[Note: This post originally appeared on IABC's Communications World blog.]

One of the questions at last month’s IABC/Washington panel discussion on 2010 trends was on core competencies. What skills do communicators need to have today?

Panelists cited several, including:

• the ability to identify influencers
• knowing how to tell a story
• tech skills and proficiency (including a working knowledge of WordPress)
• thinking more like journalists (accountability and transparency)

And, of course, writing skills.

But are writing skills still important? In an age of fragmented attention spans and 140-character tweets, there’s a battle going on between communicators who believe the AP Stylebook still has its place and those who think grammar rules and style points are so 20th century.

What’s your take? Is writing a core competency? And what other skills must communicators have to succeed?

Photo by karindalziel (Flickr).

©2010 Independent Thinking. All Rights Reserved.

What happens when you put smart people on a dais together and ask them about trends in their profession? If they are Shashi Bellamconda, Torod Neptune, Paul Sherman, and John Taylor, then we’re in for some great insights.

I had the pleasure of moderating last Thursday’s IABC/Washington panel discussion. Between asking questions and keeping the conversation on track, I also took a few notes. So if you missed the conversation, here are a few highlights:

• The most dramatic change in the communications landscape in the last decade? Torod Neptune said it was “commoditization” (with fewer people seeing communications as a specialty). Paul Sherman pointed to user-generated content, the elimination of gatekeepers, and the power of a person’s network. John Taylor said the implications of social media mean that he increasingly sees himself “as a business person who does communications.” Shashi Bellamkonda said that people were no longer anonymous online; rather, it is now the norm to establish a virtual presence and to promote your personal brand by helping someone else.
• How do communicators stay relevant in 2010? While PR hasn’t changed, Neptune noted that “the nature of influence has.” [See also Guy Kawasaki’s comment about “build[ing] a critical mass of nobodies.”] Taylor talked about reaching out quickly to correct mistakes and address problems, and stressed that face-to-face meetings are still important. Bellamkonda said that the new landscape has leveled the playing field, pointing out that small companies today are just as likely to be in the news as bigger ones.
• How should companies manage their reputations? Companies need to be “comfortable being naked,” said Neptune in response to a question about the blurring lines between our professional and personal lives. Taylor pointed to one of the simplest corporate social media policies; what he termed Hair Cuttery’s “don’t mess up our brand” policy.
• What’s the impact of mobile (particularly in the context of the first large-scale use of text messaging for micro-philanthropy)? Taylor cited some revealing statistics about the growth of mobile: a 37% increase in wireless data use and 730 billion text messages among U.S. wireless subscribers in the first half of 2009; and over $5 million for Haiti earthquake relief via text in just two days (including $3 million to the Red Cross in $10 donations). [The Washington Post has a great article and more stats here.]
• What skills do today’s communicators need? Sherman said the biggest skill is the ability to identify the real influencers. Neptune stressed that good writing skills are still important. Bellamkonda said that the most important qualification is “someone who can tell a story.”

The last insight goes to Taylor, in response to a question about community—and how the concept is changing. Taylor suggested that values remain constant, because people have always valued transparency and authenticity. What has changed, he said, is how these values are expressed and rewarded.

What would you add to this conversation?

Photo by Shashi Bellamkonda/Network Solutions.

©2010 Independent Thinking. All Rights Reserved.

How has the communications landscape changed? And what do these shifts mean for businesses and the people charged with marketing, communications, and so forth? In advance of next Thursday’s IABC/Washington panel on 2010 trends in communications, I talked to Shonali Burke about data, mobile, real-time, and other emerging trends.

A couple teaser quotes:

“Our communities may no longer be bounded by geography, but they’re just as strong.”

“It’s not like blog posts and videos are replacing old-school marketing, because not everyone’s using social tools or using them the same way. So our jobs are just getting bigger.”

Read the complete interview here.

©2010 Independent Thinking. All Rights Reserved.

I love boards. Not sawed lumber, though I imagine that comes in handy if you need to build shelter from the rain. But those management structures that are designed to provide guidance, oversight, and strategic direction to an organization.

I believe that all solopreneurs and small business owners should get some kind of board experience. I’ve served on (and ran) both my 270-unit condominium association board and that of the rather-large IABC chapter in the Baltimore-Washington region. I’m now serving on a business advisory board for a student-run group that initiates and implements micro-development projects in Washington, D.C.

The best boards are run like businesses; and, like any business, they offer an opportunity to gain valuable skills. Boards also challenge us to test our limits and reach beyond our comfort zones.

So here are six big benefits I gained from serving on boards:

1. Financial management skills, including building and managing million-dollar-plus annual budgets.
2. Contracting, including bidding out large projects.
3. Personnel management, including hiring and firing, and dealing with a sexual harassment claim.
4. Project management (large-scale construction and renovation projects).
5. Teamwork, including learning how to build consensus.
6. Leadership.

Next post I’ll talk about my secret board desires. But now I’d like to ask you: What have I left out? What skills and insights have you gained from serving on a board?

©2010 Independent Thinking. All Rights Reserved.