In less than two weeks 100 responses to the #WeLeadComms Communication Leaders Survey have already been captured, and technology is definitely a hot topic for many participants.
That becomes clear after looking at the responses to two of the survey’s open-ended questions:
“What do you see as the three biggest opportunities facing the communication world at this point in time?”
and
“If you had a magic wand, which of your day-to-day challenges would you make go away?”
Of the first 100 participants, 21% indicated that technology presented a top opportunity for the communication profession, and 25% saw technology as an item that either needed to be fixed or as a key to resolving a pressing challenge.
How do communication leaders see technology as an opportunity? Responses reflected a mixture of views:
“Technology has given everyone a chance to share their voice.”
“Effectively applying technology to reach broader audiences.”
“Drive the tech agenda to be people-first.”
“Distributed workforce will challenge our profession to keep them connected.”
“Utilizing digital tools and channels as much as possible.”
“(Cheap) accessibility of different platforms.”
“IC tools that miss the mark.”
As for technology-related responses to the “magic wand” question, there were some pointed responses.
“Refusal of organizations to invest in modern communication technologies.”
“Lack of budget for innovative comms tech solution.”
“The overreliance on email as a comms channel.”
“Engaging audiences, getting better responses instead of just ‘likes’.”
“Our reliance on software tools that nobody is using.”
“Inability to reach people where they are.”
“Repeated tasks that could be automated.”
“Technology barriers: (e.g., hard-to-find metrics, too many tools)”
Chris Izquierdo, CEO of Sparrow Connected, one of the sponsors of the Communication Leaders Survey, said that the responses reflected underlying issues in the market for communication technology - and perhaps broader-than-expected frustration from communication leaders.
“It’s not surprising that tech isn’t the top issue on comms leaders’ agenda because it’s a means to an end, rather than an end in itself - no one wants technology for technology’s sake. But in allowing organizations to inform, connect and mobilize employees efficiently and effectively, modern communication technologies are no longer seen as a nice-to-have by communication leaders. These results underscore that reality.”
The Communication Leaders Survey will continue through mid-October, with periodic updates from co-sponsors Sparrow Connected, AB and #WeLeadComms.
“It’s traditional to wait until surveys are complete to reveal their findings, but the Communication Leaders Survey is about sparking conversation and participation as much as it is about any final findings. We look forward to sharing insights along the way,” said Mike Klein, #WeLeadComms’ founder.
Participate in the #WeLeadComms Communication Leaders Survey today!
