Flip video - a powerful leadership and learning tool
I own a Flip video camera – and have for a couple years. I know I don’t use it in as many ways as I can, but we have done some neat things with it – personally and in our business. I have also shared several ideas with leaders on ways they could use them.
I decided this morning to identify at least ten ways leaders could use these great tools (and it doesn’t have to be Flip, – there are other great hand held drop-dead easy cameras on the market).
Since it didn’t take me long to add to the suggestions and ideas I’ve given people in the past to come up with ten, I’m sure the list will be much longer, after you add your suggestions in the comments (hint, hint).
Ten Ways Leaders Can Use Flip Video Cameras
- Create internal training videos of work processes. Have someone video a master as they do their task. Video can be a powerful learning tool!
- Interview retiring or transferring employees. Capture some of their institutional knowledge (more on that in a bit), and get their key lessons learned down so others can benefit from it.
- Create informal product training videos for external (Client/Customer) use. A little personality may make these videos more useful and more watched (as well as being a great marketing tool.)
- Recognize employees work. At the price of these tools, why not give one to a worthy employee as a bonus, or as recognition of a job well done.
- Capture project lessons. Recognize top performers( and everyone for that matter) by capturing their key lessons from a project. Having that knowledge available for future project improvement could be very valuable.
- Share yourself. Perhaps you have a 24/7 operation or a geographically diverse team or organization. Why not use quick simple videos to inspire, challenge, remind and connect with others? It doesn’t replace face to face, but it might be more valuable than one more email.
- Share with the world. What is keeping you from sharing your lessons, ideas, and company with a broader world? Consider an external blog – it could be all video, or be a more traditional blog supplemented with video.
- Inspire creativity. Buy one or a few Flip video cameras and ask people what ideas they have for using them.
- Create a sense of history. Use these inexpensive cameras to document important company/team events for future use. Or, talk with the founder or others who were around at the start of the organization or team to instill sense of history and memory in your culture.
- Instill the voice of the Customer. Can’t get everyone face to face with Customers? Take a Flip on sales calls, and ask Customers to talk about what they like or don’t like about products and services. Much more powerful than something on the sales call report. Or take the camera to your next trade show as a way to get more people more closely connected to your Customers.
- Collect testimonials. As long as you are talking to the Customer, if you can get a testimonial there are certainly many uses for those, right?
Ok, so there are eleven, not ten ideas (and I thought of others as I was typing, but for now I’ll leave building this list to you!)
If you aren’t familiar with these cameras they are so easy and so fun! point and shoot, and within minutes you can have your video online for people to view. If any of these ideas intrigue you, make it your leadership activity today to buy one and try it today!
Please share both ideas you haven’t tried, and things you have seen used or done yourself in the comments. Leaders everywhere will thank you!
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Interviews: Film and share short interviews with industry leaders and thought leaders in your field (e.g. when you are at a conference). Post them on the web and link to the blogs and web sites of those leaders. Extend the interview on the phone and publish a podcast.
Thank you very much for the valuable information. I will pass it along and hopefully the innovative recommendations can positively affect and harness maximized success within a small organization.
Great information. I espescially love the Flip for video blogging and posting to youtube. I’ve never seen anyone in the corporate world start incorporating them in the ways you’ve mentioned but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time until they do. I actually just bought a flip a few months ago and I like it so much that I’m currently giving one away on my site. The popularity of the contest has proved even more how popular and desired the Flip is. It should continue to grow as they are integrated into my fields like the corporate world you suggest.