Measure What Matters

There are plenty of lessons to learn from “Measure What Matters” and consequently, Katie Paine. Beyond metrics of engagement, there needs to be a level of thought leadership in any organization that unifies a company while building new relationships. One of her points is to talk to people as if they’re bloggers. I took this as a “treat people like people” mentality. The more you engage with someone and get to know who they are or what they believe the better you can address the culture at large.

Paine calls the value of blogging into question. There is not a blanket solution to get people involved in different industries. For example, a blog may work really well for a publisher, but I doubt engineers are consistently looking at blogs. Know your audience. You can still try out all different types of formats to get your point across. Run trials, find your influencers, and evaluate your strategy and the strategies of competitors.

The core message of this book echoes in each chapter. Paine goes through the steps: Goals, Audience, Benchmarks, KPI, and Measurement. There are a few others as well, but this line of reasoning beats its way into a reader as they move throughout the book. I hope that everyone is taking notes for the test…

Making a Comeback

How often do you post to social media? I use a few different platforms almost daily but I haven’t made an update for a while. There are plenty of things to do though if you’re looking to make a comeback post. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1.      Update your profile picture. The image you use to represent your account should be current and relevant to the type of content you post. Most college students probably have a few hundred followers. If not, don’t sweat it. Either way, engagement will be higher than normal. For example, Instagram lets followers know when you make a post for the first time in a while.

2.      Leave a smart comment. No one wants to read a paragraph. People may look at a few sentences, which is why you should keep the message short and sweet. Try to build something that is funny or unique to add more information to the subject.

3.      Plan. Why haven’t you made a post in a while? What can you do to get back on more often? By overhauling the public face of your profile, communicating with followers, and creating an action plan for future content, you can keep the engagement. Just make sure you keep up with posts. I think once a week will be enough for me.

Now it’s time to take my own advice. I have a lot of work to do both socially and in class before the semester ends. It’s time for me to hunker down and get through it. Good luck these next few weeks. I hope your workload is light and your Thanksgiving is spent with good food and family.

Theatrical Nostalgia

I finally took out an assignment that has been nagging at me for the entire semester: lab hours. I filed 24 of them today on a time card. I’d been slowly chipping away at my total each week. Every Monday and Wednesday morning, I would go work with (shout out) Jenna Perry and a bunch of other cool people for a couple of hours before class.

It was weird being back around a theatre for a change. I did a lot of production work in high school and even got a few gigs from our tech director. I forgot some stuff, but I also learned some new tricks. Our school was not nearly so fortunate as ONU either. I think I miss the people more than anything else. Theatre was always a place you could express yourself -even off stage- without worrying about what other people thought. Everyone was so unique and fun.

With time came different priorities and once I got to campus, I was due for a change of pace. Do you remember what you were like a few years ago? It’s crazy how fast time goes by. I feel like a completely different person. Having so many nostalgic hours was good for me. That said, I ‘m ready to get back into the swing of things.

PC

Toward the end of high school, I decided to dive into the world of computers buy building one with a few friends. It’s been almost four years since then and I’ve made some upgrades. People seem to think that investing in a desktop for college was a bad move, but I whole-heartedly disagree.

One argument I hear is the lack of portability for a desktop disqualifies it as a serious choice. Most student to take a laptop to class. Personally, I see it as a distraction. I take paper notes so I stay focused and if I need to connect I use a free remote desktop extension. Besides, I usually see people playing games or browsing the internet instead of doing work.

Desktops last longer. I dished out $900 dollars cash at a Micro Center to build this computer. I spent $400 dollars on a laptop. One of those was a very expensive paperweight. Producers of technology constantly try to cram more features or components into a small box. This ends up limiting the number of modifications that a user can make and complicates repairs. The rapid development of technology means that components become obsolete sooner. Wouldn’t you like to stay ahead of the game and save money in the process? If you aren’t a PC genius, that’s okay. I couldn’t have done this project without friends. But don’t sell yourself short. It’s like really expensive Legos once you get started.

College

Students choose to spend their weekends doing any number of things. Some may decide to go home, others may want to study, and plenty would spend the time with friends. I try to blend them all in a three-day weekend. I never feel like I’m wasting time when I decide to be social instead of working on school stuff. It may sound cliché, but I think that part of college is the experiences outside the classroom. I guarantee that any adult can look back at that age and miss staying out late or being goofy with people who share the same burden of growing up.

That isn’t to say hard work in scholastics lack value. Grades aren’t everything, but truly learning something broadens the opportunities of the future. Having a proficiency in Microsoft programs like Excel boost a résumé, but focusing on school too much can be a problem. In the four to six years that students stay at ONU, there are finite chances to share in experiences unique this campus. Beyond a diploma is a new chapter of life. I know that my wallet will be happy when the bills are gone, but I hope I never forget what it was like to find my way at ONU.