Blog

Executives are increasingly using blogs for stakeholder communications. A baseline.com article contains both useful tips as well as links to representative executive blogs. Most important, the article remind aspiring executive bloggers that a serious investment is required to reap the rewards: "Blogs are not a “build it and they will come” messaging vehicle. They take commitment, authenticity, and time to cultivate into a respected communications conduit." The NG team recommends that executives unable to commit to this level of effort consider commissioning "thought leaders" to contribute to a company blog.

A CIO Insight article chides the over half of surveyed execs lacking hands-on experience with Web 2.0 applications, "you aren’t putting enough thought into your job."

"Workers across your company aren’t waiting for you to try these applications, they’re using them already. The incoming generation of Web natives—the young people who will replace the retiring baby boomers by the millions—expects a work environment that reflects their reality. That’s where they’ll be most productive, too."

The author's suggestion - "spend a little time mucking around" - may work for some, but more aggressive approaches include seminars, workshops, executive boot camps, and coaching. Peer-oriented pilot projects can be particularly effective.

This article in Slate e-zine By Chad Lorenz describes the growing generational divide between users hanging on to email and ones migrating towards an IM/social networks mix. Writes the author:

". . . e-mail is looking obsolete. According to a 2005 Pew study, almost half of Web-using teenagers prefer to chat with friends via instant messaging rather than e-mail. Last year, comScore reported that teen e-mail use was down 8 percent, compared with a 6 percent increase in e-mailing for users of all ages. As mobile phones and sites like Twitter and Facebook have become more popular, those old Yahoo! and Hotmail accounts increasingly lie dormant."