We underestimate our audience all the time. That’s even more true when it comes to technology. As I type this blog, the lady sitting next to me is reading a book on her second-generation Kindle. She’s well into her 70’s.  One of the perpetuating myths I run across often is that people do not know how to use technology. Usually it goes in the form of “our people are not very good with technology. They are ten years behind.” What we have forgotten is that technology is now ubiquitous. It’s not an end or a statement anymore—perhaps it is for the cutting-edge technophile who’s looking for the latest gismo with an on and off button. But today, communication and technology are synonymous. Technology is  no longer a luxury or even a choice. Even the older generations are now becoming digital users. If they want to be a part of their…

The proliferation of customer satisfaction surveys is taking its toll on me. Once I was inclined to answer them. Now, I immediately dismiss the many requests for my feedback. According to an article in the NY Times, the exponential growth of the satisfaction survey is annoying consumers world wide. In the past, these surveys were an expensive proposition. Market research firms charged a lot of money to define, craft, and administer polls and to find a good representative sample of the target group. There is a lot of science and experience that goes into good quantitative and qualitative research. But with the advent of easy-to-use survey tools like SurveyMonkey, anyone can create a quick one and throw it online. What once was viewed as a privilege is now seen as a nuisance. So should you give up on getting feedback from the stakeholders in your organization? Of course not; but…