Communication Committee Report



Communication Committee Report
Hovig Tchalian, Claremont Graduate University
OMT Communication Chair

 

The past year was an eventful one for OMT communication initiatives. With help from members of our OMT communication team and from Social Media Coordinator Deborah Anderson, we launched a number of new initiatives meant to engage existing OMT members and add new ones around the globe.

 

To begin with, we launched our new OMT website. We hope you enjoy the new cleaner look. The new site will make it easier for the OMT Communication team to communicate, update and archive content and information. It also provides streamlined functionality and new options, including the ability to store and stream podcasts. (More on that below.) Most important of all, our new OMT site will make it easier for all of you to find information and post to discussions.

 

On that note, I should remind OMTers that the beloved OMT Listserv and Constant Contact lists have now been both replaced by the new OMT Connect@AOM online discussion channel. The effort is part of a larger Academy strategy to align communication efforts across divisions. It also recognizes important efforts across the globe toward improving privacy. We’re confident that the changes will help improve communication between OMT and all of you.

 

Some of you have gotten in touch asking how to post to Connect. You can find instructions on how get started here – don’t worry, it’s not complicated. But do remember that you have to opt into the OMT (or any other Academy community) before posting – see Step 3 in the instructions. Once you join, you can post directly on the OMT website by clicking on the Participate pulldown menu and clicking on Post. The channel allows others to reply to your post and provide ideas and comments. We’ve noticed that activity on the channel has been steadily increasing. Please check out the channel and join the many vibrant discussions.

 

Our most exciting communication initiative of the year is our new OMT Podcast series, hosted by Tanja Olson from Oxford University. Special thanks to Dmitrisj Kravcenko from the  Stockholm School of Economics and TAOP (Talking About Organizations Podcast), for his invaluable help with the launch. Our first season of half a dozen interviews will be released very soon. (And we’re already planning our second season, to be launched in early 2020.) Look for upcoming announcements!

 

Finally, our fall newsletter will now arrive in two parts. The first (this one) will include reports from the OMT Executive Committee on all the exciting initiatives from the Annual Meeting. The second will arrive a few weeks later and include interviews with OMT Award Winners.

 

Enjoy our improved website and newsletter and make sure to check out the OMT website, Podcast and discussion boards.

 

See you all in Vancouver in 2020.

 

Hovig Tchalian

OMT Communication Chair