A 'People-Centric' View of Communications Today

As we enter 2010 we are facing a change in what enterprise and personal communications means. The biggest and most visible change we are seeing now is the Social Media explosion and it's effects on how people interact as customers, businesses and individuals. It's changing the way 'people' communicate, period. This short YouTube video on Social Media use is pretty revealing. We need to adapt communication capabilities to this change from both the personal and enterprise perspective. I discuss the enterprise side of this at my other blog.

What do I mean by people-centric? It's a broader view of what a contact is and how I'm presented with ways to communicate with them. From a professional and personal level don't you often ask questions like; Who inside my company can help me with subject X? Who do I know outside the company that can help with subject Y or performs service A? I need to contact a supplier dealing in Z, I need to call John about our fishing trip, etc. You get the idea. The challenge developing given this explosion of communication modes is how/where to find them, and once I do, how do I select/use a communication mode(s) that they are present on to reach them?

My broader view of a contact would have to include the usual name, number(s), company, and maybe personal email. A picture and web address are also pretty common. I want to add everything I can about their social network id's, IM id's (e.g. Skype), perhaps a field on expertise or general reason why I know them. The last point is key to me; why do I know them! - that's the "people-centric" view.

I mentioned earlier that I'd want to see what mode(s) of communication the person is currently present or available on. Show me if they are present on a real-time media or not and then allow me to see where. A contact record should include all of that information for searching and selecting a person to reach. The same contact info should pop up in front of me when that person tries to reach me by any mode. If this information were available I could do a more complete search of my contacts for people by name, affiliation, profession, club etc., and then pick/launch the right communication mode with a touch to reach/respond to them. Ease my communication overload just a bit.

How about you? I'd like to hear about challenges and solutions you have in mind to embrace the social media revolution and it's impact on your communication style and needs.