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Apr172007

441 - Get Their Cell Numbers for Crisis - Lesson Learned!

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - April 17, 2007.
#441 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,474 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2007 - Oct 21-24 - Orlando, Florida, USA.

Lesson Learned: Cell Phone Blasts for Crisis!

Does your company have the ability, in a few minutes, to send a text message or voice message to the cell phone of every employee?

The killings on the Virgina campus yesterday highlight the need and opportunity to harness mobile connectivity to our employees and community in a crisis.

Just three months ago, I wrote a column for Greentree Gazette, a higher education magazine, urging colleges to think about embracing the mobile/cell phone capabilities. I urged them to consider leaving the wired land line phones in dorm rooms that students aren't using and instead to hand each student a mobile phone that would allow the college to contact subsets or the entire campus with news or emergency updates. Or at least to register each phone in a campus database system.

Same for a corporation! Your organization should gather the mobile phone numbers of every employee and place them in a system (LMS or HR) that could be used to send an emergency text message or phone message instantly. What if there is a fire in the building and the email and phone systems go down? We could still reach 90% of the employees through the device that is on their belt or in their purse.

The United States is quite slow in leveraging the power of mobile devices and even lower in adult usage of TXT messages. But, as part of our crisis planning, we have a responsibility to make this a reality rapidly.

After Katrina, a CEO of a Gas Company in New Orleans that I know well regretted that they didn't even have a list of cell phone numbers to connect with current and alumni employees. He now carries that information on a USB stick in his pocket to allow for crisis communication.

Talk to your CIO and Corporate Communications coordinator about this today.

Send me your comments and thoughts to emasie@masie.com

Elliott Masie
The MASIE Center, Learning CONSORTIUM

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* Performance Support LAB & Seminar: April 25-27 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
( Note - 4 Spaces Available Next Week!)
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar: May 9-11 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Learning 2007: Oct 21-24 - Orlando, FL.
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

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