I enjoy new technology, but am not an early adopter. I get excited looking at new netbooks, then always feel disappointed once I buy something. The dream outpaces the reality.
Yet Web 2.0 applications have turned out more valuable than I had imagined. Many are practical, simple and cheap (or free).
The two I use most are wikis and online surveys.
Online surveys give you a quick and accurate access to people’s opinions on all sorts of topics. They can be used to measure satisfaction, gather perspectives and views on issues, even to follow up on workshops and training. They are a great marketing tool, getting people involved in your activities and proposals.
We recently used an online survey to track feedback from 14 participants on a six-month leadership course. We were able to revise and change the workshops from month to month on the basis of the survey responses. At the end we used the results to identify valuable quotes and testimonials from each of the participants and quickly insert these into a brochure to promote the program to sponsors.
It was so much easier than taking notes along the way, and it was all in the words of the participants themselves.