How can you train employees to become more adept with new networking technology?
It just depends on the type of employees you have. There are all kinds of different people, and they learn all different kinds of ways. I find that giving them time and challenging them, taking them out of their comfort zone, giving them some time and supporting them through it, that tends to help people along. For example, if you have a special project that involves a new technology. You might help them and walk them through it, maybe giving them a project and reinforcing them along the way.
I really put pressure back on the employee, because they want to be challenged. They want to learn and ultimately succeed. After a couple of projects, they should pick up what you want them to learn. Then they can start doing it on their own.
With any new technology, it comes back to why we’re using it. First, you have to describe to your employees how it’s going to be used, why it is important. So you kind of get the buy-in from the employees. Secondly, you have to have either some resources or have some type of training or support in place for people. A lot of the newer technologies are user-friendly and easy to learn, but it helps to have some type of process in place to show everyone that this is how you do things, you do X, Y and then Z, just to have some rules in place.
What are some of the main ways a business can utilize blogs in particular?
Blogs and news feeds are both really good for messaging and a good component to have on your site. The personal messaging that you can get from blogs is a great way to open up communication with people. When you’re building a Web site, it’s kind of a one-way communication. You’re talking to someone who is looking at your site. But a blog is a two-way communication where people can comment back on your stories. And it’s very important that they can comment back and open up that communication. You can put a little personality into the blog as well. If the CEO is very charismatic, it’s nice to have a CEO blog, where he or she can write on it every week and add a bit of personal flair to the corporate environment. It’s another way to open up and really differentiate yourself from the other companies.
How to reach: Roger West Creative and Code, (813) 433-1869 or www.rogerwestcreative.com
