Customer Conversations Are Changing

"The long-held notion that companies control the conversation is being challenged by social media."

http://www.fastcompany.com/article/how-social-media-upending-enterprise

I couldn't have said it better myself.  This statement is true for both internal and external customers.  Organizations will need to let go of the conversation and be willing to address their constituents in the method of their choice.  Organizations will also need to manage and leverage the knowledge generated by these new conversation methods.

Retaining workers

Retaining mature workers key to holding off job shortages

As I was reading this article (linked above) it struck me that the issues and tactics outlined to retaining mature workers really are the same that are needed to retain less mature (mature = older, less mature = younger).

The five steps outlined are relevant to all workers, not just older workers.  Employees desire to be connected, engaged, appreciated, and fairly compensated.  In return they will provide appropriate value and expand the organizations capabilities and collective knowledge.  The accomodations outlined for older workers are the same that will attract and retain younger workers - flexible schedules, training, etc.

Why do these supposed "experts" feel the need to create these artificial and incendiary classifications between generations?  This approach is divisive and counter productive.  We live in a connected world that is cross cultural and trans generational.  This calls for connectedness not generational segregation.

Personal health-care knowledge

How do you go about managing your personal knowledge as it relates to your health?  Tough, isn't it.  You know what ailments you have or have had but how do you easily articulate that to your physician.  How can you really be an informed consumer of health care services when you need to share your health history with medical professionals but you don't have that information at your finger tips?

There's a push amongst Google, Microsoft and others to help us manage our personal health information.  The problem is that much of the information we need is locked up inside huge data stores within health insurance companies and in paper files at multiple health care providers.

Google just announced that Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield will make available each members claims data for inclusion in a personal Google Health Account.  This is to my knowledge the first health insurance company to do this.  The hole in the dam has opened....

Internet technology is changing ever more rapidly, potentially even surpassing Moore’s Law.   Consumers are expecting an exponential increase in the availability of technology-based services, even from health-care organizations.   It is only a matter of time before health care consumers will demand expect electronic access to all the information related to their personal health history.  I believe that this will become a deciding factor as to what insurance company gets a persons business and loyalty in the not to distant future.