Visual Storytelling Gives Power to Truth: Interview with Marc Havener - Producer, Founder & CEO of Resonate Pictures

This week I had the pleasure of meeting with Marc Havener, Founder and CEO of Resonate Pictures. As told on Resonate’s website, Marc worked in Hollywood for 10 years as an Assistant Director and Production Assistant on feature films like Pirates of the Caribbean, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Wedding Crashers, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and more. Marc’s golden revelation to build a business around ethics related films (Q Resonate Pictures) came during his time working on the Office style series for Bearing Point, his first ethics and compliance related series. Marc has traveled the world on film adventures and has won multiple awards and a regional Emmy; and now Marc is breaking new ground integrating cinema and critical messaging for training films.

Marc is a creative mind and very forward thinking, someone whom I would call a “progressive storyteller”. I imagined Marc asking himself questions like, “What if the stories we show in movies could spark more ethical behavior in humans? And if we hit the right demographic at a large scale, what if we could influence a whole culture of higher ethics, safety, and wellbeing?” Personally, I envision this “ethical storytelling” as a string, a current of electricity. The lesson is the current traveling into the viewer's brain, this energy excites the viewer’s mind and emotions to jump to a higher frequency (consciousness) which results in people’s thoughts and actions aligning with higher standards of compliance. It’s really a simple formula. 

Visual Stimuli + Empathy + Logic + Values + Workplace Policy + Understanding the WHY 

= 

A CULTURE OF COMPLIANCE

This concept is something Marc describes as being “sticky”...a “sticky story”. The end goal is to have that electrical current, that sticky string, resonate with people and link them to the characters of the film, weaving them into the larger fabric of a stronger morale society. I was excited to ask Marc a few questions. Marc is very passionate about what he does, and here is a window into his WHY.

Q1: What is storytelling and why is it so important to you?

Story is the best vehicle to carry a message. The problem is we are inundated with messages and it’s difficult to know which ones to pay attention to as well as remember the messages we want to remember. So we use stories to make a message human and "sticky". At its essence, a story is made up of a character who faces a dilemma and must make choices and act to overcome it. This struggle causes internal change and provides a new perspective and understanding of life. When told well, a story causes the listener to identify emotionally with the character and vicariously experience the same change, giving them practice to face similar, real life challenges.

Q2: What is the greater impact of storytelling to society?

Humankind has used storytelling to inform and transfer values for ages, causing a society to become the stories it tells itself. Think about it, we pay attention to anecdotes and testimonies that support and explain our perspectives. But when we are faced with a story that nudges us, that helps us see life from a different angle, in a way that resonates, it changes us a little. The best stories help us understand each other better, make us more kind, generous, brave, forgiving, etc. This creates better communities and better cultures. The potential is that it becomes normalized to help others strive for their best rather than striving only for personal gain.

Q3: Why is the visual aspect of storytelling so powerful?

It taps into the power of nonverbal communication - a form of communication that influences us more than words (and powerpoints!).  A good actor can establish empathy with simply and expression. Add to that composition of the frame, lighting, color, sound and music…and you’re able to send a powerful message in a matter of moments.

Q4: When was the moment when you realized that visual storytelling was so influential, and could be used for something more meaningful like ethical behavior change?

I remember when I was seven I saw Fox and the Hound in the movie theater. To this day I think about how that film influenced how I view my friendships, teaching me not to take them for granted. I haven’t seen the film since but it remains lodged deep into my memory. Our most visceral memories are the ones attached to emotions. Attaching information to emotion is what gives a story it’s power.

Q5: Considering the public now has at least a general understanding of the power of visual storytelling, and more prominently scientists and techies understand the power of the screen, do you ever feel like you’re fighting a battle for the good guys? 

What do you think of those who exploit this power for personal or business gains only? Do you believe there is a social responsibility to use the power of visual storytelling as a force of good?

I don’t think it’s any different than any other tool that can be used for good or bad. Short gains will always be made when you exploit the tool. But eventually, the truth always wins. So those of us playing the long game have nothing to worry about. We just need to hang in there!

Q6: In the context of your business, how do you plan to use ethical and safety storytelling to spark positive change in other businesses?

We bring a filmmakers perspective to training videos. I’ve been in the film industry for over 20 years and what drives me to make “corporate" films is the same thing that drives me to make “film” films. It's their unique ability to influence people (or employees) to live life better. Messages involving ethics and safety are particularly suited for storytelling because they often hinge on empathy - a by-product of a well-told story. Our productions involve a little more investment than a typical corporate training video because we believe the creative (screenwriting, acting, cinematography, editing, sound) really is worth it. It can mean the difference between a video that makes employees role their eyes and one that ignites empathy. We partner with companies who share similar values and are serious about creating a culture where their employees can flourish.

Thanks Marc for sharing your story. We look forward to seeing more of it up on a screen. Long live the all-mighty truth!

Written by Charlotte Whiteman - Defense Mitigation & Remediation Advisor

Neztec Solutions Inc.

For more information, email at charlotte.whiteman@neztecs.com

The government standard.

Thomson Reuter

Before the Enron scandal, many companies did not consider an ethics and compliance department. Since then the Department of Justice has made considerable modifications to investigations. To properly charge and evaluate companies during lawsuits, the Department of Justice issued the McNulty memo in 2006.  During criminal prosecutions of corporate entities, prosecutors must determine, among other things, whether a compliance program is just a "paper program" or whether it is truly an "effective" one. 

There are three key takeaways from the memo:

1. The existence and adequacy of the pre-existing compliance program.
2. Remedial actions, including any efforts to implement an effective corporate compliance program or to improve an existing one, to replace responsible management, to discipline or terminate wrongdoers, to pay restitution, and to cooperate with the relevant government agencies.
3. As part of their analysis, prosecutors should determine whether the corporation has provided adequate resources to the compliance program, the visibility of the program to employees, and the employees' impression of the corporation's commitment to the program.

But how can a company avoid such charges and make sure that their messages are properly relayed to their employees? Flash forward to 2018 and almost every company now has an ethics and compliance department and a system to send complaints or ethical concerns. There are strict compliance programs, but how can we be sure that it is really effective?

Take Wells Fargo - they have been undergoing a new compliance program - or rather, trying to implement an effective one. The past few years they have had to redesign multiple programs that continue to not meet government standards. The OCC says that Wells Fargo did not execute a comprehensive plan to address compliance risk management deficiencies, fill mission-critical staffing positions, implement a reliable risk assessment and testing program and report compliance concerns adequately to the board. Many of their problems cam from internal audits within the company that inconsistently applied its policy and charged borrowers extension fees they should not have. This year they received a $1 billion fine with an additional $800 million accrual in the first quarter.

The success of a compliance program really depends on the measurements they use. It has to be scalable, understandable, and easily implemented. A company has to get out of hot water - or prevent it- by following the expectations and guidelines of the McNulty memo. With that in mind - there must be an effective tone from the top and culture that the company's leaders must demonstrate. That’s easier said than done, especially in an international and multicultural environment.

Avoid the headlines.

Written by Caitlin Schmit - Strategic Brand Manager

Neztec Solutions Inc.

For more information, email at caitlin.schmit@neztecs.com

Compliance Fettuccine!

Foodcollection/Getty Images

Could the culture of ethics and integrity be delicious like pasta cooked by Lidia Bastianich?  

Lidia is one of the most recognizable Emmy award-winning TV host chefs in the world, author of a best-selling cookbook, and renowned restaurateur. She travels the world doing guest appearances on other famous chef shows, like Julia Child: Cooking with Master Chef’s, speaking at events, cooking for charities and fundraisers, sharing her experience with young audiences at schools and universities to spread her delectable and deliberate recipes. What better way to spread the love! 

Last week I had the delightful honor of sitting down with Lidia. Her love of cooking must be contagious because she gave me some great food for thought -- If Lidia can cook her pasta for people around the world to enjoy, perhaps companies could combine their ethics and compliance ingredients into building a culture of integrity so all employees across an organization can love compliance too! Inspired by Lidia's renown Fettuccine with Mafalda Sauce recipe, my corporate compliance recipe would look something like this: 

1          cup of ethics
1 1/2    cups of compliance
2          dashes of integrity
1          pinch of professionalism
2          cups of refined culture
1          handful of happiness

Baked well and served on a visual communications platform, rather than the old traditional pasta bowl of trainings. Now employees can learn and embrace for best visibility, repetition, and behavioral change. Mmmmm :) Viola! A culture of compliance served...I think we are onto something.

I felt a connection to Lidia upon learning that her passion for food is her connection to her grandmother. I have a similar connection to compliance and ethics through my grandfather, Harry J. Hurley. He was the Chairman of the Board of Ethics of Medicine in America and I remember when I learned that, I felt like I was carrying on his legacy in a way. He was motivated to serve a higher purpose for the well-being of society, and through my work at Neztec I feel like I'm also able to fight the fight for the good guys. My grandfather had strong integrity, and his medical practice was his life’s devotion. These people, Lidia, her grandmother, my grandfather, and many, many others are people we have to look up to as role models. It is incredible to see the spirited growth in a person when that someone devotes their life to becoming expert in a chosen path to dignified work, following passion down an interconnected road of success and happiness. This is the difference between a career and a profession. Through compliance and ethics, we welcome all to join in on that greater mission.

As Lidia always says to all of her pasta lovers, “Tutti a tavola a mangiare!” (Everyone to the table to eat!). So I will invite all compliance lovers to step up to the table, “Bon appetit and cheers to doing it right!"


Written by Charlotte Whiteman - Defense Mitigation & Remediation Advisor
Neztec Solutions Inc.

For more information, email at charlotte.whiteman@neztecs.com

Every single day you get caught in the grey.

Cryptocurrency World

It seems like the Bitcoin frenzy has died down a bit, and now the real system behind it - blockchain - is under fire. Or rather, how to audit blockchain and similar platforms to match the evolving responsibilities.

Many organizations have decided to accept and use cyber transactions but have not explicitly designated specific roles to process the information, audit the system, and oversee its security. The fear of fraud and criminal activities continues to grow and seems to constantly come up in our news feed. Regulatory challenges are slowly emerging and companies are trying to figure out how to best perform customer due diligence on virtual currency transfers. The Facebook scandal has opened a flood of questions and demands that companies may not be prepared to answer, and what sort of new regulations and penalties will surface. As cyber-responsibilities continue to evolve, the pressure on internal auditors continues to increase. That includes ensuring that their efforts align with the companies' overall cyber-security approach and effectively transmitting messages to their employees. 

Rise of the Machines: The Internet of Things

It is important now more than ever for companies to behave ethically. The question is, how can you guarantee your employees will behave that way? According to Brian Brown, the Principal and Cybersecurity Practice Leader at Mazars USA said that there are three lines of cyber-security defense that must improve together: business units and cyber-security teams, risk management, and internal audit. Brown said the key to help many internal audit departments would be "external help when it comes to cyber-security because it's typically not a core skill set that they are going to maintain as part of their department". A survey conducted by Compliance Week and Mazars USA found that 31 percent of respondents felt that their cyber-security efforts were "managed", aka their processes were being properly monitored and performance measured. Apparently, only 25 percent of respondents do not track the maturity of their cyber-risk programs, to which Brown responded, "If you do not have a framework in place, you are going to be haphazard in your approach to managing your cyber-risk, and your results are going to show that." Essentially, is it worth it for your company to ignore the impending costs and damages we can, and should, expect in the future?

As we have seen in the past, it only takes one person to make the wrong decision that could upend a company. Don't let that be you.

Written by Caitlin Schmit - Strategic Brand Manager

Neztec Solutions Inc.

For more information, email at caitlin.schmit@neztecs.com

References:

https://www.complianceweek.com/news/news-article/internal-audit’s-cyber-responsibilities-continue-to-evolve#.Ws4hOkxFxPZ
https://www.complianceweek.com/news/news-article/auditors-develop-early-plans-for-how-to-audit-blockchain#.Ws4hFExFzeJ
https://www.complianceweek.com/news/news-article/as-cryptocurrency-creeps-into-mainstream-aml-risks-multiply#.Ws4kYUxFzeJ

Talk about Data Protection is EVERYWHERE. Best thing to do...get educated, ASAP.

Last Wednesday we posted a blog about Data Protection (AKA Data Privacy as we say here in America). Whether you are talking about Facebook’s latest and greatest scandal or talking about the EU’s recent General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) going into effect on May 25 (DON’T PANIC), you’d better understand what people are talking about. The buzz about data security is everywhere, and whether you acknowledge it or not, it directly affects us all.

Even just last week, I had an opportunity to attend a major Data Protection Conference in Washington D.C.’s Marriott Hotel. I sat in on the 4-hour discussion about the implementation of GDPR. One of the attendees was a member of British Parliament herself. The basic discussion went a little something like this:

What is GDPR? Adopted April, 27 2016, and enforceable May 25, 2018 GDPR is the European Union’s regulation on protection and free flow of personal data.

What is “Data Protection”? The process of safeguarding important/personal information from corruption, compromise, or loss. 120 countries have data protection laws and 30 more have bills in place...the United States is not one of them.

Why is Data Protection relevant to today? The importance of data protection increases as more information is collected on tech platforms and transferred through the internet. That information is then categorized into data and stored. Complexity arises in the relationship between the transfer and dissemination of that information to and amongst businesses (controllers and processors) and public perception/expectation of privacy or transparency with the usage of that information, which up until now has been lacking due to the political and legal underpinnings of that information.

Who does GDPR affect? GDPR will directly affect all 28 EU member states plus 3 EEA member states. Local implementation will also take place for members who are late to the party. In a global scope, GDPR sets a precedent that affects us all.

Is GDPR possible to implement in the U.S.? The key thing to understand here is that when laws are enacted in the EU they are quicker to pass through legislation. EU parliament implements regulation as a framework among all member states so it applies to all business and industries across the board, as opposed to the United States where we mandate regulation sectorally. Why? We’ll for one, complexity. We have a large and highly diverse country consisting of 50 states all abiding by different local laws and regulations, coincidentally tailored around industry clusters. Second, touching on “coincidence”...thinking about the amount of money that is passed around from big business to government, it sure makes things “coincidentally” convenient for those business clusters of major US conglomerates to not have to abide by certain regulatory standards. One time at a speech about the problem of bribery in Russia, I raised the question, “If bribes are called gifts in Russia and they are considered a problem, what is the difference of that and lobbying in the United States?” The speaker gave no answer.

The underlying matter of what we are all talking about here is risk and exposure. On the consumer side, if your data is not protected YOU are at risk. Risk of being hacked, risk of having your identity stolen, risk of being blackmailed...to name a few. The exposure is the dire outcome of that threat. You go from having $100,000 in your account to having $0 (hack), you found out your suddenly existent other persona just got caught smuggling drugs across the Mexican border (identity theft), or someone has proof of your affair and they’re asking for 1 million dollars in return for their silence (blackmail).

So what is the overlap between Neztec and data protection? How does advanced visual communication help with defense mitigation? How can the dissemination of information in the area of compliance and regulation help create awareness? Well, that’s your answer right there. If the root of exposure comes from a lack of awareness, the solution is to educate the individual. Dissemination of messages in the form of visual communication is more effective for creating an aware group of people. And if we want to defend companies against the threat of exposure, in this case repercussions from leaked information, we need to ensure that their employees are informed effectively; just like the everyday person needs to be aware in order to defend themself against getting hacked. Educate, create awareness, heighten your defense. The approach is the same. The end result is in the way you play the game.

Written by Charlotte Whiteman - Defense Mitigation & Remediation Advisor
Neztec Solutions Inc.

For more information, email at charlotte.whiteman@neztecs.com

Hackers Wanted.

The amount of data breaches and cyber attacks we see in the news is ridiculous. And those are just the ones we know about! In March, the Atlanta city government systems were shut down due to a cyber attack. There were also data breaches in healthcare facilities, pharmaceutical companies, Saks fifth Avenue, MyFitnessPal, public schools and universities, etc. What they all have in common: we don't know who did it. It makes one wonder, why didn't I learn how to be a hacker?

Not only that, but more and more companies are revealing that they have capitalized on our information and sold it to other companies. Considering how often people in America, and society overall, freely give out information it should not come as a surprise. But, how are we supposed to measure the limitations?

In Germany, a leading cyberwarfare specialist by the name of Sandro Gaycken said that the government can do little about hacking, being hacked, and that data is stolen from ministries all the time. This week the German federal network admitted that for up to a year they had been infiltrated by a major cyberattack.

America is not alone in these attacks, nor should we assume that. Unfortunately, this is old news. What with the Russian Facebook scandal and poisoning of an ex-spy it is not surprising that many people believe that Russia is behind the breach in Germany as well. Of course, this is all speculation. Much of the news we are receiving now happened many months ago.

It is easy to imitate or copy Russian programs, but especially difficult to actually pinpoint who, what, where, and most importantly why. Shouldn't that be a top priority? Naturally, our President has tweeted about it, which has affected some stock options and lends a weary eye over trading with the United States. The question is, what can and will we actually do about it?

Moving back into Germany, a new hacker-soldier elite is being trained at the Bundeswehr University to serve as a solution. They are building a new digital forensic lab for software development to train IT experts to make it more difficult for hackers to break into the system. The agency plans to employ 13,500 soldiers and 1,500 civilians. The German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said it best, "There are no outer or inner borders in cyberspace!"

We live in a complex and fast moving society, where everything can and will go wrong. How your company trains and recruits its employees is important, but are we teaching students effectively or reaching out to the right demographic? What can your company do to have its employees prepared to monitor, realize, and prevent information from getting into the wrong hands?

Written by Caitlin Schmit - Strategic Brand Manager

Neztec Solutions Inc.

For more information, email at caitlin.schmit@neztecs.com

Regular TV set can do more than we think.

Communication is always one of the most important parts in every organization. We can't live without it any more. It gets us to connect and communicate with each other effectively and efficiently. I probably appreciate all technological evolvements of communications the most since most of my work is in a communication and technology sector.
What is communication? Communication is a method that conveys or delivers message(s) from sender to recipient. That's it. Regardless what kind of methods or how complicated methods are, the idea is an ability to deliver a form of messages. Having a good communication often requires well-thought of design, infrastructure, execution and backup plan. Then, with the right messages and information, communication can reduce cost, increase productivity and save lives.
In recent years, the inability of government agencies to respond immediately in certain situations suggests that we need to be ready in case of emergency. When asked, how ready is your organization to cope with an unforeseen situation? We usually think of emergency training and class to deal with situations, or capability of connecting and getting information across either thru alarm, cellphone, telephone, radio, computer etc. We want to make sure we can connect and deliver messages or information to whom we are trying to help. In emergency situations, most people might be losing their focus. Information does not help them unless it can be delivered dynamically and proactively in real-time at the moment it is needed. Most technologies fall short by just delivering and informing people with a message.  During crisis, there could be a million things occurring despite well-trained. Corporate needs a tool that can take an emergency communication to the next step. Workplace TV can conveniently be used as a communications tool to enhance and maximize corporate's communications. TV medium is naturally capable to be seen and heard. With dynamic communication platform, it can inform, direct and suggest audience in real-time with both visual and auditory information based on circumstances. In a horrifying situation, people need a clear guideline what to do next and in what they can understand while waiting for someone to rescue them!!!

Creating a positive workplace culture everyday.

With globalization and technology, big companies are seeking for an innovative means to connect with a diverse culture of their employees. A company, for example, with a size of 1,000 -  50,000 employees and contractors at multiple facilities across the country or international would need more and better approach to improve corporate culture. Conventional communications and strategies are totally inadequate. Unless corporate executive can meet and greet everyone in person, employees may not feel their existences. What kind of approach do corporate need to create a positive workplace culture everyday? It is not unusual to learn that employees feel isolated or disconnected with their management. People ignore emails. People throw away handouts and flyers. Time is money. A miscommunication could significantly impact the company's bottom line.

Conventional usages of TVs at a workplace is typically meant for marketing, news and information.  How about using TVs as a cost-effective marketing and communications tool? Can TVs enhance and add another dimension of corporate communications? Simple recognition and appreciation of jobs well-done on screens can immediately bright up everyone's day at work!

• Thank you ...
• Congratulation ...
• Employee of the month
• Teamwork achievement
• Volunteering 
• Project success
• Open enrollment
• Corporate news and updates

Centralized and decentralized communications become a challenge for corporate's public relation, human resource, marketing, safety and risk management departments to deliver company's messages effectively. With dynamic TV platform, corporate headquarter can simply deliver global messages while local manager can easily deliver more specific and relevant messages and information to his or her facility.

What not to post on TVs at a workplace.

Another crucial part to maximize your TVs in working environments is content! Based on my professional experience in communications, here are a few things we should understand about turning those passive TV sets to a dynamic communications tool.

Content and Message:

• If Google or Siri can answer, don't post it.
• If it can be found online, don't waste your time.
• If it takes you more than 5 seconds to understand, don't post it.
• If reading is required, try to avoid them.
• If it is important to read, dedicated screens and different approaches should be considered.  

Nobody reads anything any more, it is fact. People are on the move. Putting messages that are relevant to audiences can create a positive impact. Be more creative about your messages can certainly improve corporate culture in many ways. Customers, visitors and guests can learn more about your business and services. Employees, and staff can be informed and directed effectively. Furthermore, corporate can deliver their messages cost-effectively.

Make it positive! 
Make it lively! 
Keep it simple but informative!        

Placement of TVs in working environments.

Probably this might be a topic that most people rarely discuss about in details. And we wonder why nobody likes to look at TVs in a working place regardless what's on it. Instead of discussing broadly about where physically TVs are installed in any working environments. I wanted to discuss how those TVs should be embedded into corporate's environment. After decisions are made to install them where at and what for, a final appearance of those TVs can affect an outcome of  corporate's goals. How to install those TVs architecturally and pleasantly in working environments. Can we think of it as if we hung a piece of art? Whether TVs are installed at an elegant lobby, office hallway, executive boardroom, industrial warehouse or locker room, these TVs are a part of design elements that could psychological influence audience's behavior. If a height of screen position is higher than natural eye level, it is uncomfortably to look and usually undervalues its own messages. If it is important to audience, it should be presented in a way that intends to get people's attentions. I will discuss about what on screens itself later.

Recommended considerations: 

• Portrait look makes it more interesting.
• Customized frame on TV compliments a surrounding.
• Typical TV bracket can be replaced by other options. 
• A height of TV should be at eye level.

Think about Feng Shui, a good placement of objects can bring a positive energy to a surrounding. If it is positioned properly, those TVs could be more interesting to be looked at. Because it is technology, it can function and look pretty too. 

How corporate deploy TVs at their working environments.

Everything is so complicated nowadays. Nothing seems to be easy any more. To deploy TVs at a workplace is no exception either when it should not be. Because it looks and sounds very technical, first thing comes to mind is that IT department must take a look on this. Keeping it simple is always the best way to deal with something that there is nothing related to main business. By treating and using  TVs in working environment as a communications tool, it can give corporate with a viable approach for deploying them.
Typically, corporate's IT department will seek for software, hardware, infrastructure and make sure technological aspects are taken care of. Then, it is up to other departments to provide contents or manage those contents on TVs. If not, IT department is on a hook. Unfortunately, this has become a common problem for almost every organization where TVs were deployed. Like everything else, devil is in the details. Attentions in details are required to achieve a greater result that corporate is expecting. Some might say that content is king. However, if corporate cannot manage those contents effectively and efficiently, all they have are a bunch of TVs hanging and nobody appreciates it. Crisscrossing processes create a burden on personnel and staff. As a result, all those TVs frequently are left out with no use, stale, outdated, and stagnant information instead of display informative, useful and attractive messages.

Instead of going such an extent, corporate might be better off with managing services that can take care of every aspect of those corporate TVs. IT department in today's world is bombarded by technology issues that come to its department from every direction. If we think about it, most contents will come from PR, marketing, communication, or safety departments. Outsourcing of management and coordination of everything needed to be done on those screens might be worth of time and resource.

Content management is the most important element of executing and utilizing those TVs. I usually recommend clients to minimize and avoid everything unnecessarily in deployment process. And, turning their focus on what corporate want to get across since managing all contents on TVs can be a pain. Can a tool provide value-added for what you already have? And, what value is it? Or, what kind of contents on it to benefit and attract both corporate and audience respectively?

By efficiently allocating available resources, corporate can reduce cost and time while benefiting from using TVs as their communications tool. Managing services can give a new light to TVs in working environments such as making them more engaging, attractive, informative, useful, and exciting, which everybody can take advantage from.

Part III: Get the most out of TVs you already have.

There are a few of unfamiliar benefits and advantages, which we don't normally recognize from workplace TVs. Increasing Employee Morale and Saving Lives. For obvious reasons, most TVs at work do not provide any useful information relevant to our needs. People start to ignore or acknowledge all that exists. Turning workplace TVs to a dynamic communications tool can add another dimension of communications in working environments. Audiences can feel personally affected by positive information and useful messages within a few seconds. If we look around business offices and working environments where we work everyday, we usually find that corporate are trying to create a working environment that could connect to their employees both work and non-work related. Beautiful artworks create a welcoming and relaxing ambience. Motivational and inspirational posters give a feeling of teamwork for a higher achievement. Simple reminders and tips could save lives. If only workplace TVs could be used for some of those reasons, corporate might find a new way to their employee's liking. Static messages can become lively. Employee morale is very important in today's corporate world. To those working environments, at where everyone is working on fast-paced, no time, high-stress, and multi-cultural, communication has become a critical part of organizations. 

How does your organization send a simple but meaningful message which most people can see and understand without reading? 

Part II: Get the most out of TVs you already have.

Are your traditional methods of communications working effectively in today's working environment?

We are seeing a trend of this whole idea that getting corporate information and messages across is becoming more and more ineffective. Regardless where messages come from: public-relation, marketing, human-resource, risk management, or safety departments, it is critical for corporate to deliver those messages to visitors, employees, staff and contractors. In corporate environments especially public areas, relevant messages are matter for targeted audiences to create an expected result. By turning existing TVs to a dynamic communications tool, corporate can benefit from economies of scale and save on the overall cost of re-creating and disseminating all information, allowing employees and personnel to focus on their day-to-day mission. Furthermore, using TVs as a dynamic communications tool adds a benefit of immediate personnel interoperability.

Needless to say people are busy, audiences are on the move and personnel are overloaded by their normal workloads. Keeping that in mind will help you select a suitable platform to achieve your goals: operational, financial and strategic without becoming a burden afterward.    

Part I: Get the most out of TVs you already have.

Whether TVs are at a lobby, hallway, waiting-area, locker room, break room or assembly line area, it must engage your audiences.
A thorough consideration of goals and expectations will help corporate get the most out of their investment, and help them save money while using it.
Those TVs should improve and complement working environments to be more welcoming, informative, useful and relevant for everyone who is walking by. Communication  is a fundamental of everyday lives. Working people spend time outside home whether on the roads or at business settings. Getting messages across while audiences physically moving requires a delicate balance of understanding human-interaction.

Instead of traditional return of ROI, innovative communications can help engaging customers & employees, lowering operating cost, improving employees morale, increasing productivity and so on.  Different locations mean different purposes for different audiences. Workplace TVs can independently deliver information and dynamically  disseminate  communications throughout corporate cultures anywhere anytime.

Business applications:

• Corporate Headquarter & Branch Offices
• Local Authorities & Government
• Healthcare
• Education & Institution
• Manufacture & Factory

Messages:

• Welcome Messages
• Corporate Information
• Corporate Announcements
• Tips and Awareness
• Safety Information and Policies
• Real-time Emergency Announcements

Audiences:

• Employees, Staff, and Contractors
• Visitors, Guests and Customers 
• Students, and Faculties

TV at a workplace.

Reality of TV utilization.

Sadly to see the incident in Canadian parliament yesterday.

Circumstances change all the time regardless how we prepare. Like everybody else, I witnessed the real situation through television. With all TV news, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Ambler Alert and Siren, I still can hear people asking: "what do we do?, where do we go?". All they got is information. I often ask myself, what more do they need to deal with such a horrific moment?

“Information is a source of learning. But unless it is organized, processed, and available to the right people in a format for decision making, it is a burden, not a benefit.” William Pollard. 

How people react to an unforeseen situation mostly come from experience and human-nature. My extensive experience of traveling, information & technology, and communication helps me to understand human-interaction, at where situations are unfavorable. We don't know what we don't know but we can plan. Data processing is needed because corporate could benefit from fact based on available information they have. Picture worth a thousand words. Modern TV makes it even easier to deliver fact, that illustrates a thousand times better than any other media. It is big. It is colorful. It is lively. The question is whether we can see such an advantage from using TV or not. To answer that question, business-people already see it as a tool to get the financial benefit instead of value-added to corporate. Every business and corporate in the world equip themselves with speed, technologies, ideas, information and more. While they are busy focusing on business strategies, misallocation of resources could affect the bottom line.

A new purpose of modern TV.

Technology of TV is amazing nowadays. It accepts almost any type of plug-in devices through regular signal feed, wire, or wireless. TV is getting to be like a hybrid computer monitor. We live among all the greatest inventions, and innovative ideas, which could pave the way for a farther, further and better thing. 

 

"The day will come when the man at the telephone will be able to see the distant person  to whom he is speaking" (1906) (Alexander Graham Bell).

In today's world, information is at our fingertips and around us everywhere. There are many ways to get and turn information to fact and knowledge. TV is another medium, from which we can get information by watching and hearing. Typically, what we get are either entertainment, advertising or news information from TV. But, with all available functions and features that come with modern TV, we could potentially utilize them for greater purposes. First we must understand that TV is a passive object. It follows your commands to show things. It is a one-way communication. Certain thing can communicate back and forth naturally but TV is not. Understanding basic limitation of TV helps us to better use, and turn it to a useful communications tool. TV could add another dimension of how corporate communications efficiently connect to staff, employees, and visitors. An effective communications tool requires very clear objectives and goals. Radio is great medium of mass communication. TV is even greater medium with visual and audio capabilities.

Future TV vs TV Future.

Future TV is endless at the moment. Physical TV will look better and prettier. 

TV future is what interesting to me. TV will be used for what, at where, and how.

I grew up around business, where engineering is importance and beauty is matter, which is probably why I care so much about engineering and architecture. At engineering school, professor would teach me how to turn my ideas into something practical, effective and efficient. Later, when I start working, corporate environment introduces me to new terms such as value proposition, customer and user. 

At home, people is getting used to with turning on TV and then something shows up. However when TV is not used at home, its purpose is changed out of commonly used. Even though it has been seen everywhere for a long time, business is still struggling to use TVs at a workplace and working environment. Regardless whatever it is we call TV, monitor, digital screen or display, it give us futuristic feeling and the 21st century atmosphere. It is part of the game for business to stay competitive. It is part of communications to stay connected with audiences. 

Generally, innovative solutions help to solve social problems while the world keeps turning and time keeps moving forward. People already saw changes from railroad to bullet train, telephone to Skype, mail to texting etc. My parent would say technology changes too much and too fast. Indeed it does. Tools are easier to use. Communications are beyond imagination. Despite the fact that it might sound scarily amazing for some people, I personally enjoy all innovative ideas out there. I, however, think it is getting harder and harder to use or even apply to the real purpose. Drastic changes to cope with business survival potentially contribute to unprepared conditions. With all bells and whistles that come with technology stuffs today, I somehow think who is faster: high-speed communications or Superman? Future TV can handle crystal clear and realistic contents which tempt you to touch the screen whether it is real. At the end of the day, TV itself still relies on what contents are for, where contents are shown at, and how contents get there, then we can decide whether it is useful or useless, engaging or boring etc. 

TV utilization.

No...no...no...I am not going to discuss something technical here! 

Let's talk about TV like what it is. Have you seen my new TV? Wow...look at that screen. TV is getting bigger, thinner, lighter, nicer, more features and functions. However, nobody is going to look at TV without turning it on. At the moment that awesome TV is turned on, wow, ooh and aah sounds of excitement light up the whole room. Whatever is on TV, it takes us to an interesting and unknown world. It is the beauty of TV. It galvanizes us. Whether it is a show, program, or news, TV contents give us visual and audio pleasures. TV may not mean much without high-quality and wonderful contents. Today's most advanced technology make it easy for TV to receive different kinds of contents through variety of sources and providers such as traditional antenna, satellite dish, cable box, Internet streaming etc. 

There is no doubt, financial opportunities generated by TV are enormous. Because TV can persuade human-behaviors, business ideas around TV are visible both inside-home and outside-home. Engineer is typically taught to create ideas, develop and implement things, which can improve everyday-life things. Engineers have come a long way from being a nerd, haven't they? Financial success motivates an engineer to think like an entrepreneur. Thinking for the improvement alone is no longer enough. When engineers got into a business meeting, they must understand what ROI (Return On Investment) means as well. What is TV nowadays? When TV is used outside home for whatever reasons are, it is not watched by traditional audiences any more. As a result, new challenges of TV utilization must be adapted to suit new needs and requirements. This approach has been adopted by many businesses to attract their audiences. It is even more mainstream when it comes to advertising than entertainment and news uses.
Can TV be more than just revenue generating ideas for business?

TV everyday.

TV is everywhere nowadays. When it is not embedded with tuner, it can also be referred to as digital display, monitor, electronic board etc. in different sizes. Based on Wikipedia, TV was invented back around the late 18th century. It is awesome how TV becomes part of our everyday lives. It gives us all laughs, joys, funs, excitement, dreams and imagination. And since then, it has been a vehicle for entertainment, advertising and news. 

I used to think which one I'd prefer between watching TV and listening to music. I could not decide which one I can live without. I can easily get lost of time by watching anything on TV and comfortably relax by listening music. 

In the past 15 years, TV is gradually crawling out of the living room, bedroom to boardroom, meeting room, store and everywhere. More and More. What more can we get out of so called TV????