The New Battle for M.B.A. Grads

I guess we should keep this blog going.

There was a great article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday about the new battle for M.B.A. students. Because there is such a shortage of grads, companies are using new digital tools, such as blogs, to attract recruits.

“They are mining for résumés online, arranging video interviews and using instant messaging to cast a wider net and connect more effectively with today's tech-savvy students,” says Alsop.

Other Interesting Points from the Article

• "We cannot afford to recruit only from our core schools because other schools, including some small schools, have amazing students."


• "The company is setting up meeting spaces and islands in a virtual community called Second Life, where it plans to hold events such as recruiter question-and-answer sessions. . ."


• "About 69% of recruiters in the Journal survey said their companies increased starting pay this year. Nearly a third of the survey respondents said they offered salaries of more than $100,000, up from about 24% last year and 17% in 2005."


• "Some companies are using work-life flexibility to attract M.B.A. recruits."

- Brian

Blogging in the Corporate World

I have to admit that I never really thought of blogging as a means of communication in the business world. I too just saw it as a way to state your opinions about celebrities, music, politics, and so forth. However, after hearing George Howard's presentation on Monday evening, he definitely gave me a new perspective on blogs. I was amazed that authors were actually doing book tours through blogs and selling their books through them as well. In addition, I never really thought of blogs as a free medium of advertising. I think this is great too.

Meeting Purpose: Make a Decision

Guy Kawasaki’s fundamentals for conducting a meeting really hit home. All meetings should be conducted with an end in mind. Prior to last class, I (shamefully) had conducted many ill-fated meetings which got nothing accomplished. I now realized that my meetings were victimized by a lack of understanding the basic purpose for having meetings: to make a decision.

The thing that really stuck for me was an inference I made from: for a meeting to be truly effective, the majority of the work must be done before the meeting actually starts. In order to make an informed decision in 30 minutes, all parties attending must have received a detailed agenda, and have enough time to gather their thoughts on the topics to be discussed. Without the full cooperation of all participants, the proverbial wheel will have to be re-invented and time is wasted.

This actually works! Last week, I limited my weekly 60 minute meeting to 30, sent out a detailed agenda with talking points assigned to the relevant parties, and informed all those to attend of the single purpose of the meeting: To make a decision on XXXX. The decision was made within the first 10 minutes of the meeting. Needless to say, I found Guy Kawasaki’s insight extremely helpful.

An Extension of Self

Last week was a very interesting class for me. Although Professor Howard opened up his presentation making fun of his undergraduate students for their preconceived notions about blogs and bloggers- I secretly identified with undergrads who believed that people engaged in blogging were somehow very socially inept and greatly lacking interpersonal skills.

There are two major themes that “stuck” with me from Monday’s class. The first was complete awe in the power of a persuasive and effective presentation. In what seemed to be no less than 20 minutes, Professor Howard absolutely changed my mind about not only the usefulness and necessity of blogs, yet also about what “type” of person uses them. Professor Howard altered a few years worth of my negative attitude about blogging and social networking websites in less than an hour. Now that's effective communication! Wow.

The second aspect that turned out to be quite profound for me is when Dr. Howard called blogging an “extension of self”. That resonated with me as I never thought of blogging as a form of self expression. It dawned on me that whenever someone is sharing something about their thoughts and feelings-- it is very personal regardless of the subject matter being discussed. While I may prefer another form of communication, blogging is often times used no differently than putting a pen to paper and writing a letter. It is simply conveying a particular message to a certain audience.

Now, blogs have definitely become personified in my mind, and not some abstract tool that only introverted people use. I now look at it like a photograph, or even a journal entry; meaning it captures a specific moment and is reflective of how a person thought and felt at that time. Blogging is something that could be fun and useful for everyone.

Quite humbly, I learned a lot about how incorrect I was!


--A. Harris

blogs in the workplace

Professor Howard’s presentation on blogs brought up many interesting topics. I agree with his notion that blogging will grow as a more prevalent form of communication in the near future. A blog offers insight into the mind of its author in ways that a more formal form of communication cannot. I believe that a blog’s casual nature allows the writer to feel freer to express himself, and makes the reader more comfortable with the subject matter. Reading a person’s blog, whether the tone is playful or serious, makes a connection from the reader to the author’s true ethos. I have found that, in my office, if coworkers read each others blogs, we find it much easier to communicate with each other. The postings help me to know what really pushes the buttons of my other employees and helps me engage them in lighthearted conversation. Blogs have really helped us to make interpersonal bonds beyond what we talk about at work every day.

Out of the loop...

About 5 months ago, someone told me that if I didn't "MySpace," I was out of the loop. Well, I guess I AM out of the loop, because I had no idea that Blogs had become such a common business tool (or that MySpace was already on the way out the door). To me, "blogging" was just another online tool that people used to express their opinions about politics, current events or entertainment(music, movies, etc.), not anymore important or useful than another tool. I haven't found much personal use for them in the past. Plus, the law firm I worked for was not exactly the type to request or use feedback, so blogs were definitely not a part of my job requirement.

It was interesting not only to find out how useful blogs can be for businesses, large and small, to get feedback and communicate with customers, but also to see how many people were obviously "in the loop" with blogs, or at least new a lot more than me. I had to watch E! this weekend just to find out who Perez Hilton was! So, aside from being happy I never got involved in MySpace (since it's apparently outdated), I also now realize that I need to know about and pay attention to the blog world. As a growing outlet for companies and consumers, blogs have a new position in business that can't be ignored.

Missy Phillips

Value of Blogs

I have to admit I was a little ignorant about blogs before Prof. Howard’s presentation. I knew the basic information and I regularly read a few of them, but I would have never considered creating one myself. The blogs I subscribe to are all written by professionals who are experts in their fields and unfortunately I can not yet call myself an expert in any capacity. After seeing Prof. Howard’s presentation I realized that I too could create a blog and talk about my profession without being an expert as long as I am honest with myself and the readers. I also have to admit that I never thought about blogs as a networking tool. The presentation served as an excellent introduction to the value of blogs and opened my eyes to the importance of them in the world today.

-- Meghan DeCuir

Blogs = Future Feedback?

One thing that stuck with me from Monday's class presentation was the potential that blogs have to affect the business world. Blogs are a communication device that are easy to produce and free of charge; two characteristics that allow the masses to write them. I believe this "free market" for blog-writers provides endless possibilities for individuals to get their experiences heard concerning products and services which they encounter.

Blogs therefore have the ability to become tools for international feedback. This feedback can help the company that produces the product because it will understand where changes may need to be made to improve the product, as well as potential customers who want to learn more about it. Allowing this unregulated form of communication can help increase sales of great but not well-known products as well as decrease the sales of unsatisfactory products. I believe people's abilility to write feedback about products and services is a great benefit of blogs and I hope to definately see more of it in the future.

~ Catherine Dinan

Sticky Blogs

One of the most important things I remember from Mr. Howard's presentation on BLOGS, is that we can write about ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING! It is actually something most people knew, but I always thought Blogging required a significant amount of research behind the argument the writer was making to his/her audience.

I had always thought about starting my own BLOG, but always put the excuse that I never had the time, nor tools to do so. I was proven totally wrong! It is fairly simple, and I plan to create one this Fall, and it will be about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.

-Eric Rodriguez

The Market Will Correct Itself

I'm sorry to admit I cannot remember who asked the question about the "helpless" consumer, at the mercy of a company extolling the virtues of its product in a blog atmosphere, during class on Monday. I do not believe, however, that an Internet savvy consumer would in fact be led like a sheep to slaughter by such a company because, especially in a volitile environment such as the Internet, the market will inevitably correct itself.

--
Let's assume a situation: ACME Toy Company asks their IT department to set up a blog to promote their newest product, Spike, an interactive multimedia toy designed to teach toddlers and preschoolers about colors and shapes. Hoping to catch the attention of Gen X parents searching for information, ACME includes a post on the blog applauding Spike's ability to capture a child's imagination with his bright colors, affable charm, and the useful supportive material that accompanies the toy. Unfortunately, ACME fails to mention that Spike was secretly outsourced to China, and 3 of every 10 units will fall apart within days of purchase.

The moment Spike hits the market, he is an instant success due to the blog and an aggresive holiday-timed promotional campaign. Parents are rushing out to procure the newest gadget to help their child become a baby Einstein by New Years.

Joe Smith's son, Sammy, has asked his father for a Spike toy after playing with one at his friend Mike's home. Joe decides to do a little Internet research before making the purchase, as Spike comes at a premium. The ever-savvy blog culture, however, has caught up wth ACME's ploy with the speed that only this medium can handle. When he googles "Spike ACME," Joe encounters a blog of a parent whose child's Spike has fallen prey to shoddy manufacturing and most likely toxic materials.

Soon, post after post surfaces, complaining of Spike's obviously poor manufacturing and the screaming children he has caused. Nothing provokes a parent more than their child's dissatisfaction.

ACME soon sees its sales start to falter as more and more people hear about Spike's faults. CNN does an expose the day before the Thanksgiving holiday about Spike after one blog, parentsagainstspike.com, which has gained traction with the consumer watchdog community, demands action on the part of ACME to either recall Spike or compensate his dissatisfied customers.

--
Now, obviously all market results may not be as dramatic as in the Spike example, but the blog culture is full of innovators-- people quick to purchase the newest products on the market. And they are none-too-shy about their opinions, whether they be positive or negative. The iPhone, for example, not even on the market for 3 months, already has over 185,000,000 blogs or blog entries devoted to it. Just imagine how many entries include tyrades about Apple's recent announcement to lower the price of the iPhone by $200.

Companies will certainly put lots of effort into the promotion of new products and capturing customers through the Internet market. Bloggers are becoming, in many cases, a source of product information for many consumers, and can act as promoters or deterrents. The market does indeed correct itself.

Josie Zeiger

Blogging as a Valuable Tool

I really enjoyed Mr. Howard's presentation on blogging. The one thing that "stuck" with me is the widespread use of blogging in the business world. Recently, I have noticed that most of the websites that I visit has a link to that website's blog where visitors can go to comment on specific articles, products, etc. It is used as an interactive tool where people can have a "say" and provide feedback directly to a specific person or the company itself. I can definitely see blogging as a valuable tool used by businesses to get useful feedback, and it can also be used as a marketing tool.

I was surprised with how easy it is to create a blog. You don't have to be technology savvy to be able to create a blog or post comments. Popularity of this valuable tool is increasing in the business world, and Mr. Howard's presentation was very enlightening.

Joseph Morgan

Conversations

I was struck when Mr. Howard said he enjoyed the conversations that blogs create. As someone pointed out many of theses tools have the potential to cut us off from human interaction, but we instead use theses tools to reach out to people. It was striking that in such a technology driven era Mr. Howard was not struck by the “niftyness” of the new gadget but the conversations it spawned. He seemed fascinated by reaching people in a more direct issue specific way. Whether people are blogging about business, politics, or thimbles we are still interested in making a connection with another human. We want to know what others think. While the world around us is always shifting, we have not changed a bit.

--Eric Mund

What "Stuck"

Before this presentation, it never occurred to me that blogs are prevalient in the business world. Whenever I thought of blogs, I thought of a journal or diary one would write in whenever they had something to say or wanted to vent, etc... I now see blogs in a whole, new light and I just might start a blog of my own!

-Tara Subaiya

The End of Resumes?

We have all read reports that employers are "Googling" candidates ensuring no questionable values are displayed on their Facebook or other social network pages. And it was interesting to hear Mr. Howard say that web profiling is an integral part of his hiring process. So, I am wondering if the paper resume will eventually become a thing of the past?

Will employers prefer that our work experience, past performance, and accolades reside on unbiased third party websites rather than on a resume we create? Will the dreaded "permanent record" from grammar school actually become permanent?

Better not burn any bridges, you may get negative feedback!

-- Brian Danos

the thing that stuck...

The thing that stuck with me from last Monday's class was just how easy it is to start your own blog... I never have really tried to start my own blog, but now that I know how easy it is, I just might. I thought the presentation was excellent and I actually really enjoyed the Powerpoint.

Jacob Tramontin

Marshall Goldsmith's advice

One thing that has stuck with me since class, was Marshall Goldsmith's advice to just "let it go". In both personal and profession lives, people tend to hold on to whatever may have gone wrong. Be it that I did not get a certain position I applied for or that the dry cleaners messed up a clothing article I brought them, It is much easier to bear a grudge sometimes than it is to let it go and focus on something else that can actually be changed.

Elizabeth Callegari

Blogs and Perceptions

Before listening to Professor Howard speak about blogs, my interaction with them was limited to infrequent viewings of blogs written by two of my friends. After leaving class that night, two things he said about blogs interested me, both from a business-standpoint and a personal-communication standpoint: the idea of using blogs as a business/customer feedback mechanism and the usefulness of blogs for organizing thoughts to aid in effectively communicating.

Using a blog to harness the customer's willingness to share opinions on products seems to be the ultimate use of both positive AND negative feedback on a product to a business's advantage. Although I'm not saying this would be the end-all, be-all for feedback, this process could save a business time and money normally expended in creating focus groups. Improving a product WOULD become a cinch from compiling and analyzing negative feedback, and positive feedback would be like free marketing, with one blogger/customer possibly spurring another customer to try the product based on his or her comments. The funny thing is, I don't know how many customers would be aware that they were blogging if they posted a comment about a product on a blog--for the blog-unsavvy like myself, I would just assume I was on a Web site and not be fully conscious of my participation in blogging.

The second "sticking" point about using blogs to organize thoughts was insightful in that it made me think about my two blogging friends. Neither of their blogs is business-related. Both are filled with strictly their observations about life, etc. But both are beautifully, exceptionally written. You can see the effort they put into organizing, structuring, and editing their thoughts. It's putting a communications strategy to work on the most personal level. I can't say for sure if their blogging made them better communicators or if their communication skills were already strong and therefore translated well to their blogs.

Marshall Goldsmith "The Better Boss"

The thing that "stuck" with me about Monday's class was the Marshall Goldsmith article from The New Yorker. The article made me think about my own approach to management and whether I share any of the failings of the CEOs described in the article. The description of Goldsmith made me think of how important it is to be happy in your job. If you aren't a happy person, you aren't going to be a happy manager, and you're not going to have happy employees. It all sort of trickles down. I thought Goldsmith's approach of not dwelling on the "whys" behind the behaviors but focusing on changing the behaviors themselves was very useful and productive model for behavior modification. I liked Goldsmith's story about his restaurant experience in New York where he told the waiter he had a $100 in his pocket and asked the waiter to bring him "the best $100 meal he could come up with." The waiter brought Goldsmith a superb meal and superb service, proving to Goldsmith that if you put faith in people, they will deliver.

-- Crystal Bolner

The Internet becomes an even better tool for businesses

I was quite struck by the development of consumers blogging their opinions concerning products. Companies are now receiving feedback directly from their customers through blogs. Feedback concerning products used to be a more complicated process. Now businesses are able to see how the world likes/doesn't like the company's product(s). By simply using their product as a key word in a search and reading the blogs that pop up in the search results, businesses are able to receive valuable feedback from consumers across the world.
As we know, the Internet has facilitated the economy and world of business for a while now. The Internet has brought a new dimension to the advertising, marketing, and even selling of products and services. Blogs have added another perk to the Internet with respect to businesses of all sizes.

-Cat Weymann

Monday Night's Presentation

In addition to many other classmates, I also enjoyed George Howard's presentation on blogs. While I already have a fair knowledge about blogs, it was interesting to see how having a blog has helped him in the business world. In his industry, the internet plays an integral part in assuring success. I was particularly interested (the thing that stuck) when he discussed the proliferation of social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace. Until recently, my perception of such sites was that it was only for reaching the 16-24 year old age demographic. It's certainly refreshing to see that older professionals such as Howard are able to utilize these social networking sites to his business advantage. I also wonder if job recruiters really check your facebook or myspace pages like Howard stated. I do know however, that in addition to George Howard, more and more professionals are using these social networking sites. In fact, Advertising Age did a story on how some of the top ad execs from New York have facebook pages. You can see that story here. I look forward to having more guest speakers like George Howard.

Monday Night Presentation: Blogs

I really enjoyed the presentation Monday night. One thing that really "stuck" was the idea that ALL companies should be using blogs. Small and big firms can both benefit from using them. It is really important to maintain relations with customers no matter the size of a business. There really is no reason why firms should not be using blogs. It's just so easy and they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
Tiffinie Cadwell

George Howard's additional info on blogs

George also wanted to emphasize the wealth of blog content out there on entrepreneurship and business in general for MBA students. He sent me an email with an example:

• a video interview of the Zillowfounder speaking about startups. He blogged about it on his blog:http://www.9giantsteps.com/?p=317

George Howard's presentation on blogs

George Howard's presentation last night on blogs was an eye opener for me. Static communication, via web sites and newsletters, is not going to be enough to quench employees' thirst for information and connection with others. Just in the past two weeks I've seen articles in the New York Times about fashion designers using blogs to get in touch with their customer base and authors, who used to do "book tours," now doing "blog tours." I don't think we can ignore blogging as a new, powerful means of communication in the business world.