Monday, June 02, 2008

Relations with Analysts...the fifth of five

All:

Fifth of five questions sent to us before the Forester Analyst Relations (AR) Council panel this past month, plus my thoughts:

  • Q: What are the one or two things you recommend all AR professionals do right now with respect to blogging?
  • A: One: Read the blogs. Two: Respect the bloggers--and treat them as full analysts--if and only if they behave as professional analysts in this and all other media through which they present their thoughts. In this latter regard, also respect the fact that each professional analyst may choose to surface different analytical perspectives, priorities, and voices through different channels--“color outside the lines,” as it were--show different sides of themselves--and if you wonder how it all coheres with and supports their 9-to-5 selves, just ask the analyst to explain themselves. The best of us are continually self-reinventing/evolving. The same James Kobielus stands behind this and all other things I choose to say, wherever, whenever, however--but don’t expect me to stay stuck in a rut of saying the same things on the same topics over and over. And don’t expect me to stay content broadcasting through only one channel forever. Public speaking, for example, is something I enjoy and haven’t done enough of. I enjoy participating in panel sessions, such as this latest one alongside Messrs. Gardner, Lusher, Hopkins, and Eunice. Actually, I enjoyed listening to them as much as wagging my own tongue. But nobody expects an analyst to just sit there and listen. I’m expected to dispense brilliance on demand. So I’m always spring-loading fresh thoughts to share. Through any channel.

Jim