Monday, April 5, 2010

world wide webinar?

Do you remember the first time that you ever used the internet? I remember when I did. I was just a teenager and I remember the librarian at my school giving a demo to a large group of us on how to “surf the web”. At the time I didn’t really understand what it was. I remember thinking that it was cool because it was a way for me to look up information for school projects without having to use the dewy decimal system. I remember being perplexed by terms and concepts that I was unfamiliar with like World Wide Web, http, browsers, internet links, and search engines. Being a kid, I didn’t really understand how big of a deal the internet really was; now it is something that is hard to imagine living without. Over the years the internet has enabled us to do so many things more effectively and efficiently than ever before. It has created products, services, terminology, social avenues, and many other opportunities and concepts that didn’t exist before. It is safe to say that the internet has become more than just a cool alternative to things like the dewy decimal system. It has revolutionized the way we live our lives and has connected the world through a few clicks of a mouse.

-Tadd McAnally

Speaking of connecting the world, one of the bi-products of the internet that I have become very familiar with over the past few years has been the use of webinars and web conferencing. In the virtual work environment web conferencing is a critical tool to have in your toolbox in order to effectively communicate and collaborate with others when everyone cannot be sitting in the same room. Most people are familiar with web conferences where everyone attends the conference via the internet and presentations are shared with the attendees by sharing someone’s desktop. Everyone has the ability to speak and collaborate with one another while reviewing documents and presentation on their monitors. Webinars, on the other hand, are probably a little less common to most people. The word “webinar” is typically used to describe a specific type of web conference where they are most likely a one-way conference and delivered to a larger audience. The terminology is really not the point; however, the point is that there are different uses and different methods for conducting remote conferences depending on the objective and the attendees.

Most organizations rarely leverage the full capabilities and potential of the web conferencing tools such as virtual whiteboards, chat, control transfer, conference polls, breakout sessions, and reporting. More importantly, very few organizations use web conferencing to strategically perform core functions of the business. In many cases, employees don’t even know that the capability to have web conferences exists within their organization. With all of the tools that we have at our fingertips, it is amazing that communication is still one of the leading challenges for businesses today. However, when you peel this issue back a little it is easy to see that the tools for communication are only a portion of the problem. One of the fundamental differences of a virtual work environment that often drives better performance and results is the fact that your communication tactics and strategies have to be more deliberate, thought-out, and executed. You just don’t have the margin for miscommunications in the remote world, and you have to be aware of the different tools and methods that are available to communicate effectively for different situations.

With the average cost of a business trip for one person reaching close to $2,000, Web conferencing is a growing trend to help organizations reduce costs and connect people that are in different geographical locations. However, this technology does not eliminate all of the need for business related travel. There are still times when a physical presence is necessary and adds value. The challenge is identifying when it is appropriate and when a web conference will suffice. Everyone can relate to the business trip where you have shown up and left wondering why a flight across the country was really necessary.

Part of the problem is that the technology that is purchased by companies to use for web conferencing rarely comes with an introductory course or training for employees to learn how to use this technology. As I alluded to before, sometimes employees don’t even know that their company has these services or tools available to them. Having the technology is just part of the equation. It is like buying a car but not knowing how to drive it – or just knowing that the gas makes it go and the breaks make it stop. This is one of the many areas that virtualwirks is helping organizations thrive and excel in their remote business models. We are helping them see the importance of strategic communication planning and understanding the assets that they have available to help them save money. Reducing costs through reduced travel and improving results and effectiveness at the same time yields a pretty decent ROI… And if you don’t believe me, you can probably do some research on the internet to find out for yourself.

–Tadd