The Conference Coach™

Carolyn Bradfield

Every time a new employee starts with Copper Conferencing, I usually take the portion of their training that includes an historical perspective of the industry.  After all, I’ve been in the industry longer that most people I know (other than my friend Mike Burns).  One perspective that is difficult to get across to our younger people is just how much conferencing has transformed how American business operates.

I started my business career in the information technology division of General Electric (GEISCO).  Even though we had email back in the early 80’s (way before the rest of the world did), management was generally focused on setting policy and dictating that policy to the rest of us.  We weren’t asked our opinion about how things should work; we were told what we needed to do to execute GE’s business plan.  Being a cog in the wheel was a good description of how employees were viewed.

After GE, I evolved to the voice mail industry.  Phone systems didn’t have voice mail, so our company (Async) sold it as a service.  Sales operations jumped on the chance to leave voice messages vs. written messages with administrative assistants and our business took off.  Voice mail was for one-way informational messages and companies continued to tell their employees. how to execute the plan, not create or add to the plan.

Then along came conference calling.  We began talking to regional managers who spent each Monday on the phone calling their people one at a time to deliver information, repeat policy and deliver action items.  Conferencing changed all of that.  Instead of just being able to deliver a one-way informational message, dispersed organizations were able to get their people on a call once a week.  Now, there could be a conversation.  What are you seeing from the competition?  What is the best strategy to win deals?  How should we address this issue?  All of a sudden, employees were being asked to contribute their thoughts, their opinions, their information and their insights.  Business began to transform from being management-directed to being collaborative.

This is a simple concept, but it’s absolutely transformational in the way people thought about their jobs, their companies and themselves.  Employees realized that they experienced the same obstacles as other employees.  They knew there were others who had creative ways to outdistance the competition.  They had a way to share their victories with others and stay motivated.  They counted and their opinion mattered.  They were a part of the process.

With younger employees, it’s almost taken for granted that they will be asked their opinion and asked to contribute to the collective wisdom of the company.  However, that transformation may never have happened if it were not for a technology like conference calling that made it convenient, affordable and easy to bring people together.

Sometimes when I wonder what my overall contribution to business is going to be remembered for, I can point to how I showed companies how a simple technology like audio conferencing could transform their organizations into a more competitive and collaborative culture…..how management could turn directives into conversations….how they could improve morale and the value of their employees.  Simple technology, transformational results!