Learning How to Talk

By Heather Rast, Director of Strategic Services

With a post title like “Learning How to Talk,” you might think I’m referring to toddlers achieving milestones in their formative development.

While not in the literal sense, the assumption would indeed be very applicable in the figurative sense.  Susan Scott, author of bestseller “Fierce Conversations” and founder of Fierce Inc., a cultural transformation and executive education organization, asserts that “. . .everyday conversations must be transformed in effective ways that communicate real messages so that you can achieve success.”  Scott’s approach is based on seven principles that equip you to overcome barriers to meaningful conversations, expand and enrich conversations with those who matter to you, increase clarity and improve understanding, and process strong emotions for both parties involved.

Making Your Writing Memorable

By Deb Rolfes, Market Development Strategist

In the blog age it seems like everyone has something to say, and that’s great (unless you’re Andrew Keen, guest speaker at SHSMD 2008), but it also means that people who don’t necessarily consider themselves writers are now writing for the public to read. Some tend to write with a thesaurus, just trying to stump their reader. Others seem to forget their point and go off on tangents. 

Knowing what to measure, and what not to measure, is half the battle.

By Ben Dillon, Vice President and eHealth Evangelist

When we work on a metrics program with clients, our goal is to connect the metrics that we’re tracking to broader goals at the organization and for the Web site.  Collecting the information is relatively quick, but analyzing and interpreting the information takes an investment of time on a regular basis by experienced analytics professionals. 

Creating a Successful eNewsletter

By Heather Stanley, Marketing Writer

I recently had the opportunity to present at our client symposium on eNewsletters.  If your organization uses eNewsletters to connect with prospects, here are some quick and easy tips to makes sure you’re getting the most out of your efforts. There are five areas to evaluate to make sure your eNewsletter is effectively communicating with your audience. 

Geonetric Awarded a “Best Place to Work”

By Eric Engelmann, President & CEO

It was very important for me, even in our humble beginnings, to ensure Geonetric had a unique work environment.  One that challenged employees.  One that invested in employees. One that rewarded employees.  I needed this culture established to help attract and retain the best employees, so we could build the best product and provide the best service. 

How strong is your password?

By Daniel Levengood, Senior Product Specialist

I’m sure everyone has heard by now that Governor Sarah Palin’s Yahoo e-mail was hacked into yesterday afternoon.

Your personal email account is about as private/personal as anything an individual has.

Josh Griffin, Geonetric’s director of IT, stresses security on a constant basis. 

How many searchers?

By Ben Dillon, Vice President & eHealth Evangelist

I saw the following juxtaposition in back-to-back articles in the SHSMD e-Connect enewsletter last week:

Striking jump in consumers seeking health care information

Number of “cyberchondriacs” has plateaued or declined

Don’t you just love statistics?

Of course, they’re both good studies, with the difference in conclusions coming from the fact that they look at different time periods.

Takeaways from the 3rd Annual eHealth Symposium

By Linda Barnes, Vice President of Business Development

Last week, we held our annual client symposium – three days of talking about where the industry is headed, the successes our clients have experienced this past year, and what’s new with our products and services. It’s always a whirlwind to put on an event like this, but based on what I heard from clients (both in person and through their evaluations), I’d rate this year’s event an overwhelming success.

Our clients enjoy meeting all of the Geonetric team face-to-face, touring our offices, learning from us, and sharing with each other. But my top three takeaways from this year’s event aren’t what you might expect…

Good Design at the Ballot Box

By Dan Levengood, Senior Project Specialist

When you think of “good design,” what comes to mind? Is it your favorite sculpture, a frequently visited Web page, or a German automobile? 

Whatever it may be, I’m pretty sure it’s not a voting ballot, unless you’re this guy.

As we approach the elections in November, the New York Times recently ran a blog post and an interactive piece on the importance of design and the ballot. 

We’re all in this together…Teamwork

By Anne Ohrt, Human Resource & Event Coordinator

I try my best to avoid singing any song from Disney’s High School Musical, but it seems quite appropriate that this particular song keeps resounding in my head as I contemplate the dynamics of what makes great teams.   What does it take for a team to be truly successful?  Is it possible to have successful teams?  I believe truly successful teams are hard find, but as one pointed out, teamwork is the “ultimate competitive advantage.”  You can have players on your team that are smart, have killer strategy ideas and instinct about the marketplace, and are the best at what they do. But if they cannot work together as a team, nothing will be accomplished.  When people of all types are thrown in together and asked to be a team, most teams don’t stop to analyze if things are working. They just keep pulling along.  If they do sense the dynamics of the team are a bit off kilter, they often do not bother to dig deep and discover why.