HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPE-VINE: OUR NEW ABNORMAL
Philip Cu Unjieng
The inescapable fact is that with some form of Community Quarantine still part and parcel of our foreseeable future, the online transitioning of our personal and professional lives won’t be changing anytime soon. Whether on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet, our lives’ interaction with others are welded to these apps; in the same manner that GCash, credit cards, Grab & LalaMove dominate our financial transactions, purchases and delivery systems. And I know for a fact that my generation and the one following mine, have had to make the adjustments to survive and thrive.
And I’ll be the first to admit that this adjusting did not come like ‘second nature’; and I’m sure I’m operating with only 40 to 50 percent knowledge of what I can do to optimize my interacting on these apps. My sons were the first truly digital generation; while my generation are, by and large, basically ‘faking it’ and getting by.
On this, I’m reminded of my parents who would rely on us to program the remote control of the flatscreen TV, or make sure all the data and contact details of their mobile would be transferred to their new smartphone. As long as they could turn the flatscreen on and off, change channels, call and text on their smartphones, and be on social media - they were happy, and that would be the extent of how much they wanted to engage with these digital devices. And now, I’m the ‘parent’, surviving, but with only the most basic of knowledge.
Back in February, we all laughed at the plight of the US lawyer who appeared on Zoom for his virtual trial and couldn’t disengage the cat filter that the child of his secretary, whose laptop he was using, had installed. We laughed, but honestly, I would safely say that for most of us over the age of 45, we would be in the same boat, not knowing how to turn the filter off. I certainly wouldn’t know what to do, and like the lawyer, if on my own, would be just apologizing and/or hoping for some form of technical rescue.
Admitting we can know more, do better, and chart our course on the online medium with more confidence, is what’s needed, and half the challenge won. Lawyers, doctors, architects, professional upper management, interior designers, sales agents, even teachers - they could all use a booster course to be more adept at navigating these online channels. And that’s why I loved that Issa Litton and her 1Lit agency, banded together with Manila Bulletin’s MBrand Head Irish Santos-Lorenzo and CEVE Multimedia’s Operation Director Ernan Muñoz to offer their ‘Create-Perform-Navigate’ module.
Irish handles the Create part, the discussion centering on one’s Power Point skills, making sure that for anyone who has to present, he or she will have the skills to improve on, update their deck, and make them more attractive, more concise, and be more engaging. Creativity, knowledge of the tools available to you - these are all imparted by Irish in the course of her talk. And she’s taken her years of experience creating these decks in offering us best practices.
Issa then takes over, and does the Perform bit - upgrading your online presentation skills - giving you tips on how to sound and look better, how to be more impactful and make a stronger impression. You can’t underestimate the value of this; as no matter how good your deck/presentation, half the battle is also the ‘performance’ of presenting. If you aren’t clear, pleasing to stay focussed on, and entertaining, you’ll lose your audience. I’ve seen this so many times, as someone is presenting, the other boxes will betray that so many are scrolling their phones, having lost interest.
Ernan takes us home via Navigate, which really is a guided tour of the different video conferencing apps. And I was amazed with how little I really knew about these apps. For example, did you know that some fiddling with the Audio settings on Zoom (beyond turning your Mute on or off) will help reduce ambient noise. This is really great if you have to attend a meeting while in a public place. And as one can’t always dictate which app to use, Ernan takes us through the more popular ones, clueing us in on their unique qualities and limitations.
Issa first offered this Create-Perform-Navigate module to a group of over 90 oncologists and they were really happy, as it was partly ‘things we never asked because we didn’t even know we could do these things’, and partly a ‘refresher with new takeaways to store’ kind of afternoon. Beyond the lectures, Issa also offers breakout sessions so that the participants can really test their newfound knowledge, and bring up their own specific needs and requirements.
Unlike other modules that are more ‘inspiration’ and/or motivation, this module is brimful with practical skills, exercises that one then practices to improve oneself. That’s very clear, that it takes constant practice to reach a particular level - but that’s a level that will make your handling of the new online medium much more effective.
For associations of professionals, for HR heads, there’s still nothing like investing in your members and people. Admittedly, these are soft skills that so many take for granted, or feel they’re already more than capable. And yet, when I attend webinars or meetings, I still see so many committing the same basic online ‘sins’ - like how you’re still using the camera as a laptop and not angled for video-conferencing, so I hate how when you get closer to the camera, all we see are the hair of your nostrils.
Issa entertains groups with a minimum number of 40, so that one can take advantage of the Group Rate. Instead of having to engage with three separate specialists, she’s put this module together to make our online lives easier... and better! Reach out to me via FB Messenger (Philip Cu-Unjieng) or at [email protected], if you’re interested.