Conversations 2007

I'm too executive for my shirt

When we first started coming up with ideas for session topics for this year's Conversations, an interesting possibility began to emerge.  You see, in past Conversations, we've tended to have two technical tracks and two business tracks -- we even went so far as to come up with original, inventive names such as "Technical Track 1" and "Business Track 2."  Gripping, aren't they?  But far be it for me to pooh-pooh those names, because they aptly described Nuance (then Scansoft's) role in the world.  We make tech.  You have business.  You take tech and put it in business.  We happy.  Ooga booga. 

These days, however, Nuance fancies itself as more than just a technology provider.  Been there!  Done that!  Now we have *solutions*.  Now we do *consulting*.  Now we're taking all the experience we've built up over thousands of deployments and are using it to help our customers come up with rollout strategies and launch roadmaps and the like.  That's right!  We've gone... Executive.  *insert oohs and aahs*.  All kidding aside, though, it's true.  We are no longer merely a technology provider.  We have a lot to offer companies that realize it's about more than getting a few percentage points on their automation rates.

So what was that interesting possibility that I alluded to, you ask?  The possibility of an executive track at Conversations.  No, I don't know what that means either.  Okay, well, I have an idea, but so did everyone else on the planning committee.  With so many broad, high-level, strategic topics... things like championing speech in your organization, justifying the ROI, developing a speech strategy... and othersr we wanted to cover like trends in mobility, or the impact of Care 2.0 on contact centers... it seemed like we were reaching up the corporate ladder to an audience of C-level officers and other company strategists and visionaries.  The kind of people who don't want to know about whether the technology complies with MRCP 2.0 standards or supports EMMA.  The kind who step back and say What's the Big Picture?  You know... "Executives."

So, would an executive track be well-attended?  Traditionally we entertain a fair number of C-level execs at Conversations, but not enough to fill an entire session.  Besides, wouldn't they be off doing... uhh... "executive" things?  Meeting with Paul Ricci and Steve Chambers?  Walking into the lobby to take Very Important Calls?  Hob-knobbing with other executive types?  Going to the pool to get away from us peons?  Then again, others argued, doesn't everyone want to be an executive?  We wouldn't limit attendance to the executive track, so every VP, Director, or well-meaning Project Lead could feel Very Important by passing over those technology tracks ("they're just so... junior!  Pshaw!")  and instead attending the ones billed as high-level informational and strategy sessions.   Would enough attendees, in fact, be too executive for their shirts?  So executive it hurts? 

In the end, we decided that, yes, an executive track was appropriate and necessary.  But rather than cause a ruckus by calling it the Executive track (you know, with a fancy scripty font for the sign, and maybe a massage table outside the door), we simply called it what it was: Strategic Insights.  This track features some great sessions presented by customers, by Nuance brass, and even some analysts, to set the stage for speech and the world of customer care.  Whether you have that executive parking spot or not, I encourage you to check out the Strategic Insights sessions when the agenda goes up and see for yourself if you have a little executive in your blood.

Published Monday, August 27, 2007 8:48 PM POST BY: Jeff Foley