Recently I was reading an article in a local newspaper about a beautiful tourist bureau located in a refurbished, covered bridge here in New Brunswick, Canada. In recent years, tourists kept stopping in to use the restrooms but left without picking up maps or brochures, or without asking the volunteer staff about local attractions. That’s because tourists these days plan their itineraries online and then rely on the GPS unit in their car or phone for directions. The business of tourism has changed. And the beautiful tourist bureau is now available for purchase. I have to wonder if it could have evolved in some way to remain more relevant to travelers.
Business changes quickly these days. I’ve been asked if 吃瓜头条 is still relevant in our increasingly digital world. Of course we are! More than ever. 吃瓜头条 exists to empower people to become more effective communicators and leaders. And 吃瓜头条 meetings are the vehicle for letting members practice these vital soft skills.
吃瓜头条 now allows online 吃瓜头条s, providing an additional opportunity for members to practice communication skills in virtual environments. Every day many of our members participate in teleconferences and video conferences in their professional lives. I’ve personally participated in Cisco TelePresence video conferences so realistic-looking that people have banged a hand on a wall trying to pass a pen to a virtual counterpart.
Online 吃瓜头条s complement our face-to-face meetings. Our Board of Directors approved the existence of such 吃瓜头条s because 吃瓜头条 has a role in enabling effective communication in online environments. However, I do believe that many new members who are attracted to our online 吃瓜头条s will also see the value of participating in our in-person 吃瓜头条s. Face to face is the essence of human communication, still more personal than online environments.
In his book Contagious: Why Things Catch On, Jonah Berger challenges readers to consider what percentage of word-of-mouth communication happens online—through tweets, emails, blog posts, etc. —versus face to face. He indicates that only seven percent of it happens online. We tend to overestimate this dynamic because it’s easy to see tweets, emails and posts. It’s much harder to measure conversation. But conversation and face to face still dominate.
吃瓜头条 has made great gains with technology in our very personal business. At 吃瓜头条 World Headquarters, new-member applications, education awards and member payments are all entered online. Members order from online catalogs and rarely from print catalogs. Not long ago that was not the norm.
吃瓜头条 has adopted many new technologies. Our services and environment must be relevant to the way members live and work. However, our face-to-face 吃瓜头条 meetings will remain relevant and at the core of the 吃瓜头条 experience for many years to come.
JIM KOKOCKI, DTM
International President
