While ‘online shopping’ is now all the rage, research shows that online shopping accounts for only 4% of total sales in Australia. Why then, aren’t bricks and mortar stores using technology more to improve the shopping experience, or at least the marketing of it? It might be expense, as when I worked at Myer they said they havent switched over to LCD POS terminals because they cost $25k each. Fair enough. Still.. let’s talk as if money isn’t much of an object.

There was recently a story about smart trolleys recently aired on Today Tonight. I’m surprised it’s taken so long to get these into stores as I am desperate for this kind of system. Let’s go through the features they describe:

The console allows you to download your shopping list and, backed by a network of in-store sensors, warns you when you are approaching an item you wish to buy. The sensor thing is pretty wicked, as I hadn’t heard about that. I don’t think it’s hugely necessary, but still a nice feature anyway, as I frequently forget 1 or 2 items when I have a lot to get.

It will advertise shop specials as you pass them, and you can scan your loyalty card into the system as well. I kind of expect this as a minimum, especially the loyalty card thing. Definitely a recommendation system though would be great, for both sales and compatible products. I REALLY want companies who produce consumer products to market to me more, especially the supermarket, as I love trying new products and being made aware of specials, but I can’t always remember them from the catalogue.

You can even place a deli order and receive a message when it is ready for collection. One of my local supermarkets has this in a little kiosk type thing already, and it’s very convenient. Great feature to have on the trolley as they deli department can be the most annoying when it’s busy. It may also mean that they could cut other meat fresh for you and you could pick it up after you’ve gone round and got the rest of your stuff.

I do feel that some things are missing though… I know security is a problem, so I would love to see trolleys with a metal weighted base (like at the self serve checkouts) that will integrate with the trolley console so you could just ‘pick and pay’ as you go and only have to pack your trolley once. Not having to even speak to a checkout operator would be great, even though it means there would be a lot of 15 year olds and high school dropouts out of a job. (Although some smarty pants has recommended they all go into more personalised customer service roles – perhaps product demonstrators? They never have enough of them. Then it would make a supermarket like a live food hall and that would be awesome)

I’d also like for all my shopping data to be used to start learning my preferences, so that they could send me a weekly e-catalogue with personalised specials that I could just click on to add to my shopping list for downloading onto the trolley. It would also be nice if it eventually synced with some kind of recipe site, so I could just pull up a recipe and go “Add Ingredients to Shopping List”.

I guess the problem with all this stuff is that it will never really take off until most consumers are ones who have ‘grown up digital’. Otherwise consumers get frustrated that they can’t just do things the old way and lots of people can’t learn new technologies in an instant (I imagine the checkout staff will become ‘trolley trainers’).

I also hate that people can be so naive about social media and especially the impact it’s going to have on workplaces in the next 5 years. All the time I read articles written by alledged journalists who shockingly reveal “Gen Y thinks email is lame”. Does anyone ever ask themselves why that is? Well let’s see… when you’re 15 and at school, you can’t be on a computer all day with your inbox open, and not all phones support email (and not all teachers support phones!). However, all phones support text messaging, which is generally the latter part of Gen Y’s chosen method of communication. Secondly – THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN TO WORK. Once you start to work in an office with people who range in age from 20-65, you get used to email REALLY quickly, and it DOES become your preferred method of communication. Not all Gen Y kids are going to work at a company that let’s them use Facebook to communicate to their work colleagues (HA! As if), nor will they even let them use MSN or Skype. I can’t imagine Deloitte or PriceWaterhouse saying “Oh we have gotten rid of email here but will get you to communicate with clients via Facebook and Twitter.”

I am sure I have said it before but I actually feel like this obsession with social media has put the world in this weird hurricane of insanity. I go to conferences where they scarily dim the lights and play videos about the power of social media, with heart thumping music and blinding sequences that make me feel like I’m in a bunker in <em>Lost</em> watching those mind control tapes made by the Dharma Initiative.

I can’t wait for the uprising, a ‘war against the machines’. I feel sad that people have such a narrow mind that they truly believe social media is the saviour for all communication in the world, and that without Facebook and Twitter noone would ever know about global events in a matter of hours and blah blah. And newscasters after disasters saying “People have turned to Twitter to send messages to loved ones”… umm, in the case of the Queensland floods, do you really think those people being washed away are checking their Twitter account? I can’t wait for all the psychological studies to start coming out that report on why people feel the need to splutter all the crap they do onto social networking sites.

I’m sorry I’m ranting.. I find I just get so upset that with social media, more than anything else, if a tiny percentage of people do something on it, then all 500 million (active AND non-active) Facebook users are doing it too.

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This prompted me to ask myself ‘What qualifications and experience would a BA have?’. Naturally, I turned to Google for the answer. I came across this post, and Mr Winning’s (Hmm?) list of critical attributes for an analyst, so I thought I’d go through them and self-assess my abilities:

(Btw we recently had an organisation behaviour person come in and do team building with us, and my personality type was discovered to be The Analyst, so surely that already qualifies me?)

1. An analyst is looking for ways to improve the business through technology yet cautioning against letting technology lead the business by the nose. Absolutely. I love technology and think it can improve many processes, however just because it’s ‘new’ doesn’t make it ‘good’. I dislike my current job because people are so caught up in ‘the next big thing’ that they don’t stop to consider whether it’s actually a viable solution to a problem. You should drive technology, it shouldn’t drive you.

2. An analyst is looking to accomplish specific tasks or meet specific measurable goals within a reasonable time frame. I do this as a natural part of working, so I would consider this a tick in the box.

3. An analyst is as comfortable in a technology driven meeting as in a business planning session. The analyst listens to business problems and goals and translates that information into potential solutions – sometimes using technology and sometimes not – technology is not always the answer. Anyone who knows me knows I love technology, especially when it comes to that which improves efficiency. Having worked in digital marketing for the last 5 years and every single person I know being a programmer, web designer, online BDM, I am extremely comfortable talking tech as well as talking business. I’ve always been an ideas person. My favourite thing to do, and what I consider a major strength, is just having ideas, and thinking outside the box. I am highly solutions-orientated, and a great problem solver. I’m also able to take an idea and see how it can be added to or built on to provide more value to the business.

4. An analyst can also serve as project manager, test coordinator, “keeper of the budget” or data analyst. I don’t have a whole lot of experience in ‘official’ project management (i.e. doing all the standard documentation, following a budget step by step, doing risk projections, etc) however this year I’m hoping to get some proper training in this area. I have ‘project managed’ in most of my jobs, but this area seems to demand a qualification of some sort. I am very familiar with testing and re-testing, after working in so many tech based roles, the last year has turned me into a penny pincher, and data analysing is one of my stengths – especially when it comes to casting doubt over survey results! (FYI, if you do a survey, don’t consider it as gospel!)

5. Analysts are not “yes” people – if the idea sucks we’ll tell you. Analysts hate waste and are usually budget bears. In my current job we waste a lot of money. We don’t spend in areas that make us money, and spend exhorbitantly in areas that contribute nothing (we have $3000/ea chairs that we never sit in). Then there’s me, who uses a coupon when we buy our images from iStockPhoto just to save $17. Oh and I am certainly not a ‘yes’ person. I’ve actually been worried lately that my constant habit of considering the flip side (read: negative) side to great ideas is making me sound like I am just a negaitve person overall. I’m really not, I just think it’s critical to consider things from every angle.

6. An analyst is always conducting research – either for their business or for their own personal education. An analyst understands that business and technology are forever changing therefore, an open view of the world must be maintained in order to see the potential in any situation. I really wish I had a thousand more hours in the day to read, because I am often wondering how things in the world work and I keep a list of things I am meaning to look up. I do a lot of my own personal research into organisational behaviour and culture, consumer behaviour, management theory, happiness theories, emotional and social intelligence, etc. I love discovering the intracacies of human behaviour and how this impacts on the workplace. I definitely have an open view of the world and believe many things are possible – just ask me about my online jury system…

7. An analyst understands that no one vendor or software is the solution to all evils. The newest rage today will fade into the distance next week. I COULDN’T AGREE MORE! This is no truer than with social media. Everyone acts like it will NEVER be superseded. Guess what? When mIRC first came out, it was the best thing to have ever been created too. Same with ICQ. Where are they both now? Alive, but what person born after 1990 has heard of them? The worst mistake you can make is assuming that something won’t just come and go – however long it takes, everything has a lifespan. Nothing is going to do everything you want it to, and generally when companies try to be the be-all-and-end-all, they ruin what made them good in the first place.

8. We’d always rather build than buy but understand that buying – for the most part – is usually the way to get more of what the business really needs in a more reasonable time frame (at lease in my world). I definitely understand this concept. Custom systems are unbeatable, but the amount of time and money they cost usually means they are out of the question. The best solution is to find something you can buy and then customize. This way you get the best of both worlds.

9. An analyst is not and cannot be political. An analyst is a cynic and optimist at the same time. A cynic and an optimist at the same time… I am definitely cynical, but also an optimist. My best way of illustrating this is that I do not believe there is such a thing a ‘the glass is half full’ or ‘the glass is half empty’. That is supposed to tell you whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist, but for me there is an extremely clear definition as to when the glass would be in each state, and without contextual information, you cannot possibly make a judgement about the state of the glass.

10. An analyst knows “bodies” don’t get a project done – people do. An analyst gets to know the developers on a project and finds the unique talent that each one has – and uses it to run a better project. I will always operate on a very real and human level in my work. Every single person at work is a complex being of emotions, knowledge, experience and perceptions, and this means that in order to get the best out of them, you need to fully understand their motivations and why they come to work in the morning. Personally I love developers. People treat them like crap, but I know that most of them just want to be recognised for their awe inspiring level of skill. Finding the “Unique Selling Point” of each person on a team or project is what will take it to new heights – if you want the best outcome, you need the absolute best part of each person.

11. Analysts believe that they are pretty smart – if we don’t no one else will. We chuckle softly at people who don’t understand that we really do have a grand vision and believe that anything can be accomplished if you knock all the crap out of your processes. I’ve been doubting my intelligence in recent years because I’ve met so many RIDICULOUSLY smart people (aerospace engineers and the like), however people who have read this blog tell me I am too smart to be friends with them. I still find that weird. Anyway, I have to laugh at this point, because I think that’s exactly what I’m like.

12. Analysts are always looking at least 5 years out. I’m a ‘projectionist’. Who cares about what’s hot right now – where are we going?

13. An analyst thinks becoming management is a step down. Analysts aspire to be highly paid experts. Perhaps it’s a symptom of not yet having a management job or an analyst job as I don’t necessarily agree with this statement, however I can see how it is true. I certainly consider ‘Consultants’ to be a step up from Management and an ‘Analyst’ is even better than a consultant. Being highly paid wouldn’t be so bad either….

So – do I qualify?

I am an avid online shopper, for all the typical reasons people state – cheaper, better range, better quality, convenience, etc. The ‘digital economy’ concept has been around for a long time, and one of technology’s biggest benefits was supposed to be that it would break down worldwide borders and allow for open trade. And frankly, as other economics like the States are suffering, I am happy to boost it back through retail sales – that’s my charitable contribution!

Gerry Harvey, owner of Harvey Norman, has been banging on and on about how shopping online will cost Australian jobs, and I have to say that I seriously disagree. YES, it will cost them a retail job in a shop going around asking people if they need help. However, even online shops need warehouses, and not every warehouse has an automatic retreival and packing system. Therefore, they will need staff. Any online retailer will also need online support staff (best job ever) which includes managers and lackeys. Why is it so hard to think that perhaps while one TYPE of job might be lost, they could be rerouted into a different area? And while I am sure that some people will be put out of work permanently, I don’t think we will see unemployment rise to 25% permanently simply because bricks and mortar retailers have shut down.

In addition to that, Gerry needs to realise that some things cannot ever be bought online. For example, I would never buy a couch online. That is one of those things (that Gerry sells by the way) that you need to test out first and can’t just take a gamble on and send back via return post if it’s no good. So if I was Gerry, I’d get rid of all my small appliances and ‘brown goods’ and start importing a better range of large, bulky, heavy items that need testing out. OR, buy a car factory, because you will never buy one of those online…

Let’s face it – most bricks and mortar retail stores are on their way out. And good riddance I say! I look forward to more entertainment places opening up as the backlash over online socialising begins.

All of my hatred for social media sites like Facebook and MySpace is represented in this FaceSpace comic.

This morning I checked my page for the first time in months and I noticed that I had more posts from businesses and pages I ‘Liked’ than I did from my friends. I gleefully thought about how businesses are tearing down the fabric that is Facebook, and ruining the social aspect of it by injecting it with frequent (however subliminal) marketing messages.

But then…

Something happened.

I realised how much I LIKED Facebook when there were less “Sarah is sleepy ZzzzZZzZZZzzZzzZzz….NEED COFFEE!!!!!!!!!” and more “60% off at Store sale starts today”. For me, marketing messages make Facebook BETTER, because I couldn’t give a rats ass about what mundane crap people are doing. Now I am thinking of actually getting rid of almost all my friends except the very key ones, and signing up to more business Facebook pages. I will use Facebook as my business dashboard, instead of having to open all their eDM’s (because that takes time, and they all go to my spam box which requires me to mark them as safe before I can care).

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not going to start ENGAGING with brands like they want me to. I’m not going to actually click through to their Page and post on their wall or whatever, but I am going to commit to receiving their marketing messages. The thing about Facebook, and indeed any social media site, is that it IS a committment, like having a second boyfriend. It’s yet another thing I have to fit into my day (and it IS daily) and I am already time-poor as it is. However, I promise to check it at least once every 2 days and let you know my findings!

To be continued…

To be honest? I spend a lot of time ACTUALLY WORKING, which doesn’t leave too much time for social networking and creating my ‘digital footprint’. When I’m not at work, there are floors to clean, meals to cook and shopping to do. I can’t come home every day and start worrying about my digital profile – that’s what my working hours are for. 10 hours a day worrying about YOUR digital footprint is more than enough for me.

Some people will argue that an employer can’t possibly know how good you are unless it is demonstrated through your personal activities, and that if you’re not blogging every 5 minutes then you don’t love the industry and therefore can’t possibly be any good, however I strongly disagree. Just because I choose not to make friends on Facebook, or post my holiday pics on Flickr, or create a weekly lolcat, doesn’t mean I’m not going to be a good employee in the digital industry. It just means I’m a private person. And to be honest, as an employer you can rest assured that any of my time spent on social media sites is for the benefit of YOUR BUSINESS and not for my own amusement!

So please, if you are my potential employer and are reading this – don’t bother trying to Google me to find dirt. Interview me and you’ll know immediately whether I’m a good fit for your business or not.

I have always thought that most management positions are less about output related to your skill and expertise, and more about people management skills. Ask anyone in a team and they will say that their manager can’t possibly do a highly demanding role as well as manage a team. ‘Management’, in the truest sense of the word, is a job in itself. If you are a good manager, your success is proven by the output of your team rather than your own. If you are a lucky manager, you will have a team of high achievers who manage themselves, rather than what I see at my work – staff who need to spend 2-3 hours per day in your office talking through whether they should send an email or not.

Knowing how to enable your staff to achieve success is critical for a manager. The article mentions social intelligence as being a key factor. I was recently going to do a course on ‘Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace’ which I was desperately looking forward to as it’s a huge area of personal interest. Unfortunately, it was cancelled due to lack of numbers and not run again. While many workplace behaviour experts say that emotional and social intelligence are key factors in the state of workplace behaviour, many people don’t even know what it is, nor is there any training out there for how to increase your emotional and social IQ (though I highly recommend reading the books on the subject by Daniel Goldman).

I genuinely hope that when I go for a management position, the skills I am trying to build up and have recognised in this area are taken into consideration. Organisations need to learn that the most effective managers are not those in the team with the highest level of technical skills and expertise, but rather those who truly understand what motivates people to come to work – something that most people would give up in a heartbeat.

My Top 5 Management Qualities

1. Sets clear and reasonable expectations

Don’t expect an employee to increase profits by 40% 3 weeks after they’ve been there, especially if your expectation is that they’ll do it without changing anything. No employee can have an impact if you don’t LET them have an impact.

2. Both gives feedback and asks for it regularly

If an employee is doing something wrong or could be doing something better, don’t wait for their annual review to come around before you mention it, then hold it against them. The only way people can learn and improve is if they are made aware of their ‘failing’ in the first place. Also – all employees will have something to say about YOU. Staff may want more direction, or for more discipline – it is your job as the manager to request that kind of feedback and action it. Usually, it’s because people actually want to work harder!

3. Is honest, approachable and understanding

I always try to maintain a casual but respectful relationship with my boss. I want them to recognise me as an equal human being, even if our rank differs. If they wouldn’t find certain behaviour acceptable, then they should understand that I don’t either. Managers should be honest, and tell it like it is. Most people want to be aware of any problems so they can fix them.

4. Objective – deals with people on an individual level but without sacrificing others

Every employee has individual needs and should have those recognised. Be objective in the sense that you shouldn’t not punish one worker because they’re more sensitive than others. Not working is not working, doesn’t matter who is doing it. Don’t save one person’s feelings if it’s going to upset the whole team.

5. Communication and Active Listening Skills

Active listening is a communication technique that requires the listener to understand, interpret, and evaluate what they hear. In REALLY basic terms, this means paying attention. If your employee identifies that they would like to have an important discussion, don’t blow it off. If it’s important to them, it’s important to you, regardless of your own personal feelings. Understand that even if you don’t think people should be upset by something, if they are, it will affect their performance. Good communication skills means being able to adjust your communication style, tone and techniques depending on who you’re talking to and what you’re trying to say. You should know what communication style each employee responds best to.

Also, it should go without saying that some people just make crap staff. If that’s the case, fire them.

Now that I have a blog, I often get the urge to write about random, stupid and funny life stories. I love reading these on other people’s blogs, and it’s just about sharing those little indosyncrasies you have that other people might have too.

Today however, I realised a horrible thing.

I’m afraid of the internet.

I used to LOVE the internet. I first started in about 1996 or so, downloading mp3’s from IRC and meeting random people on ICQ (when the people on there were other real internet nerds, not pedoephiles. I am only 25, but I still remember AltaVista, and websites built using Geocities, and when ’social media’ meant forums. You were anonymous, and it was just all about having fun. I miss that internet.

Normally a very open person, I am petrified of people reading things about me online, and making judgements on it out of context. There has been a lot of talk about how when you hire people for social media/digital marketing roles, you should look at their digital footprint – their blog, Facebook, Twitter, and whatever other profile they’ve got. I’ve written a post before about how home is bleeding into work and vice versa, and I do think that it is increasingly becoming apparent that you can only have one ‘face’. Many commentators still argue that employers shouldn’t look at social media sites unless it pertains directly to the job the person will be doing, because candidates deserve some privacy and that people are very different at home than they are at work – just because you have drunk photos of you all over Facebook from every Saturday night, doesn’t mean you’re going to show up to work plastered.

I agree with that, but am still very guilty of Googling people when I know there is a potential they will be hired. I’ve noticed I’m extremely hypocritical that way, I don’t want people to do it to me but I sure as hell will do it to someone else!

I am now afraid of making social commentary because it will then be made public to everyone. Obviously I can’t come home from work and go onto my blog and write about how I hate people I work with and everything they do wrong, because how do I know they’re not Googling me? But what if I just want to write about how the structural integrity of a KFC gravy container means it cannot withstand microwaving? It’s supposed to be funny and lighthearted, but a potential employer or coworker may not see it that way.

I figure this leaves me with a few options…

1. Keep my ‘digital footprint’ professional at all times, and do not engage on any social media sites on a highly personal level. [Pros: less chance of a potential/current employer/coworker taking anything out of context or using anything against me. Cons: Likely a smaller digital footprint (after all, social media is about being SOCIAL), and less fun engaging with people from all over the world over stupid random topics.]

2. Invent an alter-ego. [Pros: A throwback to the old anonymity of the internet and how you could be free to be your 'true' self - warts and all - online, without anyone finding out. Cons: Bad if someone blows your cover, and disrespects the nouveau-internet movement based around 'authenticity' of self.]

3. Go for broke. The day I get hired, you’ll find out that I have weird OCD and swear frequently. This may not come out in the interview, but generally people still love me once they know me anyway. [Pros: less work, easier. Cons: requires a high level of self acceptance and self esteem, may result in not getting particular jobs, everyone will know everything about me and judge me accordingly, the information will be available for life.]

I think I will have to stick with Option 1. That is one reason why I’m starting to hate digital marketing. It’s hard to have a ‘digital footprint’ (such an idiodic term), while still maintaining privacy, and a clear difference between your work and home life.

By the way, if you currently work with me, and you just got an RSS alert about this post, unsubscribe immediately. That’s just wrong – I don’t subscribe to any of your feeds!