On the Job Training (OJT)

One day you are coming into work to do your usual job and, next thing you know, a change has added tasks to your normal busy day.  In addition, some of the new duties include working in an area you have little experience  or understanding.  After the initial shock, the next question is - what do I do?

This is where the book "The First 90 Days" by Michael Watkins comes in handy. This book is a very good resource for leaders, whether you are new to the job or are a 'seasoned' pro, as it provides models to cope with such things as learning methods.  His idea of a learning plan is something that can be used throughout one's career to help with continually re-focusing on the important things.

Another resource is the team you have with you. They may be able to direct or instruct you with resources that are already in place.  This also allows for a time to strengthen relationships with team members that will pay dividends going forward.

Lastly, you can contact the vendor or client that is associated with the programs or projects you have 'taken' as a result of changes.

Most importantly, the key is not to panic. Take time to review and plan.

Good luck.

A Time to Change, A Time to Learn

This video, produced by the Pearson Foundation, is a wake-up call to the world of education about the changing way of facilitating knowledge. Only those that see this will probably succeed. Enjoy.

Mobile Blogging

I am always looking for better technology to use in this world of social media. This post uses one of those technologies - posting via mobile devices!

For some of you, this is probably old news. For this new entrant into the world of web 2.0, it is absolutely amazing.

This is a great boost for someone who wants to develop the habit of blogging regularly. If you have a blog on blogger.com, it is very simple. I am sure there are other apps on other blog networks and I will relay them as I find them.

This will be fun!

Social Media - Wow!

I have been participating in the world of social media for the past few months. Whether it be Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed or even this blog, participating in this web 2.0 technology is amazing. When I started inquiring about social media, I found it to be a fascinating concept but did not see the purpose. But since I have started participating fully, I found the power of these technologies and that this is not a 'fly-by-night' fad. It is very easy to get involved. I will be mentioning some of the people I follow on these technologies. I wish I could name them all, but there is not enough room.

I can tell you that with respect to Twitter, "tweeting" is very easy to do and there are people from every walk of life part of the community. It is very easy to set up and get started. In fact, many entrepreneurs of marketing, commercial and public media outlets are fully utilizing this technology. Some "tweeters" like @Scobleizer, @barefoot_exec, @mashable and @joegerstandt are very effective in making full use of this technology (they are also some of my favorite "tweeters").

Facebook is something that more than 140 million people are using to reconnect with friends, colleagues, relatives, communities and other things. I have been fascinated with FB. There are many things going on with this application that you can find yourself spending a great deal of time exploring it.

Friendfeed is an aggregator of the various social media technologies for you. When you start this application, you are able to link your Twitter posts, Digg, Share, and much more into one place. Robert Scoble of Fast Company is a big advocate of Friendfeed andI invite you to click here to get a better understanding of this powerful tool.

Blogging takes a little more effort as you should want to make sure you have some cogent thought on the topic of your choice. If you look around the internet, you can find some amazing blogs on all topics. Whatever your interest, I would guess there is a blog about it. If there isn't, then you can be the one who starts it. Some of my favorites include Mashable, Marenated, and Barefoot Executive. Why do they matter? I think Shannon Paul's Very Official Blog does a very good job of answering that question.

What does all of this have to do with society going forward: everything! I have barely touched the surface of the many applications and communities that are out there to explore, join and participate in. In my opinion, any person or organization should be a part of it for personal or professional development. Your voice, talents, and ideas are what makes the 'community' strong.

I look forward to the discussion here or on your own blog. Please let me know if you have a Blog or Twitter or another technology you want to share and build this online community.