End of a term

So, this week brings us to the end of another term at LFGSM. My social media class has been a great experience. I have to admit, I was reluctant about taking an on-line course. Part of the reason I chose this MBA program was the clasroom interaction. But, now that it almost done, I can say I have learned just as much as I would have in a traditional setting. The material we reviewed in class lent itself to the online experience. Aside from the discussions and the different points of view, the best part for me was the guest speakers. All of them were super informative and experts in their field. I would suggest more of these in the future curriculum.

So we have been working the past couple of weeks on our final project. It has been a cool experience. Stephen and I felt we had a good example to analyze. When suggesting a social media plan to a small-business owner, we came to the conclusion less is more. Social Media can be intimidating. You have to filter out all the unecessary sites, and have someone start with the basics. Our project focused on Valerie Downs who has a decent on-line presence, but needed help taking it to the next level.  She really liked our recommendations and looks forward to implementing over time. It is nice to see our classwork make a difference to someone's business.

Thanks again, Carleen. Great class.

Unplugged

So I just got back from a weekend in Michigan. Stayed out in the country with some friends for good food, a litte wine and conversation. Something I though was interesting is that several times this weekend, there was a "no phone rule".  For example, in one restaurant, all of the cell phones were staked at one end of the table when we arrived (there were 8 of them). It definitely resonated with everyone how accoustom we now are to constantly checking our Facebook and other accounts. Taking one hour for dinner with no status updates was really hard for some people. Sure, its funny... but its also a little scary. Its almost unimaginable how quickly technology is advacing and permeating our lives.

One cool thing I saw was my friends new security system in their weekend home. With a mobile phone app, they can lock any door in the house and turn lights on and off. They can even activate a camera on the driveway and the front door and see the stream on their iPhone. Tooo cool.

Social Media in Action

So this weekend I decided to leverage some of the strategies learned in my social media class. Several of my close friends are also in Marketing. Last night at dinner, I found myself having a conversation with a Director of Marketing for a local non-profit. She spoke of several articles she had read lately about how to leverage social media for fundraising. Before you know it we were emailing articles back and forth from our smartphones, and that got me thinking there must be an easier to accomplish this sharing of content.

So, this morning I set up a shared folder in Dropbox and invited over a dozen friends in my field to post reviews and articles they found interesting. By the middle of the afternoon our folder already had over thirty articles reagrding anything and everything marketing. Many of the articles I had read recently read in class, but others were completely new. What I like about Dropbox is the privacy, and I don't have to mess with emails containing attachments.  It organized simple and effective. And because I can access from work or home I can read anytime. What a convenient a great use of technology!!

Organizational Groundswell

So I started thinking this week about internal groundswell and where my company ranks. After doing the reading and reviewing the comments posted by other individuals in my sm class, I came to the realization that my organization has much room for improvement in terms of internal communication.

We have recently gone through a lot of re-organization - restructuring entire deparments. I can't help but wonder how successful the company could become if a great internal system of communication was in place. You would think (internal) social media platforms would be more common. There are multiple studies that prove employees are more effective when they feel connected, and technology innovation would happen much faster.

But who would champion the initiative? Marketing? HR? Operations? Or are the employees responsible? It is a very interesting concept, and I believe it could get started with little investment and time. I am going to discuss the concept with a fellow employee this week and see what she thinks... stay tuned.

In other news, for our social media final project, Stephen Craig and myself have decided to help a good friend of mine. She is an entrepreneur and runs a successful jewelry business. She has always struggled with an online presence, so we feel feel we have a great opportunity to make some suggestions for her sm business plan.

Brain Dead

Mid-terms this week and my brain is exploding. Ten page paper in Social Media. Five page paper in Innovation and Disruption. Presentation with slides due Monday night. Team project started. Two group meetings accomplished. Several hundred pages to read, and the weekend is now winding down.

I sense that when I get out of school I will be amazed at what to do with all the time on my hands. Hopefully I can channel that energy into my career and consider options that aren't available to me now. Hmmm what will all this knowledge afford me? A Directors position? A consulting gig? Maybe my own  business? I'll decide that later.

For now, I'm going to heat up some warm soup and watch 60 minutes with my dog. I am pretty sure he upset with the lack of attention this weekend. So, extra treats for hims!

Disruptive Innovation & SM

Before my latest class at Lake Forest, I was not familiar with the concept of disruptive innovation. Disruptive innovation is the creation of a new product or process that disrupts or replaces a current business model. For example, how the iTunes and the iPod changed the music industry, or how tablets and e-readers have shuttered bookstores.

It got me thinking about all of the tech disruptive innovations that have occured in my lifetime. Casettes, compact discs, the PC, fax machines, digital photography, email. But, I would have to say the biggest innovation I've witnessed is the birth of the internet. The implications are so vast I could't begin to name them all. How quickly it has evolved to become so mainstream. It amazes me how technology and information have permeated human lives. This can be said for the new landscape of Social Media. 

Although social media platforms are only a few years old, they affect billions of people. I think the Arab Sping that just occurred will be remembered in history as the turning point when the internet changed the course of human history. Just this week Twitter announced a beta project that would create instant translations. Aside from the cool factor, the implications are far broader. Humainty is on the cusp of being able to communicate with, and instantly understand any other human on the planet. Technology is a new language, a global language. And social mdeia platforms are becoming a primary medium of communication. 

It be interesting to see how social media evolves and continues to shape the human condition. 

Planet alignment

Ever notice when you pay attention to something, you begin to see it everywhere? Case and point: Social Media. Since the class started three weeks ago, I've started to realize its impact in my day to day life.

Just a few things from this week:

• PBS Newshour interviewing a well-known female blogger in Syria about the uprising. 
• Pinterest. Never heard of it before and this week several friends mentioned they are now addicted. 
• Leaving the office today and notice our graphic designer is on Flickr and shows me her portfolio.
• Presidential campaign twitter activity. David Axelrod and the Obama campaign going after the Romney. Good stuff.
• Whitney Houston death minute by minute on twitter.
• A new project at work adding multiple pages to the company Facebook page.
• Chicken Picatta receipe supplied by AllReceipes on my iPhone. 4 star user rating
• Updating LinkedIn as part of my 2012 intitatives at work
• Notice a good friend checks-in at a restaurant the same time I'm eating there. We have dinner together
• Great new info currator on twitter - Brian Solis
• Just finished a Go-To meeting with classmates. We run an on-line simulation from Harvard School of Business.

I guess these things aren't unusual. More common than anything, but my perception of social media has sharpened. Listing all of the ways it affects me, it is hard to imagine living without it.