torontotalks Blogs torontotalks syndicated data http://grou.ps/torontotalks Sat, 26 May 2012 11:34:28 +0100 GROU.PS FeedCreator What's hot in communications? Your list http://grou.ps/torontotalks/blogs/item/whats-hot-in-communications-your-list
We asked UNconference attenders for two things: to write down the top communications issue/concern on a name tag, and to start up and lead a breakout session. Altogether, you shared a real-time list of what we're collectively dealing with, and where we need help and more expertise.

Your top issues and concerns:
  • Employees often don’t care about what’s important to management and vice versa
  • What role(s) should communications play in an enterprise 2.0?
  • How do I convince my executives to blog?
  • Employee participation in online dialogue
  • Getting through to staff who believe they are not being communicated to
  • Tracking and measuring the impact of social media
  • Is social media too social?
  • Avoiding the social media train wreck
  • What to do when another department “owns” social media and is not strategic
  • Where social media fits for our audience
  • Dealing with complacency and cowardice
  • Keeping up with techn
...... [ Read the rest of this story ]]]> Fri, 11 Jun 2010 23:00:17 +0100 5 tips for leading an unconference session http://grou.ps/torontotalks/blogs/item/5-tips-for-leading-an-unconference-session five suggestions for leading a kick-butt session at our unconference. I'm sharing that advice here on our grou.ps network, too:
  • Share the mic.  Unconferences are very much about group collaboration and participation. Spend a few minutes sharing your experience or position on a topic, and then throw open the discussion and get everyone involved.
  • Ask good questions. You’re not expected to to have all the answers. Keep probing your colleagues for their insights.
  • Go out on a limb. Have a topic that was “too hot” for the formal IABC conference? Here’s your chance to stir things up with a crowd that will embrace fresh and even off-the-wall ideas.
  • Capture the conversations. We’ve created an 
...... [ Read the rest of this story ]]]> Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:31:40 +0100 One man's thoughts on the UNconference experience http://grou.ps/torontotalks/blogs/item/one-mans-thoughts-on-the-unconference-experience audio boo
]]> Wed, 02 Jun 2010 23:57:06 +0100 Go casual for the unconference http://grou.ps/torontotalks/blogs/item/go-casual-for-the-unconference

...... [ Read the rest of this story ]]]> Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:48:48 +0100 Grab your Gadgets and Join Us http://grou.ps/torontotalks/blogs/item/grab-your-gadgets-and-join-us The UNconference  is your chance for a little “show and tell”. Go ahead, grab your laptops, netbooks, blackberries, iPhones, iPads (if you’re lucky enough to have one already) bring your flip cameras, digital and video cameras, audio recorders - come packing your case studies, your favourite resources, your examples, your burning questions, your best practices and join us for 

Sunday's UNconference session - Emerging Communication Channels.


Participation is the word of the day. If using the latest technology and a little “show and tell” helps us to tell or capture our stories, then that’s exactly what we’ll do.

]]> Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:04:25 +0100 TorontoTalks interviewd by Shel Holz, For Immediate Release (FIR) http://grou.ps/torontotalks/blogs/item/torontotalks-interviewd-by-shel-holz-for-immediate-release-fir blog post and podcast that explains a little more about how the UNconference came to be and what you can expect. Have a peek and a listen!


]]> Mon, 31 May 2010 22:02:56 +0100 Getting the Most from the Conference Experience http://grou.ps/torontotalks/blogs/item/getting-the-most-from-the-conference-experience this post on tips for getting the most of the conference. While I'd definitely add, attend our UNconference of course, I'd also suggest:
Making a list of those people who are on your "must meet" list and try to schedule a time to connect in advance,
Go with a specific purpose - so many sessions, so may topics/streams, be clear on what information you wish to gain from these sessions,
Participate in the networking and social activities, and finally,
Share your experience and new found knowledge back at the office upon your return...

What are your tips for maximizing the conference experience?
]]> Sun, 30 May 2010 02:15:13 +0100 Bittersweet but for the best: UNconference limited to 200 attendees http://grou.ps/torontotalks/blogs/item/bittersweet-but-for-the-best-unconference-limited-to-200-attendees
Why?
  • Productive group conversation: we have one (very big) room for the session, within which we'll break into sub-groups for breakout discussions. We've designed the schedule with four 25-minute segments. During each segment, six different sub-groups will be meeting, led by whomever wants to lead a segment. With one room and 200 people, we hope that we'll enough room between groups to make for great dialogue.
  • Time is finite: we're packing 24 breakout sessions and 3 lightning talks into 3 hours, and it'd be tough to manage more than 200 bodies moving
...... [ Read the rest of this story ]]]> Sat, 29 May 2010 17:47:56 +0100 Grou.ps forum replies, status updates failing http://grou.ps/torontotalks/blogs/item/groups-forum-replies-status-updates-failing some glitches, preventing replies to forum threads and status updates (as far as I can tell so far).

I'm tracking the issue with support. In the meantime, I suggest we use blogs and wiki pages for content and discussions.
]]> Sat, 29 May 2010 14:19:01 +0100 An UNconference inside a conference? http://grou.ps/torontotalks/blogs/item/an-unconference-inside-a-conference
Last year's IABC world conference was my first. Thanks to Debbie Moore, I had the chance to speak on a panel about using internal social media. During the conference, I met a ton of great people, but I found we had little time outside the conference schedule to meetup and chat spontaneously. I suggested we tweetup, but we ran out of time.

With that experience in mind, a small group of us--Mitch Popilchak, Linda Johannesson, Christopher Swan, Bryan Person, and me--decided to submit the unconference as a conference session for the 2010 conference. We were accepted, and we're rolling with it!

Some have suggested that if it's not free or very cheap, it's not an unconference. Unless you're meeting in a city park, it's going to be tough to make any kind of...... [ Read the rest of this story ]]]> Fri, 28 May 2010 04:42:39 +0100