Most leadership programs will include lessons on group dynamics and communication. Effective organizations find ways to effectively communicate within their group and work consistently to build the interpersonal connections that promote productive teamwork. Technology has simultane- ously made communication easier and harder. Easier because there are so many tools and most are instantaneous. Harder because with so many tools it’s difficult to focus communication and often efforts become impersonal. There is a technology tool however that is specifically designed for im- proving how people work and communicate in groups. That tool is called Wiggio. What does Wiggio do for your group’s ability to commu- nicate? Well, just about every- thing according to their webpart in sessions that are designed with their unique needs in mind and led by experienced advisers and nationally known speakers and presenters. The LEAD Conferences also include the ever-popular Adviser’s Idea Exchange, which has frequently been rated as the site: “On Wiggio, you can
share and edit files, manage a group calendar, poll your group, post links, set up conference calls, chat online, and send mass text, voice and email messages to your group members. Each group member can define how they want to keep informed of group activity.” Wiggio is free, flexible, and even fun to use. More importantly, your district’s tech administrators may be more willing to allow Wiggio to be accessed during the school day compared to other group collaboration tools like Facebook. Here are just a few examples of how you can use these features: • Use file sharing to post forms that your Council needs to access on a regular basis— like proposal sheets or expense reports. • Use the group calendar to most valuable opportunity for advisers to obtain new ideas and share information For program details and to register, go to www.LEADConferences.org,. Deadline to register online to receive the member school early-bird rate ($165) is March 2, 2011. manage events and have it send out text reminders. • Have a closed group chat, video, or voice conference call to make committee work
more efficient and flexible. • Distribute messages to all members’ phones (the best way to reach students). Although there are separate technology tools out there that do each of these things, Wiggio’s advantage is that it incorporates them all into one website. Once all of your Council members join the Wig- gio group you set up, you can quickly distribute and collect information as well as collabo- rate. You can organize infor- mation and provide continuity from year to year. You can also create subgroups of members and have the ability to send out different messages to freshmen than you do seniors in Council. To get started, check out some of the videos at http://www. youtube.com/user/WiggioPro - ductions and then visit http:// wiggio.com to set up your own group and start inviting members.