GILDBlog Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Note: GILDBlog - a blog site created for attendees of Linkage’s Global Institute for Leadership Development (GILD). I wrote about its origin in Birth of a Blog, immediately below this FAQ.
Q: Who are the Gildbloggers?
A: Gildbloggers are former and/or current GILD attendees. We also have Linkage employees and coaches who will be blogging.
Q: How were the bloggers chosen?
A: We asked. We sent an email to people who had signed up to GILD this year and asked if they wanted to blog. A number of people said yes, so now they’re Gildbloggers.
Q: Can I be a Gildblogger?
A: Sure! If you’re attending GILD this year, you’re eligible to blog. We only ask that, as a good citizen of the Gildblog, you blog once a week before and after the summit in September and daily while you are there.
If you’re interested, contact Jeff at xxx/xx-xxxx for more information.
Q: Are there any fees or charges associated with Gildblogging?
A: No. Linkage pays to host the blog, but anyone can read it and anyone can comment. There are no charges at all.
Q: Do Gildbloggers get paid?
A: No.
Q: What do bloggers get out of this?
A: A chance to tell the world their own GILD story, from before the LAI assessment, to the summit in September, to the weeks and months afterward, when they’re putting into practice on the job what they learned from GILD. They can praise, criticize, pontificate, muse… whatever. As long as it’s related to GILD or Linkage, it’s welcome.
Q: What does Linkage get out of this?
A: Blogging is brand new to us, so we’re not sure exactly what we’re going to get out of this experience. More insight into our customers, certainly. More interest in GILD, probably. Beyond that, we just don’t know. But we think GILD is the best leadership development program in the world, so we’re willing to provide customers, prospects, and employees alike the chance to talk about it -- even to the point of setting up this no-holds barred blog.
Birth of a Blog
Originally published in Link&Learn, an eNewsletter published by Linkage, Inc.
Linkage is introducing something new for this year’s Global Institute for Leadership Development (GILD). Called GILDBlog, it’s described as “a group blog presenting the GILD experience from any and all angles.”
A blog is essentially an online journal about a topic of interest, in this case, the GILD experience. A group blog is a blog containing the input of multiple author/bloggers.
The GILDBlog, then, is a group blog made up of the input from a variety of people interested in the GILD experience. GILD attendees, at least one member of the faculty, and a Linkage employee are among those who have already signed on to be bloggers.
The initial idea for blogging came from Ryan Toohil, Linkage’s web marketing guru. “I’m a web dork,” he confessed, “and I read a lot of blogs, up to one hundred each week. What’s great about the web, I think, is how it’s based on merit: the people who write the most intelligent and interesting blogs end up having the most popular blogs on the web.”
That led to his thinking about a blog for Linkage.
“I was thinking that Linkage is a leader in our field, and we’ve got a lot of really smart people. It seemed only natural we should have a blog where our people can write about the leadership business. When potential customers read what our people wrote, they would just naturally come to the conclusion that they would want to do business with us.”
Jeff Scholes, Linkage’s Director of Marketing, immediately saw merit in the idea. “Although there have been business-related blogs for a couple of years now, blogging is still new to the leadership development space. We want to offer our customers the best communications channels that the latest technology can offer, and blogging fits into that, so there was little doubt we’d get involved at some point.”
Their brainchild remained on hold, though, as Scholes and Toohil bounced different versions of the blogging idea off each other. “I kept blogging on the back burner for awhile until I thought the time would be right concerning what the exact content should be, who should be doing it, and so on,” Scholes said.
Then a couple of things happened that made the time right for a Linkage-related blog.
The first was the approach of the GILD summit. GILD is one of the jewels in Linkage’s leadership development crown, a high-profile program that Linkage refers to as a “transformational experience for leaders and leadership teams.” The summit meeting for GILD is in September and the time for the GILD marketing campaign was rapidly approaching.
“We wanted to do something special for GILD,” Scholes said. “Blogging was still in the back of our minds, but we weren’t sure exactly what we should do. Then I got an e-mail from Greg Joyce, a freelance copywriter who works with us.”
Jeff,
How about having a GILD attendee blog live and with frequent updates from the GILD conference? Linkage couldn't control his or her content, of course, but based on the enthusiasm from previous attendees, they would be ideal evangelists for Linkage and GILD. Self-motivated, enthusiastic, blogging on conferences, workshops, the customized offsite. Set someone up now and we can follow their adventures leading up to the conference, during the conferences, etc. It could be a fun, interactive story with real characters that potential Linkage customers could relate to….
The blog could be really personal; readers could check in to the frequent updates because they're interested in leadership... there are a whole bunch of reasons it could work.
“Greg had just nailed the idea. I said, guys, we should do this,” Scholes said. “I immediately approached (Linkage V.P. of Educational Programs) Rich Rosier and (GILD Project Manager) Andrew Wilhelms. They agreed, so we got to work immediately, looking for bloggers, reserving a location on the web, designing the site, and so on.”
The first Linkage employee to sign up as a blogger was… Ryan Toohil. Why?
“Honestly, I’m not a typical GILD attendee. But I love the idea of using technology to help people connect. Blogging on the web is the perfect expression of that. While I’m maintaining the blog on a day-to-day basis, I’m going to offer a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re going to help people—especially people who don’t have a background in technology—connect with other people who share similar interests about GILD, leadership, etc.”
Nina Coil, a senior Linkage consultant and a member of the GILD faculty, has also signed on as a GILD blogger. The first Linkage customer to sign on to blog was Mike McIntyre, Northeast Regional Sales Director for Boston Scientific. (Click to hear comments about his GILD experience.)
Toohil thinks that the GILDBlog, as it has been christened, may be unique. “I’ve never seen any other company offer anything as explicitly open as what we’re doing. We’re setting up a platform, having customers talk right alongside us. Actually, the customers will be the ones setting the agenda. By establishing this blog, we’ve done the legwork for them.”
Scholes added, “The concept of the GILDBlog is great because it’s all about sharing ideas and experiences, and learning from peers. It’s a completely non-salesy environment with actual value for our customers and for us. Customers have the opportunity to document everything they want to talk about, good and bad.”
Isn’t he worried that, given the free-wheeling nature of a blogosphere where writers often scorch the earth with their unfettered opinions, Linkage is providing its potential critics not only with gasoline but the match to ignite it?
Not at all.
“Our claim,” said Scholes, “is that GILD is the premier leadership development program in the world. We’re so confident this is true that we’re willing to put ourselves out there with this blog. People from all over the world will be able to learn about GILD and about Linkage directly from our customers. The idea that gave birth to the blog was, if we’re as good as we think we are, let’s put it out there for people to see. We’re sticking to that original idea.”
GILDBlog is just getting started, but any and all are invited to follow along as the narrative unfolds. The address for GILDBlog is www.gildblog.com.
While there, you are encouraged to leave your comments.
Linkage is still looking for bloggers. If you’re attending GILD this year and you want to tell your story, Jeff Scholes would love to talk to you. You can e-mail him at jscholes@linkageinc.com.