http://www.niemanlab.org/2008/11/morning-links-november-14-2008/ Just another WordPress weblog Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:53:42 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 http://www.niemanlab.org/2008/11/morning-links-november-14-2008/comment-page-1/#comment-150 Brendan Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:32:13 +0000 http://www.niemanlab.org/?p=416#comment-150 We have to stop looking at everything in short-term dollars and cents. When I started my newspaper job I was told that everyone on the web staff was expected to go to one professional seminar or conference a year. One of the most valuable experiences I had was going to a Poynter seminar that first year. Did I learn anything concrete to bring back to my job? No. In terms of an immediate ROI, there was none for my employer. But the seminar was a valuable week of brainstorming and I returned with a renewed energy for my job, as well as a network of people with whom to trade ideas. Not to mention it was a great break from work. Seminars may not have a direct contribution to the bottom line. They may actually hurt the bottom line. But they're also a relatively low cost and effective way to reward some of your hardest working, engaged employees, especially young employees who are more concerned with expanding their skills and professional networks than say getting an insignificant raise. I would have exchanged any of my raises for more opportunities to keep my skills and my professional network current. But after that first conference that part of the budget was cut all together (except for upper management, who really did get very little out of going to these conferences to learn about technology that they're never use). We have to stop looking at everything in short-term dollars and cents. When I started my newspaper job I was told that everyone on the web staff was expected to go to one professional seminar or conference a year. One of the most valuable experiences I had was going to a Poynter seminar that first year. Did I learn anything concrete to bring back to my job? No. In terms of an immediate ROI, there was none for my employer. But the seminar was a valuable week of brainstorming and I returned with a renewed energy for my job, as well as a network of people with whom to trade ideas. Not to mention it was a great break from work. Seminars may not have a direct contribution to the bottom line. They may actually hurt the bottom line. But they’re also a relatively low cost and effective way to reward some of your hardest working, engaged employees, especially young employees who are more concerned with expanding their skills and professional networks than say getting an insignificant raise. I would have exchanged any of my raises for more opportunities to keep my skills and my professional network current. But after that first conference that part of the budget was cut all together (except for upper management, who really did get very little out of going to these conferences to learn about technology that they’re never use).

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