Author: Courtney Hunt
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Digital Leadership Education: Has Its Time Finally Come?
Recent opportunities for The Denovati Group may be an indication that we’re finally approaching a tipping point when it comes to digital leadership education, training that can help current and aspiring leaders at all levels better prepare themselves for today’s digital realities and their digital futures. In this article I underscore the need for these…
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Digital Media: Owned, Earned, Paid… Plus Shared, Free and Rented
The forms of digital media that organizations can leverage as part of their marketing and public relations efforts should include not just the traditional notions of owned, earned and paid, but also shared, free and rented. This article describes and provides examples of each type and offers some related thoughts.
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New Overtime Compensation Rule: Digital Work Implications
President Obama and the Department of Labor have announced a new overtime compensation rule (effective December 1, 2016) that will make millions more workers in the United States eligible for overtime compensation. This article adds a digital dimension to the discussions about the change and offers some guidance to employers about what the current and…
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In the Digital Era, Digital Literacy is Fundamental
Highlights of an interview I did with Learning.com in fall 2015. The focus was on digital literacy at the primary and secondary levels; however, the ideas and arguments extend beyond that. Digital literacy is an issue that all organizations and organizational leaders need to make a top priority for the foreseeable future.
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Understanding and Using # Tags (hashtags) and @ Tags (at tags)
Many (most?) people are confounded by the differences between # and @ tags; and as a result, they tend to use them interchangeably. Doing so, however, can undermine the goals one is trying to achieve by incorporating tags into their social media communications. This article clarifies the differences and offers guidance on how they work…
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Can We Measure Social Media Sophistication? If So, How?
Can we validly and reliably measure social media sophistication? In Part 2 of a two-part essay, I share my perspective on the challenges in trying to create a universal measure, and offer some thoughts on what a tool to measure social media sophistication might include. The thoughts and perspectives of others are welcome.
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New Dimensions of Leadership for the Digital Era
There are five new dimensions of leadership necessary for success in the Digital Era. This article provides a summary of these dimensions, along with related action items. A fuller description of the dimensions and recommendations is available via TD Magazine, in both text and audio (podcast) formats.
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Should We Try to Measure Social Media Sophistication?
Should there be a scientific measure of social media sophistication? In Part 1 of a two-part essay, I share my perspective on whether understanding social media sophistication is important and whether there’s value in trying to create a universal measure to assess it. The perspective of others is welcome.
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The Key to Digital Success? In a Word, Discipline.
Digital success does not come easy or cheap, and it requires a lot of time and effort. It demands commitment, focus, organization, rigor, persistence, resilience, ruthlessness, self control, efficiency… none of which is possible without both mental and emotional discipline. To achieve digital success, leaders and others must have the discipline to lay a strong…
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Five Key Digital Transformation Mistakes
Key digital transformation mistakes include not having an executive in charge,inadequate leadership buy-in and support,having decisions related to social and digital technologies made by people who lack sophistication, multiple fragmented, tactical approaches rather than a unified approach that is strategic and integrated, and executives who lack the proper perspective on revenues and expenses.
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Website Optimization: Testing Tools and Tips
Google’s recent algorithm change prioritizes “mobile-friendly” websites. This significant change has been dubbed #mobilegeddon, but it actually may create the incentive some organizations need to enhance their websites. A key part of any enhancement initiative should include website optimization testing, which primarily focuses on evaluating the speed with which specific pages load. This article provides…
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Blogging is so Misunderstood: 8 Things Everyone Should Know
Blogging has evolved into a critically important website feature that virtually every organization can benefit from; however, many people still harbor negative perceptions that prevent them from taking advantage of the benefits blogs can offer. This article is intended to update people’s perceptions by sharing eight key facts about blogs and blogging.
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Hiring Social Media and Digital Expertise: A Hierarchy
The approach to hiring social media and digital expertise used by most organizations is perfectly backwards. They usually start with part-time internal help that is either a junior staffer, an enthusiast with some knowledge, or both. A better approach is to start with a true expert who can help define a strategy, outsource engagement to…
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Change in the Digital Era: Both Too Fast and Too Slow
Assessing the pace of change in the Digital Era depends on whether we’re talking about technology or people and human systems. The former is advancing at lightning speed, the latter at a snail’s pace. As the Digital Era progresses, technological capabilities continue to outstrip our capacity to address the opportunities and challenges they present. We…
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Assessing Digital Literacy: Developing a General Measure
Although it’s not practical to create a single measure for assessing the digital literacy of workers at all levels and in all functional areas, it is possible to create a general measure to assess basic competencies. Here’s our take on developing a framework for creating a digital literacy assessment tool. It includes four components (from…
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Technological Innovation and Strategy: Beyond Disruption
Rather than viewing the impact of technological innovation on established firms as either competence-destroying or competence-enhancing, business leaders should consider their competence-extending possibilities. This article explores the notion and provides examples of businesses that have successfully adapted their strategies to incorporate new social and digital technologies.
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Creating a Digital Transformation Plan of Action: A Guide for Leaders
Built on a foundation of guiding principles, a digital transformation plan of action includes nine main initiatives that organizational leaders should take. Beginning with educating themselves to increase their own digital competencies, these initiatives include soliciting input from key stakeholders, revising the organization’s mission, business model, and offerings, leveraging technology to enhance internal processes, and…
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Selecting Website Themes: A Guiding Framework
This guidance for evaluating website themes divides various factors into three categories: mandatory, important, and optional. Mandatory factors include things like responsive design and developer reputation. Important factors include browser compatibility and certain blog elements. Optional factors include page templates, demo data, and compatibility with common WordPress plugins like WooCommerce.
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The Digital Transformation of Business Schools: The Dean’s To Do List
Building on an assessment of where business schools are in their digital transformation journeys, this essay proposes a plan of action that will enable business school leaders to adapt to Digital Era realities and demonstrate Digital Era leadership. Guided by principles like the recognition that digital transformation is a marathon not a sprint, action items…
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A Digital Transformation Framework, using a Bricks-and-Mortar Metaphor
This digital transformation framework calls for strategic leadership as the architect and is built on a foundation of strategic goals and objectives.The building blocks are tactical leadership, governance, digital competencies, education and training, and change management. An organization’s culture is the mortar that connects and binds everything together. Each element requires a unique set of…