurance company!
The last time I wrote about Blue Cross Blue Shield, the moral of my blog was that they were experiencing a public relations nightmare and needed assistance quickly. Today, the moral of my blog remains the same, but with different tactics employed!
As a member of the youngest generation that is currently paying for healthcare, the findings of the audit report revealed in today’s paper disgust me. How can they justify spending millions of dollars in bonuses that they received by raising the premiums of those people that can least afford it? How do they justify paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in salaries each year to at least 10 employees while others are thanking their lucky stars that they still have jobs?
Blue Cross Blue Shield needs to invest their money in a damn good public relations campaign. They need to start building trust with their premium payers, especially those like me from the younger generation. I am going to need health insurance for a lot of years yet, and seeing things like this in the newspaper does not make me feel very good about sticking with BCBS.
BCBS needs to use this campaign to address their issues truthfully as well as what they intend on doing to alleviate those issues. These messages need to be sent out via every available source, so that people from every generation have equal opportunity of viewing them. Not only do they need a good media relations department to talk to the media, they also need a department that can wield the tools of social media.
Even though updating the public on the status of the report is probably not on the forefront of their mind, it is a step I feel they should take in the interest of being open and honest. Videos should be sent out through YouTube; a blog should be started where executives correspond with premium payers; and they could livecast any important information using SHOUTcast or Live 365.
With a lot of hard work, I honestly feel that their situation is redeemable. If they make a concerted, public effort to face their wrongdoings and reverse some of their bad decisions, they can remain as my insurance company!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Housekeeper is the Last to Go??
On the Fargo Forum’s online page this morning, there was a breaking news alert about a press conference at Bobcat. This press conference was being held to announce the closing of the Bismarck plant and the over 400 jobs that would be lost as a direct result.
On the front page of MSN this evening, one of their top news picks is “Hate Chores? Hire Some Help.” In light of what had been on the ticker of the Fargo Forum, the MSN ticker really caught my eye. How can people actually be thinking about hiring help for things like sweeping the floor, doing laundry, and going grocery shopping when hundreds of people are losing their jobs every day?
Being the type of person that I am, I had to read this article, even though I already had a good idea of who it was addressed to: the rich soccer moms that don’t hold down real jobs. I cannot tell you how surprised I was to find that the article addressed moms and dads from all levels of financial security. This article expounded on the increased amount of time you would have to spend with your children, your spouse, growing your business, or just having mental health time if you would only outsource your chores.
I had to find out more, so I Binged “outsourcing your chores” and over 67,000 results appeared. Obviously not all of them are relevant, but the first four or five pages are pretty damn relevant to what I was looking for. There were articles from both sides of the argument, and even some tidbits about outsourcing your chores to your children rather than a personal assistant.
One of the most interesting pieces on the flip side of what I’ve been talking about was a blog titled “The Personal Financier.” This blogger’s first sentence mirrors what my gut instinct was on this phenomenon: “…more often than not, laziness is the real reason while the spare time just generates more expenses.”
How many people hire a housekeeper so they can spend more time with their spouses or their children? My guess would be not nearly as many as those who hire the housekeeper so they can go out shopping for new Gucci handbags. In our economy, this fate-tempting is not something I would approach lightly. I would rather take a couple of organizational courses, get myself organized, complete all my own chores, and then enjoy the family time that I so richly deserve.
Sounds a lot better than writing a check for family time…
On the front page of MSN this evening, one of their top news picks is “Hate Chores? Hire Some Help.” In light of what had been on the ticker of the Fargo Forum, the MSN ticker really caught my eye. How can people actually be thinking about hiring help for things like sweeping the floor, doing laundry, and going grocery shopping when hundreds of people are losing their jobs every day?
Being the type of person that I am, I had to read this article, even though I already had a good idea of who it was addressed to: the rich soccer moms that don’t hold down real jobs. I cannot tell you how surprised I was to find that the article addressed moms and dads from all levels of financial security. This article expounded on the increased amount of time you would have to spend with your children, your spouse, growing your business, or just having mental health time if you would only outsource your chores.
I had to find out more, so I Binged “outsourcing your chores” and over 67,000 results appeared. Obviously not all of them are relevant, but the first four or five pages are pretty damn relevant to what I was looking for. There were articles from both sides of the argument, and even some tidbits about outsourcing your chores to your children rather than a personal assistant.
One of the most interesting pieces on the flip side of what I’ve been talking about was a blog titled “The Personal Financier.” This blogger’s first sentence mirrors what my gut instinct was on this phenomenon: “…more often than not, laziness is the real reason while the spare time just generates more expenses.”
How many people hire a housekeeper so they can spend more time with their spouses or their children? My guess would be not nearly as many as those who hire the housekeeper so they can go out shopping for new Gucci handbags. In our economy, this fate-tempting is not something I would approach lightly. I would rather take a couple of organizational courses, get myself organized, complete all my own chores, and then enjoy the family time that I so richly deserve.
Sounds a lot better than writing a check for family time…
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