Can you teach an old dog new tricks? A conversation with David Murray

Steve Crescenzo and David Murray go WAY back -- as both friends and communicators. Join them as they talk about how corporate communications has changed over the years, as well as how they have (or have not) adapted to these changes in the industry.

Duration: 15:10

Listen to Episode 5 with Dave!

Read David's blog: Writing Boots

Comments

[Joan H.]

You're right, David--Steve IS funnier than you. But he doesn't own the Scout, AND he can't find the engine on his boat. So it's a wash, eh?

Great podcast, guys. If you'd had Bill Sweetland in the room, my three favorite men in all Chicago would've been together. Nirvana.

Adore you both,
Joan

[Kristen]

This was an interesting podcast for me.

Of course I loved the humor and the camraderie between you and David. It was fun to hear the two of you sparring.

But when David made the comment about blogging because he was lonely, that really made me think.

The world has become a difficult, demanding and sometimes very scary place. As well, our society has evolved away from extended families. Instead, many of us go through our days actually interacting with very few people compared to the previous generation.

So, I think it was a very insightful comment David made. Many of us are starved for actual connections with other human beings. And that offers such an opportunity for communicators.

The ability to truly connect with other people using words is, as you noted, becoming something of a dying art. But the situations happening all over the world are testament to what happens when people can't communicate with one another - it's not good.

Plus, I think most people want more genuine connections with others than they have, even if they don't realize it. Human beings are social creatures.

So, speaking for myself, I think that the future of employee communications (or any type of communications for that matter) is really dependent on how well we can continue to connect with others. The world can be a very disappointing place, and having connections with other people is, I think, about the only thing that has a hope of keeping us from destroying ourselves the whole ball of wax.

I guess that means employee communicators are going to save the world. . . hmmmm, then shouldn't we get, like superhero tights, or a three-picture deal, or something?

Someone should really get on that!

[Steve Crescenzo]

Joan:

If Sweetland was in the room, it somehow would have dissolved into a fistfight, and we would have accomplished nothing.

And I CAN find the engine on my boat . . . now. I just took me three years.

Steve C.

[Steve Crescenzo]

Kristen:

As always, thank you for the thoughtful comment. And I agree with you . . . but I also worry about something else:

The shortening of communications. The Status updates on Facebook, the 140 character limit on Twitter.

Twitter is taking over the world. It took me a while to realize this, but I believe it. Those not on it may laugh that that, but it's an unbelievable phenomena.

And the "experts" tell you that Twitter is best not used as a broadcast medium, to send out messages to your audience.

It's best used, they say, as a tool to have conversations with. It's about dialogue, they say.

But can you really have a dialogue with people when you're limited to 140 characters. It's about two sentences. Imagine trying to have that conversation face to face, each of you limited to two sentences at a time.

I worry about attention spans (I know, I know, I'm the poster boy for ADD . . . but I can sit and have a conversation for hours), abbreviated Tweets substituting for real conversation . . . .

Steve C.

[Kristen]

Steve: You and I agree on the shortening thing. However, I truly believe this is a pendulum kind of thing. It may take a generation, but I think ultimately, people will become disillusioned with this abbreviated kind of communication because of exactly what you say - it's a fraction of the REAL communication.

When that happens (and I'm not brave enough to predict exactly when that will be) I think you will see a resurgence of OUR kind of communication: the "let's sit on the porch/balcony/couch, drink 3-4 bottles of wine and talk for 4 hours about all kinds of topics."

Here's to that pendulum swing happening sooner than later, my friend!

[Colleen]

"The shortening of communications. The Status updates on Facebook, the 140 character limit on Twitter."

This goes along with what I've been reading, Steve, about how psychologists are concerned that Facebook-type communications are encouraging people to be too ego-centered. Too much focus on "me" and playing to an audience rather than engaging in the actual give and take of communicating with someone.

[Steve Crescenzo]

Oooooh . . .. Colleen: Can you point me to any of those articles. I've always sort of thought that some of these tools, when you give them to a younger generation who has already been brought up to believe that they are the center of the universe by their helicopter parents, could be VERY dangerous things, by making everything about ME all the time ME, ME ME ME, look at what I'M doing!!!!

There's a good column in here somewhere.

Steve C.

[Steve Crescenzo]

Kristen:

And I hope you're right, Kristen . . . but I don't hold out much hope. Kids raised on MySpace today will be unable to sit on the porch and have three-four bottles of wine.

I mean, they will, but they'll be diddling their dingleberries the entire time, twittering their friends that they are "sitting on the porch drinking wine with Kristen."

And then frantically checking back to see if anyone has responded to their tweets. If nobody has, they'll have to tweet again, five minutes later.

Siiiigh.

Last night, Murray and his wife and Scout came over, we all went to the park where Murray and Zach and I played football for a couple of hours, then we came back here and cooked sirloins and pork chops and zucchinis on the grill, then played Nerf ping pong tournaments for a couple of hours, then sat and talked . . . and nobody, not once, checked for a Tweet or a text message or a Facebook update . . . in fact, I can't speak for everyone (I guess I can speak for Dave) I don't think anyone even THOUGHT about it.

What a great night.

Steve C.

[Colleen]

What a wonderful way to spend an evening, Steve! And I know what you mean.

I "unplugged" last weekend for my mini-vacation in Kansas City (didn't make it to The Majestic but I can definitely recommend Hereford House and Bo Lings). We were so busy sightseeing, antique shopping, visiting museums, meandering through the farmers' market and enjoying great food and conversation to even think about sitting on the sidelines to read/write e-mails/tweets, etc.

Of course, now that I'm looking for them, I can't find the articles I've seen. I'll keep looking and send them your way as soon as I do.

[Robert J Holland, ABC]

A gazillion years ago when I was in college, I read the book "Megatrends" that talked about the whole high-tech/high-touch thing and how there would be a high-touch backlash to all the high-tech communication devices that were becoming available. We can only hope.

[Joan H.]

This Twitter/text message stuff is driving me frigging crazy. We finally banned cellular devices at our Friday night poker games. The only exception is telephone calls, and if you want to take one, you leave the table. No texting whatsoever. It's annoying and rude, and I'm tired of it.

Lately we had a computer meltdown at our house--not one but two laptops died within a few weeks of each other, leaving us no access to the internet except at work. And you know what I discovered? My husband and I had been tuning each other out a LOT. Since being webless, I've actually followed through on my resolve to start seeds for this summer's gardens. I've been reading--old New Yorkers, for example (David, if you read this, there was a good article about inaugural speeches in one from earlier in the year--I'll pass it along if you're interested, since Obama's speechwriter/writing seems to be of great interest to you). I've been getting things done, in a leisurely way that makes it fun. My life feels less frantic. I had no idea that technology (which I value--don't get me wrong) had invaded my life in ways that diminish me as a person.

I think that we've been caught in a tsunami of technology, and we're swirling so fast that we can't sort it out--what's the right tool, what's its appropriate use, where should our boundaries be.

We'll reincorporate the home computer; but I'm glad I had this time to gain perspective. And I wish I'd been there for that afternoon in the park and the barbecue (and the weather that obviously allows for parks and barbecues--we're still deep under snow; in fact, it's snowing again right now).

...Joan

[Ron Shewchuk]

That was a great conversation, Steve. Thanks for sharing it, although it made me very sad that I can't drink or shoot pool or golf with either of you. I may move to Chicago some day just to be able to do that.

[Steve Crescenzo]

Joan:

Lucky you!!! I am pretty good about shutting down the computer for important family times with Cindy or Zach . . . but not as good as I should be.

And sites like Twitter are addicting . . . you get sucked into them. They DO have value, but when they become all-encompassing, it threatens your quality of life.

I certainly couldn't run my business without technology, but I could certainly run my life without it.

And Ron . . . you need to move to Chicago. Murray and I need someone else to talk to. We've said all we ever need to say to each other.

At least come this July and stay on the boat!

Steve C.

[suzanne salvo]

I could so beat both of you at pool.

[Steve Crescenzo]

Suzanne:

You could probably beat David, but I would beat your ass out of the pool room, down the street, and into a cab.

I love you, miss you, and think of you often.

Steve C.

[jeff]

We have turns of "Phone Representative", which each in his turn answer the phone calls while we play so so distraction during games.
Yes, it make someone out of the game, but usually this role is filled by one of the girls who dont play anyway.

[Meghan]

Great podcast Steve.

I'd like to point out that I'm a Gen Y'er and wanted to say that I don't necessarily agree with the idea of blogging or tweeting because we're "lonely". Whatever happened to the idea of "Fish where the fish are swimming"? Myself, I don't have a blog and I have not yet signed up for a Twitter account (imagine that!). Although I have recently thought about signing up for Twitter, but because that's where all the people apparently are! As a communications professional, we want to market our message where people are going to see and hear it, no?

For my friends who do blog - it's not because they're lonely - it's either because they're very passionate about something or they're promoting their company because that's where people are listening. Or maybe I just have abnormal left-of-centre friends who don't feel the need to let everyone know they're having eggs and bacon for breakfast and keeping their fingers crossed for a response?

The idea of blogging because we need social interaction? When I was in University, Facebook always kept us up to date with what was going on that night or next weekend - a social tool we used to actually go out and meet up with people. And maybe that's where Twitter's headed these days? Couldn't tell ya.

Don't go into employee comm's at 24 "it's for grown-ups"? Man did my smile turn upside down - I am 24 and just recently took a job to internally promote a new training initiative :(
Although, I'd like say that I was told I was brought on to bring some fresh and new ideas to the table - maybe something a "grown-up" wouldn't have normally thought of ;)

On a side note, I attended the IABC conference in Toronto last week and your presentations were absolutely phenomenal - definitely the talk of the whole conference - well done Steve!