I earnt a pound today for an old (working) monitor that I sold on eBay. It was worth much more than that, and I really didn't care if I got the pound or not.
In fact I didn't want the buyer to collect it as I knew I could relist it and it would go for more.
But she turned up today with her shiny pound in hand and I gave her the monitor.
Then I remembered the chap featured on BBC breakfast some months ago who started with a pound and traded up to other items such as a mountain bike and eventually a piece of land in Bulgaria.
I'd recently started following @robinppalmer on twitter, who is the PR officer for The Blue Lamp Foundation this was started by PC David Rathband the police officer injured by Raoul Moat.
So I started to put all three of these things together.
Could I trade up the pound that I earnt today to something bigger and give the money to The Blue Lamp Foundation?
Could I?
I would certainly try.... I'm starting today.
rich.wootten@googlemail.com
Sunday, 13 March 2011
Sunday, 6 March 2011
A Digital history
I'm interested in history, moreover I'm fascinated by how civilisations forget things that are always around us, for example why have we forgotten what Stonehenge was built for or why we have to guess at Roman ruins.
We have a natural tendency to collectively forget that which is mundane around us, for example the broken axe which the caveman throws out is now in a museum.
As we live in a digital world what will future generations find interesting with us?
We think we are lucky that everything seems to be recorded digitally and therefore preserved. But is it?
At The British Institute for Learning and Development we are about to launch a new website. But what of our old one, it'll be lost for ever. That is a small part of our collective history, gone for ever.
And what of companies who close, people who die, what happens when we stop paying our web hosts? What happens to those websites. Some companies only have a web presence and no shop front, what will we know of them in the future.
In years to come what will they find of the 21st century? Will USB keys with random documents on them be our digital legacy?
We press forward with our digital technology but the future generations will have to piece together our history the same as we do, but rather than searching for hand tools it'll be USB keys and Hard drives that will be searched for.
We have a natural tendency to collectively forget that which is mundane around us, for example the broken axe which the caveman throws out is now in a museum.
As we live in a digital world what will future generations find interesting with us?
We think we are lucky that everything seems to be recorded digitally and therefore preserved. But is it?
At The British Institute for Learning and Development we are about to launch a new website. But what of our old one, it'll be lost for ever. That is a small part of our collective history, gone for ever.
And what of companies who close, people who die, what happens when we stop paying our web hosts? What happens to those websites. Some companies only have a web presence and no shop front, what will we know of them in the future.
In years to come what will they find of the 21st century? Will USB keys with random documents on them be our digital legacy?
We press forward with our digital technology but the future generations will have to piece together our history the same as we do, but rather than searching for hand tools it'll be USB keys and Hard drives that will be searched for.
Friday, 4 March 2011
Social networking the new community
Is social networking new?
No I don't think so, but the way we connect is that new? Again no.
We've been networking for many years, what is networking? It's connecting with other people based on the recommendation of a trusted person.
Companies used this years ago, before the term networking was even thought of in this sense. Lets look at Avon, the cosmetics company. They spread their business by recommendation of those who were trusted.
So now we have Social Networking on social media platforms. Today I spent time on twitter connecting with individuals and companies that I thought would be interesting. How did I do that? By looking at my current network and seeing who they are connected with. So recommendation of trusted people?
In a connected world are we doing any thing so differently to those in the 60s, connecting together to buy Avon products?
We like to think we are better than our parents, we are doing thinks for the first time, that we are stepping out and doing things differently, but we aren't.
The harder we try to be different the more similar we become, we've all heard people complain about the old boys network, but no one moans when Billy recommends Jimmy the plumber in the local pub.
The only thing we have that is different is the tools we use, this makes us more efficient if we use them right.
No I don't think so, but the way we connect is that new? Again no.
We've been networking for many years, what is networking? It's connecting with other people based on the recommendation of a trusted person.
Companies used this years ago, before the term networking was even thought of in this sense. Lets look at Avon, the cosmetics company. They spread their business by recommendation of those who were trusted.
So now we have Social Networking on social media platforms. Today I spent time on twitter connecting with individuals and companies that I thought would be interesting. How did I do that? By looking at my current network and seeing who they are connected with. So recommendation of trusted people?
In a connected world are we doing any thing so differently to those in the 60s, connecting together to buy Avon products?
We like to think we are better than our parents, we are doing thinks for the first time, that we are stepping out and doing things differently, but we aren't.
The harder we try to be different the more similar we become, we've all heard people complain about the old boys network, but no one moans when Billy recommends Jimmy the plumber in the local pub.
The only thing we have that is different is the tools we use, this makes us more efficient if we use them right.
Sunday, 27 February 2011
The Value of My Network
I was a serious networker a few years ago.
My career drifted into the NHS and as such I felt that such networking on Ecademy, BNI breakfasts, NRG lunches, linkedin and such like were unnecessary as I was networking at a different level. I was still networking but in a different format.
As such I dropped my networks to a large extent, and I dropped those connections I'd made. I didn't keep in touch.
My career has moved out of the NHS now and I work with The British Institute of Learning and Development, (The BILD) and I now need to network again as I did previously.
So what are the value of my old connections? Actually I was quite surprised, I'm pleased to say, that it is still good value.
For example, I'm looking for sponsors for the BILD's annual conference, I sent a message via Linkedin to my (remade) contacts asking to connect with professionals in the Learning and Development arena and with company's that want exposure by sponsoring our annual conference. My network is not large, but clearly it is high value as two people came back and helped me.
Firstly Brett Sadler told me he had many L&D professionals in his network all I have to do is let him know who I want to be connected to and Secondly Rob Hook sent a message to his contacts and as such one of his contacts got in touch with me.
For a couple of years I ignored my connections luckily for me they didn't ignore me.
So Back to networking for me....I've got to see what I can do for them.
So if you once knew me and are reading this - Contact me again. I'm sorry we lost touch, it won't happen again.
Rich Wootten
My career drifted into the NHS and as such I felt that such networking on Ecademy, BNI breakfasts, NRG lunches, linkedin and such like were unnecessary as I was networking at a different level. I was still networking but in a different format.
As such I dropped my networks to a large extent, and I dropped those connections I'd made. I didn't keep in touch.
My career has moved out of the NHS now and I work with The British Institute of Learning and Development, (The BILD) and I now need to network again as I did previously.
So what are the value of my old connections? Actually I was quite surprised, I'm pleased to say, that it is still good value.
For example, I'm looking for sponsors for the BILD's annual conference, I sent a message via Linkedin to my (remade) contacts asking to connect with professionals in the Learning and Development arena and with company's that want exposure by sponsoring our annual conference. My network is not large, but clearly it is high value as two people came back and helped me.
Firstly Brett Sadler told me he had many L&D professionals in his network all I have to do is let him know who I want to be connected to and Secondly Rob Hook sent a message to his contacts and as such one of his contacts got in touch with me.
For a couple of years I ignored my connections luckily for me they didn't ignore me.
So Back to networking for me....I've got to see what I can do for them.
So if you once knew me and are reading this - Contact me again. I'm sorry we lost touch, it won't happen again.
Rich Wootten
Thursday, 24 February 2011
Learning and Development
My Blogs so far have been focused on Social Media, this one will digress slightly into learning and development.
This is because I have new Role with the British Institute for Learning and Development. Therefore, this topic is aimed at those in that field, and many educators appear to be quite clued in to twitter and linkedin, and other social and formal networks, so I am hoping to reach out to them via this platform.
The L&D profession seems complex and diverse with multiple qualifications and experience, as an industry there is a lot of rationalisation in that area that needs to happen, but how can one judge one qualification against another?
This is just my view is a newbie's view. This is what it looks like to the non L&D person just starting in the industry.
The BILD aims to help in that by offering a grade of membership, Associate, Member, or Fellow. Using these grades you can quickly see that this educator has had a their qualifications checked against our listed standards and you can have confidence. There is a quality assurance part too, you can use the BILD like an ombudsman if you have an issue with a trainer. Only a professional body can do that.
The BILD is here to protect the industry and to ensure that quality training is delivered, training is often the first thing to go in a recession, therefore it's important that the training you get is of the highest quality.
The CIPD caters very well for the HR industry but leaves the L&D profession feeling left out, the BILD is striving to develop the L&D profession and be the Institute that L&D professionals need, what can we learn on that journey?
Let me know, as the BILD is the right vehicle to affect that change.
Connect with me on Twitter :richwootten
Or via Linkedin, Ecademy, Skype.
This is because I have new Role with the British Institute for Learning and Development. Therefore, this topic is aimed at those in that field, and many educators appear to be quite clued in to twitter and linkedin, and other social and formal networks, so I am hoping to reach out to them via this platform.
The L&D profession seems complex and diverse with multiple qualifications and experience, as an industry there is a lot of rationalisation in that area that needs to happen, but how can one judge one qualification against another?
This is just my view is a newbie's view. This is what it looks like to the non L&D person just starting in the industry.
The BILD aims to help in that by offering a grade of membership, Associate, Member, or Fellow. Using these grades you can quickly see that this educator has had a their qualifications checked against our listed standards and you can have confidence. There is a quality assurance part too, you can use the BILD like an ombudsman if you have an issue with a trainer. Only a professional body can do that.
The BILD is here to protect the industry and to ensure that quality training is delivered, training is often the first thing to go in a recession, therefore it's important that the training you get is of the highest quality.
The CIPD caters very well for the HR industry but leaves the L&D profession feeling left out, the BILD is striving to develop the L&D profession and be the Institute that L&D professionals need, what can we learn on that journey?
Let me know, as the BILD is the right vehicle to affect that change.
Connect with me on Twitter :richwootten
Or via Linkedin, Ecademy, Skype.
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Social Media and free consultancy.
Social Media is a good platform for learning and development, and you get free stuff!
Today was day three of my new job with the British Institute for Learning and Development and was the first Net meeting with some of the directors.
Net meetings have come along way since my first ever one a few years back, but I heard today that a government organisation had to travel from London to Bristol in order to conduct a webinar as all types of social media are blocked from their offices.
If we recognise that social media is a platform for connecting, disseminating information, Webinars and therefore good for e-learning and training how can we get companies to come out of the dark ages and see that staff won't be mucking around all day talking to friends on facebook.
If companies have proper forward thinking HR and measure productivity rather than activity they could relax a little and reap the benefits of social media.
Employers that let their staff connect and interact with social media will see the benefits, yes, there are occasions where staff will chatter on social media, but they do that on email, or in the kitchen or at the water cooler, but that is good isn't it?
My wife is a bookkeeper - many times I've phoned, Emailed, Texted, messaged or facebooked to find out how to do such and such with Sage or a spreadsheet etc and I do this with other friends and they do to me too. This means that my employer is accessing and using not just my knowledge but my network's too!
How cool is that? My employer now has a host of unpaid, loyal experts to call up on just because they know me! All because I have a little bit of freedom to engage in networking and social media.
So come on Companies gain the competitive advantage by linking in with a group of free, expert consultants who are ready and willing to help, these consultants won't even drink your coffee, waste time, or even take up some office space.... The cost to you, a little bit of my time when I do a favour for someone else and provide my skills.
You sometimes wonder how companies cope without these free consultants?
Today was day three of my new job with the British Institute for Learning and Development and was the first Net meeting with some of the directors.
Net meetings have come along way since my first ever one a few years back, but I heard today that a government organisation had to travel from London to Bristol in order to conduct a webinar as all types of social media are blocked from their offices.
If we recognise that social media is a platform for connecting, disseminating information, Webinars and therefore good for e-learning and training how can we get companies to come out of the dark ages and see that staff won't be mucking around all day talking to friends on facebook.
If companies have proper forward thinking HR and measure productivity rather than activity they could relax a little and reap the benefits of social media.
Employers that let their staff connect and interact with social media will see the benefits, yes, there are occasions where staff will chatter on social media, but they do that on email, or in the kitchen or at the water cooler, but that is good isn't it?
My wife is a bookkeeper - many times I've phoned, Emailed, Texted, messaged or facebooked to find out how to do such and such with Sage or a spreadsheet etc and I do this with other friends and they do to me too. This means that my employer is accessing and using not just my knowledge but my network's too!
How cool is that? My employer now has a host of unpaid, loyal experts to call up on just because they know me! All because I have a little bit of freedom to engage in networking and social media.
So come on Companies gain the competitive advantage by linking in with a group of free, expert consultants who are ready and willing to help, these consultants won't even drink your coffee, waste time, or even take up some office space.... The cost to you, a little bit of my time when I do a favour for someone else and provide my skills.
You sometimes wonder how companies cope without these free consultants?
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Social Media the art of connection for Children
There is much talk of children and young people spending too much time using social media and mobile phones to connect, chat, discuss and share.
Much of this is discussion revolves around them losing the skill of communication, I'm not going to dwell on those discussions, but I've not heard children and young people struggling to find words nor have I seen them have any difficulty making real life connections with people.
What I can see is that they are learning and developing new skills to connect on new platforms of which my grandparents have no concept of, my parents struggle to keep up with and I have to know in order to do my job and socialise.
I was told that the fax and the video recorder would change my life for ever. I own neither now as I've seen the birth and death of those technologies.
Therefore it is not only good that our children engage on the social media platforms it is essential! or they risk being left behind.
Social Media probably won't be here for ever, and I've no concept of what will come next, just as when I saw the first Fax Machine being installed in to the office in 1989 I had no concept of email, nor any concept of scanning documents and destroying the originals, nor did I have any concept that satnav etc....
Modern life demands that we invent new technologies to make life easier, so I think that not only should we encourage our young people to engage in social media it should be required learning.
I recognise the risks attached to this, and that needs to be mitigated as do the risks of our children walking to school or playing in the park - the dangers of online media hold the same stranger danger...
But careful planning and structured learning of social media is a must, if it can't take place at school, it must take place at home.
I would ask you one question, how many people have you lost touch with because they are not on facebook, Twitter, linkedin etc? There are many for me, I lost touch with loads because they didn't use email, I lost touch with more because there weren't on facebook. But I've made better connections with those who are, I've kept in touch with relatives abroad whom I had little contact with and those who I've met in the real world I've connected with in the virtual world.
So in our brave new world what will come after social media, and will I keep up or will I become "Future Shocked" as described by Alvin Toffler?
Much of this is discussion revolves around them losing the skill of communication, I'm not going to dwell on those discussions, but I've not heard children and young people struggling to find words nor have I seen them have any difficulty making real life connections with people.
What I can see is that they are learning and developing new skills to connect on new platforms of which my grandparents have no concept of, my parents struggle to keep up with and I have to know in order to do my job and socialise.
I was told that the fax and the video recorder would change my life for ever. I own neither now as I've seen the birth and death of those technologies.
Therefore it is not only good that our children engage on the social media platforms it is essential! or they risk being left behind.
Social Media probably won't be here for ever, and I've no concept of what will come next, just as when I saw the first Fax Machine being installed in to the office in 1989 I had no concept of email, nor any concept of scanning documents and destroying the originals, nor did I have any concept that satnav etc....
Modern life demands that we invent new technologies to make life easier, so I think that not only should we encourage our young people to engage in social media it should be required learning.
I recognise the risks attached to this, and that needs to be mitigated as do the risks of our children walking to school or playing in the park - the dangers of online media hold the same stranger danger...
But careful planning and structured learning of social media is a must, if it can't take place at school, it must take place at home.
I would ask you one question, how many people have you lost touch with because they are not on facebook, Twitter, linkedin etc? There are many for me, I lost touch with loads because they didn't use email, I lost touch with more because there weren't on facebook. But I've made better connections with those who are, I've kept in touch with relatives abroad whom I had little contact with and those who I've met in the real world I've connected with in the virtual world.
So in our brave new world what will come after social media, and will I keep up or will I become "Future Shocked" as described by Alvin Toffler?
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