And Away We Go!

IABC International Conference Leads Charge Into 21st Century

Okay, so maybe you've heard that "new century" stuff a few too many times this year already, but not after IABC's first international conference of the century (that is, as long as you subscribe to the theory that this is the first year of the 21st century -- but that's a whole other discussion). And not after a record number of delegates from 35 countries helped celebrate IABC's 30th anniversary in what is (at least for those of us from Vancouver) the most beautiful city in the world.

Communicators said farewell to the twentieth century from their newly upholstered and much-fought-for "seat at the table." We became strategic and recognized the need for our companies to have brand recognition, we took the lead in dealing with ever-present crises, and we became experts on change management. And we patted ourselves on the back for how far we've come as a profession. Not bad for a group of people who 30 years ago were known as "industrial editors."

So now what? Are we really entering a new era, or is it a bit of a red herring like the dreaded Y2K bug? At Vancouver 2000, more than 90 speakers shared their insights on topics ranging from corporate reputation issues and influencing corporate culture to business finance and communication and aligning communication with business outcomes.

And, wow, did we ever come to realize the opportunities that are and will continue to be out there for communicators. That is, as long as we can adapt to the realities of the new millennium and use our knowledge wisely.

Sometimes it's what we don't know that ends up biting us in the tail. When television was showcased at the 1939 World's Fair, people scoffed at it and said it would never be embraced as a popular technology. Hamish McRae started conference goers off on our journey of looking ahead by using this point to illustrate how wrong we can be with our predictions. The people of the time couldn't see the "software," the social and economic consequences that would bring television to the shrine-like status it has in our homes.

Where Do We Go from Here?

Was he using that example as a caveat to all of the information and predictions he offered? It's hard to say. What is clear from the award-winning journalist/economist/futurist and associate editor of the Independent, London, U.K., is that "the world, it is a-changing" and you'd better be ready to roll with the punches and lead the charge or be passed by.

He didn't use those exact words, but through a series of graphs, charts and engaging commentary demonstrating what he sees as the five forces of change -- demographics, resources and the environment, globalization, technology, and the government and society -- McRae illustrated our challenge as communicators.

Jeff Thatcher from Arkansas succinctly summarized McRae's message by stating, "Our challenge is to integrate those five forces by riding the wave of demographic change, wisely shepherding our resources, becoming global players, staying abreast of technological trends and learning to live within a government and societal structure that places less reliance on the common good and more emphasis on individuals. Communicators who can stay on top of these seas of change will come out winners."

Ellen Beaumont from Newbury, England, said about McRae's predictions, "It made me realize how communication is becoming more important as we advance as a society, and that people in the communication profession have an increased responsibility to make sure that our companies are really thinking about their audiences and concerned about the messages they are delivering."

If that isn't enough to keep you awake at night, then maybe a dose of Marcia Wieder's energy might help.

Passion and Dreams

Like a shot of espresso directly into your bloodstream, Marcia Wieder bounced onto the stage at Tuesday's Lunch and Learn session, "Igniting Passion in Your Work Life." With great dynamism, she encouraged the audience to dream big and go for it. She said, "You have to be able to identify what you want in order to get it." In other words, figure out how you want your life to be and then pursue it for all you're worth.

Wieder asserts that we are so mired in reality that people don't take time for their dreams, but "without dreams, all you have is reality."

The audience, so used to living in the day-to-day realities of managing work and family life, had mixed feelings about Wieder's remarks. A couple of delegates (who asked to remain nameless for fear of a personal pep talk by Marcia) couldn't relate to the "out there" thinking that she champions.

Then there were others, like Judy Hohmann from Minnesota, who were quite taken with her suggestions. Hohmann says she was initially cynical about "dreaming your passion into reality." "But then," Hohmann adds, "her example of the African man who dreamed about becoming a doctor and is now a medical student thanks to the power of verbalizing his dream to everyone -- including a Medical Post reporter -- got me thinking. Why not me? I left the conference dreaming about my passion to write a series of children's books centering on sea animal characters." Any interested book publishers out there?

Speaking of Passion

It just wouldn't be an IABC conference without the local chapter jumping in to lead the hospitality and volunteer efforts, and in this case some of the best programs offered as well. From the world-famous Canadian Hospitality Suite (complete with Mounties) to the enchanting Night Out at the Vancouver Aquarium and the IABC classic Dinearound offering delegates a sample of some of the best cuisine Vancouver has to offer, IABC/BC put on a great show! If all of the conference delegates didn't have to go back home and order new business cards after the number of social and networking opportunities they had, it would be a surprise.

It wasn't just about having fun from the local crew; two of the in-depth sessions were coordinated by the Vancouver group. "Global Communication in Crisis" and "Communicator on Trial" offered participants the opportunity to be involved in situations communicators are frequently up against.

The "Global Communication in Crisis" session focused on developing a global communication strategy for a crisis facing a fictitious multinational biotechnology company. Ten teams of communicators, each representing a different country, were faced with either a customer relations, investor relations or employee relations issue. Working on networked computers, each team was charged with developing a regional communication strategy based on information provided by a team leader who actually lives in their country. The exciting aspect of this session was that because they were networked, teams could check on each other's progress and as a group they developed a global strategy. The results of this session are available for you to check out at www.tudorwilliams.com.

Ever thought a discussion about ethics couldn't be entertaining? Think again. Thanks to the talents of local IABC members and a couple of Vancouver actors, who played the hilarious roles of the lawyers, this well-scripted session put a new spin on the discussion about ethics in the communication profession.

"This is my first conference," said Barbara Baker from Chicago, "and I'm so impressed to see this type of session happening. What a great way to make what could be a dry topic interesting." That seemed to be the sentiment of the 60-plus audience members who were moved to both uproarious laughter and thought-provoking discussion as they watched the trial of a communication director accused of breaching Article 6 of IABC's Code of Ethics.

Oh, What a Guy

Solid values and ethics are what contribute to the making of a great leader. And this year's EXCEL Award winner, Solomon Trujillo, former president and CEO of US West Inc., exemplifies the kind of CEO we'd all love to work with. As the business leader chosen by IABC this year for his role in fostering and demonstrating excellent communication, his message to conference delegates was that good leaders listen and listen well, they demonstrate integrity, and they listen to and incorporate others' visions into their own for the good of the organization.

His advice was that "You must work for a company that has the right values, that shares those things that you believe are important, and if you don't then you need to find a place that does." Great advice, Sol! Are you hiring?

Research... Remember, That Thing to Do Before Communicating?

An often-forgotten benefit of being an IABC member is having access to the invaluable research and information sponsored by the IABC Research Foundation. It exists as the research and development arm of IABC, and it offers amazing resources to help communicators be effective professionals. The Foundation relies on sponsorships and donations, and at Vancouver 2000 Foundation Chair David Kistle, ABC, received a cheque for $10,000 from the Minnesota chapter.

It seems that their money is being well spent, if the presentation by Ian Scott that followed is any indication. Scott is a senior executive at the World Bank and holds a visiting appointment with the London Business School.

You should have a pretty good idea what knowledge management is about if you read the special insert with your last issue of Communication World. If you've been too busy dealing with being a communicator in the 21st century, you should know that it's still a bit of an amorphous term referring to the way information, data and knowledge are understood and managed. But it is quickly becoming a topic of much discussion among competitive organizations.

As Scott explained, there is explicit and tacit knowledge. So much of the information in our organizations is tacit, hard to grasp, and seemingly unavailable yet valuable. He states that a real challenge facing communicators is to draw that information out of people. "If companies only knew what they actually know and what they don't know, they could have a huge competitive advantage," he said. And if they could harness that knowledge, protect it, leverage it for economic gains, and create more of it, wouldn't that be something?

Scott suggested that there are six schools of knowledge management, with each taking a slightly different approach to how information, data and knowledge are used. And most important for communicators, he outlined the factors that are critical to the success of any effort to harness and manage knowledge: getting the right leadership, putting technology in its place (it must be used appropriately and fit the personalities of the people who use it), and fitting the culture (there has to be a trust factor and understanding of organizational realities).

So where does that leave us? Although some lunch guests left shaking their heads at the complexity of the issue and wondering just how they can apply Scott's discussion to their organizations, others left feeling more confident in the fact that knowledge management is a real concept and is a useful tool there for the taking. "Hearing Ian Scott categorize the various options for knowledge management brought home to me the fact that knowledge management is by no means an airy concept. In fact, given what he was saying, I believe more than ever that it is a very real opportunity for organizations to link knowledge and capture knowledge sharing, leading to product enhancement and improved customer service," said Francoise Parent from Ottawa.

State of the Association

Speaking of improved customer service, it was a great idea to hold IABC's annual general meeting (AGM) during the conference. It's often stuck on the last day, after many of the delegates have left, so it was refreshing for many IABC members to have the opportunity to attend it like any other session.

In addition to the usual "AGM-type" business (chairman's report, president's report, treasurer's report) -- where, no, we didn't learn much more about the seemingly top-secret e-business initiative -- incoming chair Charles Pizzo gave such an enthusiastic presentation about his vision for IABC next year that it was hard not to feel excited about belonging to this organization.

Enterprise 2000, as Pizzo called it, will focus on technology, international development and lifelong learning. The e-business initiative (of which a prototype will be rolled out to members in the fall) will be focused on content, with the idea that IABC will strive to be the leader in web-based communication information, bar none. International development is already under way with a new chapter in the Caribbean and developing chapters in South Africa and other countries in Europe and Asia. And lifelong learning, something each of us is responsible for, is being fostered through the continuation of excellent international programming and resource tools. As Pizzo said, "IABC is hightech and high-touch."

One Classy Lady

As delegates pondered the messages they were hearing throughout the conference, the question of social responsibility had to have been lingering in everyone's mind. How do we balance the need to lead the way through the technological morass we face, coach our executives to be good communicators, and lead change with the need to be human? That sentiment -- I think without her even realizing it -- was echoed and clarified by Pamela Wallin, who is a very well-known and popular Canadian broadcaster. She brought home an important message about the responsibility that we have as communicators to use both our hearts and our heads as we move into the 21st century.

With her use of profound quotes, startling statistics and a warm delivery, Wallin left the audience with much to think about. At one point in her presentation, she quoted well-known U.S. journalist Edward R. Murrow, who, to paraphrase, said, "To be believable we must be credible, ... to be credible, we must be truthful." No truer words were heard at Vancouver 2000. Wallin emphasized that the pace of technological development is staggering, news is now a destination and a content provider, you are the media. Her message to us? "I believe the marvels of communication technology are good, but they require us to rethink the legal, moral and ethical issues we face as a result. Responsibility for those things shifts to the 'users' by the very nature of the technology, and as communicators we have a role to play as 'filters' of information," she said.

"I told her after her talk that I wanted to nominate her for president of the U.S.A.," joked Michael Smith of Minnesota, "I was serious, though, about her moral fiber. I felt she offered a needed moral and ethical focus on the process of deciphering 'what we should and should not do' as new technological advancements push us into the future."

As the audience applauded with true appreciation for her words, it was obvious to see why Wallin is one of Canada's best-loved public figures.

Until We Meet Again

Many delegates left the conference with their heads spinning (some left with beautiful tans from having forsaken sessions to enjoy the gorgeous sunshine -- but you didn't hear that from me), and most left with a renewed sense of energy and commitment to doing the right thing and taking our well-deserved seat at the table seriously.

We are in a privileged position as communicators in the 21st century. We have a responsibility to uphold the basic tenets of our profession and teach others as we go. It's up to us to help others learn how to use technology responsibly and effectively and manage all of the information and knowledge we will be bombarded with in a responsible and sensitive manner.

Okay, so that's a bit of a heavy message to leave you with, so let me put it another way.... As communicators let's do what we do best and "start spreading the news".... Oh, I feel a song coming on.... "I wanna' be a part of it, New York, New York"... see you in 2001!

Sue Bugos is a communication consultant in Vancouver, B.C., and an active member of the IABC/BC chapter.