J Patrick + Associates Blog

When searching for a job, you spend so much time preparing for interviews and trying to impress employers it is easy to overlook a simple question, “Do I actually want to work here?”  

Being offered a job is exciting and you may be tempted to jump on the first opportunity that presents itself, but before you accept an offer many factors should be carefully considered to make sure this is the right place for you.  If you are planning on working full time, that time is equivalent to one quarter of the hours in the week.  You should be confident that this time you spend is going to satisfy you financially and is compatible with your skills, lifestyle, and career ambitions.   Here are the top 4 factors you should carefully access before saying yes to any job offer.

Who wants to work in a place where they don’t fit in?  Learning about the company’s Work Environment can help you determine whether a job is right for you.  Consider the firm’s dress code, company size, company culture and values and if they are a family friendly workplace.  If you are working in a comfortable environment where you feel happy, you will be more productive.  The work environment also includes what type of job security you will have.  Start-up companies are less stable than mature companies and if it is a mature company, research how well they have been performing and if they are well respected in your industry.

Benefits can be worth up to 30% of your total compensation.  Look beyond your salary figures to see what other financial perks come with the job.  Familiarize yourself with the medical, dental and vision insurance that is offered and what kinds of plans they have.  Also, does the company have a pension plan or 401(k) plan and do they match your contributions?  Other financial benefits that you should consider are tuition reimbursement programs, signing bonuses, and relocation reimbursements.  See if the job offers flexible hours or if telecommuting is an option as these are benefits that could cut down cost of commuting or work with your schedule.  

The Location of the job is a serious factor to consider.  Is relocation an option and is the cost of living in the new place different than where you currently reside?  For any job, relocating or not, consider what your commute is going to be like.  For car travelers, will you be able to get to work without sitting in stressful traffic?  Fluctuating gas prices, road tolls, and parking fees are all costs associated with your commute.  Don’t forget to investigate public transportation options or see if your company has a carpool.  The commute to work 5 days a week can set the tone for how you feel stepping into the office first thing every morning.

The right job should both sharpen and improve your skills while utilizing your talents and challenging you.  Ask yourself, “Will this job take me to where I want to be in my career?   People change jobs an average of ten times during their career and with each job change you should feel you are moving up on the career ladder.  However, make sure you are not applying for jobs that you are not qualified for.  HR can blacklist you if you are applying for jobs that are not a fit for your capabilities.

by guest blogger Colleen Moran

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Once upon a time, we didn't have smart phones or cel phones.  Phone calls were precious.  If you were waiting for that special call, you probably ran home and scoured your answering machine a few times a day.  Avoiding calls was almost as easy, just pick up and walk out the door.  Who's going to track you down. Well times have changed, and with the evolution of smart phones people's interpretation of phone etiquette has gone by the wayside. 

Here at J. Patrick + Associates, executive placement officers like Daniel Sullivan are on the phone all day long.  It is our intention and privilege to help clients find the ideal candidates.  What is going to make you stand out?  May I suggest some good old fashioned communications etiquette.  Let's break it down, the best way to stay in touch with your executive recruiter:

First thing's first, go to our web site and look over our current job listings.  There is no point in wasting anyone's time if we don't have the right job for you.  That being said, we do have over 150+ job listings, so if you're a high end marketing guy or gal in the high tech space, you're in the right place.  Identify jobs that suit you and your resume.  A little reach is always acceptable but before you determine you can promote yourself, be really honest and apply for the jobs your'e best qualified for.  Once you find the right job, click the apply button to submit your resume online. 

Now you'll actually have something to talk about with your recruiter.

We get so many resumes a day, don't panic if we don't call you, we probably don't have the right fit.  Of course, you want to stand out.  I suggest you follow up your resume with a follow-up email a day or two after you sent it.  This email should be succinct and you can request confirmation that it was received.  It is acceptable at this point to address why you feel you're the right candidate for the job.  Keep it short and brief.  We're busy over here, and if it's too long, we might not read it at all.

If you don't hear back, then it's not a fit, so let it go.  We know what our clients' needs are, so don't take it personally.  There are plenty of other jobs to apply for.  Keep looking for jobs on our current listings page and see if something that is a better fit rolls through the feed.  Of course, if you do hear back, don't hesitate to respond, you are going to help your recruiter close the deal by being accessible.  The worst thing you can do is be unavailable at any point during the process.  I recently had a candidate tell me he's too busy to come in for an interview and decided he was only available by phone.  Guess where his application is? 

Let's say things are clicking, you get a response that the client is interested.  Here's what comes next.  Let us contact you.  Once we've reached you, we can give you our undivided attention and answer questions you may have.  Return calls as they are made to you.  We know you want the job, no need to push us.  Believe it or not, we want to place you!  So, if you don't hear from us, we don't have additional news about the job you are applying for.  When we have news, we'll call you right away, always. 

So the client wants you for an interview.  Awesome.  Be amenable and let us do our job and set it all up.  If you don't hear from us, we're still waiting on her girl to call our girl to make the appointment.  Relax, that was a joke, we're hands on and would never send someone else in to make all the placement contact. Now this is important... so important.. after the interview, call us right away!!!  Every detail you can share with us can prepare us to get in touch with the client quickly and close the deal on your behalf.  This feedback is crucial. 

And from there, we do the negotiating and calling and placement work. We want to place you, we want your experience and our client to have a home run by hiring you.  If you are nice, patient and use just the right amount of peppered reminding, we'll get along great.

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates, news and job postings. With over 150+ jobs, we are the leader in placing qualified candidates with some of the best high tech companies. 

Our client, a leading integrator of audiovisual, collaboration, unified communications and videoconferencing systems, has recently embarked on a nationwide expansion of its sales and sales engineering team, and J. Patrick was tasked with multiple searches in the NFL cities, resulting in 4 placements in a 60 day period.

Global Accounts Manager, Dallas
Global Accounts Manager, San Francisco

These positions will be selling collaboration, unified communications and videoconferencing solutions and managed services to Global 1000 enterprises headquartered in the Dallas and San Francisco metro regions. The position requires deep experience of carrier services, IP and UC technology, VTC endpoints, complex solutions selling to multiple decision-makers and the CXO and Business Unit management level.

Regional Sales Manager, Houston

This position is focused on enterprise deals in the audiovisual and videoconferencing market, requiring strong technical knowledge of Audiovisual systems (AMX, Crestron, Extron, Biamp, etc.) and Video conferencing endpoints and Infrastructure (cisco, Tandberg, Polycom, LifeSize). Strong prospecting, account penetration and closing skills, and a consistent record of sales target/quota achievement.

Senior Sales Engineer, AV/VTC, NYC

This position will support the most dynamic sales team in the firm, which targets the most demanding industry verticals: Financial, Pharma, Media and Telecoms. The Sales Engineer must have strong technical knowledge of Audiovisual systems (AMX, Crestron, Extron, Biamp, etc.) and Videoconferencing endpoints and Infrastructure (cisco, Tandberg, Polycom, LifeSize). Excellent sales support skills such as presentations for technical and business management audiences, proposal writing, and product demonstrations are essential for success.

Follow Us on Twitter to find your ideal job and keep up to date on the latest J. Patrick + Associates news. With over 150 jobs listed, and the expert team of recruiters there's no better executive search firm in the Information Technology industry.

By guest blogger Colleen Moran

These days it can be difficult to get a call back from a job and even harder to be asked in for an interview.  Once you get your foot in the door, being fully prepared for your interview day is essential.  This is your opportunity to share with the company all your great attributes and what you uniquely can bring to the job.  If you are  well prepared for the interview, you will stand out from other candidates and have the best chance to land the job.  Even the most qualified candidate on paper who fails to properly prepare for an interview can  be left questioning “What did I do wrong?”  Don’t be left questioning - Here are some great tips to ensure you are ready for your interview!

• Getting to the Interview.
• Never arrive late to an interview. You only have one opportunity to make a first impression and lateness instantly taints the prospective employer’s opinion of you.  Lateness is unprofessional and tells the interviewer that you do not respect his/her time.   If you are interviewing in an unfamiliar place, drive to the interview location a few days before the interview.  You will feel more confident in the time you need to get there, directions, and where to park, giving you less things to worry about on the day of the interview.  
• Arrive early.  
• Plan on arriving 10-15 minutes before the interview is scheduled to begin, giving you time to check in, fill out paperwork and use the facilities.  If you arrive too early, you will have to figure out what to do with yourself while you wait; a choice that is observed and could reflect negatively on you.   Also, interviews can be schedule specifically so that the candidates do not run into each other, so you want to ensure you are not crowding the waiting space or creating an awkward situation.   
• Know what to bring.  
• Bring a professional looking briefcase or bag filled with a few “just-in-case” items such as breath mints, a comb, and tissues.  Always arrive to your interview with a few copies of your up to date resume printed on heavy paper.  You may even want to store these in a portfolio. Pack a clean pad of paper and two pens with you so you are ready to take notes if needed. Having what you need demonstrates organization and readiness for the job.  
• Present yourself professionally.
• Show respect to everyone you come into contact with!  The interviewer is not the only one watching and may not have total control over hiring candidates.  Greet people with a friendly smile and firm handshake. Be polite to the receptionists as they frequently report back to their bosses on candidates’ behaviors.  Professionalism is a trait you want to convey when you go for an interview.  Be sure to dress in a professional, modest manner, covering up any piercings or tattoos.  The interview is a formal affair, dress the part!  Men: wear a suit and tie or a shirt and tie with slacks.  Woman: Wear a business suit, skirt, or blouse.  Keep your shoes professional and remember to use the iron! Dressing professionally is also a great way to boost your confidence and poise.  No matter how hip or casual the company seems, this is your only opportunity to make a first impression and they will be expecting you to be dressed for success.   

• Do your homework.  

• Before going into an interview, you should know about the company you may work for.  Search for your company at Hoovers.com, a database of comprehensive information on companies, industries, and executives.  Visit the company’s website, Google the company and read their blog or twitter page so you can see their most up to date happenings. Talk to your recruiter.  They are a great resource to get information about the company culture and details about different aspects of the company.  Daniel Sullivan, a recruiter, says, "Unprepared candidates do not have a legitimate shot at the position.  Preparation for an interview is your first work assignment for that employer. Demonstrating a command of the firm's market, product or service offerings and competitive position shows the hiring manager that you have initiative, thoroughness and attention to detail.  These are characteristics all employers desire, regardless of position."  Taking time to do your research allows you to tailor your answers to fit the company and highlight positive attributes you see there.  But do not feel you have to showcase your research.  Avoid criticizing or questioning the company as this research could work against you.   

Colleen Moran is the latest addition to the J. Patrick + Associates Executive Search Firm Marketing Team. 

Follow Us on Twitter to find your ideal job and keep up to date on the latest J. Patrick + Associates news. With over 150 jobs listed, and the expert team of recruiters there's no better executive search firm in the Information Technology industry.

Our client, a leading developer of Network Security products and professional services, needed to expand its sales and sales engineering team, through headcount addition and the replacement of underperforming sales reps, and J. Patrick was tasked with multiple searches in the Northeast corridor, resulting in 4 placements in a 60 day period.
 
Regional Sales Manager, NYC, Financial vertical
Regional Sales Manager, NYC, Fortune 500 markets
These positions will be selling Network Security products and professional services to Global 1000 enterprises headquartered in the New York –New Jersey metro regions
 
The position requires deep experience IP Network security technologies, such as Firewalls, IDS, IPS, and NAC. These are classic solutions-selling positions and works with channel and integration partner to close complex deals at the CISO, Network Security management and Business Unit management level.
 
Federal Sales Manager, NYC, Financial Vertical
This position will be selling Network Security products and professional services to Federal agencies headquartered in the Northern Virginia – Maryland metro region.
 
The position requires deep experience IP Network security technologies, such as Firewalls, IDS, IPS, and NAC. These are classic solutions-selling positions and work with Federal Systems Integrators to close complex deals at the CISO, Network Security management and division management level within civilian federal and DOD markets.
 
Manager of Sales Operations, Atlanta
Our client needed a dynamic, organized individual to take control of its salesforce.com CRM, lead generation and management, database management, and inside sales team. This position also interfaced with the online marketing team responsible for Social Media, Inbound Marketing and lead nurturing strategies. We identified a pipeline of motivated, driven CRM managers with diverse background and a strong entrepreneurial sense of accountability, and placed a strong team player and individual contributor.
 
 

I got a couple of emails last week and posts on my Facebook page in response to my blog post last week on avoiding burnout.  Interestingly enough, the item they focused in on was meditation.  Continuing a conversation I was having with my friend Scott, we talked about burnout in relationship to having the right job. 

Wait, what is Right Livelyhood and is this something you should care about?  And how does this relate to working for J. Patrick + Associates?

Interestingly enough, it counts a lot.  My job is to promote jobs and connect people to their next career move.  I mean, my job is to get people jobs, can't get more right than that, or can it?  The other thing I love about my job working with Dan Sullivan and the gang is that I love my co-workers.  The environment at J. Patrick + Associates is a very positive one.  We are friendly, respectful and communicate with one and other with the same care we offer to our clients and candidates.  It says a lot to love going into work, and I gotta say, I really love my job. 

But she didn't answer the question, what is Right Livelyhood?  Well, let me offer you the Cliff's Notes version of Buddhism 101.  Over 2500 years ago, the Buddha walked the earth, saw all the suffering in the world and came up with the First Noble Truth;

In life there is suffering.

In other words, Life Sucks!  Bummer.  So he walked around, starved himself, tortured himself, sat still and meditated under trees until one day, he had an epiphany.... there is a way out of this suffering and that way includes walking the Eightfold Path.  There are steps one must take to find happiness and one of them is this idea of Right Livelyhood.  Ok, they didn't have high technology jobs back in those days, so how does this pertain to you and me?

The Buddha's definition of Right Livelihood basically says to not engage in employment that causes harm.  Not so easy in this day and age.  Just working in a big office means we're causing harm to the environment by shredding up tons of paper, making waste, powering up loads of computers and big lighting fixtures, dumping chemicals into the environment and working with people who aren't always honest and respectful of one and other. 

And let's face it, many of us in technology are creating products for a host of uses and not all of them fit into the Buddha's interpretation of right livelihood.  But hey, not all of us are Buddhists either.  Right?

But coming from a spiritual perspective, I believe you personally deserve to work in a job that is healthy for your well-being.  Not only should your career bring you some kind of financial security, but it should also generate a sense of purpose and be an environment that is positive.  In the Technology sector, most of us work extra long hours, get heavily involved in the corporate culture and have a higher level of intelligence to contend with. 

Here's a few things you should look to bring your job closer to the Buddha's goal of Right Livelyhood;

1) Practice Loving Kindness.  The Buddha teaches that we should love all sentient beings the same way we would love our own child.  For me, this is a task too great to master.  Instead, I say, "Make everyone your friend."  Yes, that annoying woman in accounting, that boss who talks to you like your five and your ex you got the job for in the publicity department.  ALL OF THEM!  Make them your friend.  By putting out the Loving Kindness towards others, you'll be setting an example and attracting kindness for youreself.  Sure, we all get frustrated, and maybe you're one to bark. 

2) Create a comfortable workspace.  Some of us have our own offices, and for us who are that lucky, good for us.  It's easy to personalize your space.  For others we may have cubicals, or work stations.  Whatever your environment, do what you can to make it your own by incorprating objects and images that remind you to keep your mind calm.  I have a little blue medicine Buddha in the dashboard of my car for such a purpose.  I spend a lot of time traveling, so keeping the peace in my car and on the road is essential.  On your desk, pick something, can be a buddha, a stone, a snow globe from Coney Island, whatever it is that reminds you to take a breath and relax. 

3) Make boundaries and keep them.  Most of us want to please others, we say yes to tasks we don't have time for or even worse, bring work home.  Make some healthy boundaries for yourself.  Decide when you are working and when you're not.  Say no when you don't have time to work on something.  Don't take that task home, save it for the morning and allow yourself that break from work.  Be clear on what you can do and what extra work is going to cause you stress. Of course, we work in Technology, which is pretty busy and we want to impress our bosses and our team.  There's nothing impressive about a burnt out team player.  Detach, and put time aside that isn't work time. 

Our career and co-workers may be a big part of our lives, so whe you create balance and find the space to be at peace, you'll turn your work situation into a right one. 

Over the past twenty years, I've burnt out from the busy work thing multiple times!  I have to be very careful, because when I work too hard and get addicted to business I get very sick, like physically and mentally.  So I know the consequences of burning out for me are very high.

Fortunately, I've learned to cut back on the 14+ hour days and have retrained myself to get hooked on other things besides that need to be busy all the time.  It's not that easy working at an executive search firm and not working too hard.  There's a lot of work here at J. Patrick + Associates and I'm never at a loss for assignments and projects to manage and promote.

 
Here are seven ways I've learned to keep my mind and soul steady and avoid the burnout;

1.  Schedule my work time.  If it's not on the schedule, I turn off the computer, charge my phone and do something not work related.  As a publicist it is counter intuitive to turn my phone off, but getting burnt out is worse.  There's a reason we have voicemail.  I have included a term in my contract that I am available from 9am - 6pm, Monday - Friday for my clients.  This means, I'm not breaking any aspect of our agreement by turning my phone off and taking time to go off-duty.

2.  Meditate daily.  Getting up in the morning is a busy time at my house.  As a mom, I have two people to get ready for the day so I have to do things like pack lunchboxes, make sure the laundry is done, jump in the shower, get my son on the bus, drive to work, make a bunch of phone calls... and that's all before 8:30 am.  I used to go nuts by 9am but I came up with another solution, I give my mind permission to stop thinking.  Meditation is the practice of making space in my head so I can be present with what is.  When I meditate in the morning, I clear the cache in my brain and start the day with a crisp, clean mind.

3. Eat good food.  Yes, it's so easy to get busy and chow down on delivery, skip meals, think coffee is a food group, chomp on the leftover birthday cake in the office fridge.  I've trained myself to eat healthy foods for a different result.  I pack fresh fruit and snacks to keep me from gorging on easily accessible junk food from the vending machine or my workmate's desk.  I have breakfast, lunch and dinner.  When we order in lunch, I pick a robust salad filled with veggies and grilled chicken instead of the calzone.  By fueling my body with what it needs, I don't crash by 1pm.

4.  Hydrate.  I drink water, lots and lots of it.  And, did I mention, drink more water? 

5.  Hit the spa.  Yes even guys can hit the spa.  Get a massage or a pedicure.  Weekly spa treatments really help me feel like I'm treating myself to me time. 

6.  Say NO.  It's ok to manage expectations with your boss and tell her that you that can't do what she's asking you to do. If you have a problem with time management, then it is time to manage the people managing your time.  In other words, Say "NO" to taking on work if it is more than you can handle.  People respect a person who knows how to manage their assignments successfully. 

7.  Get outta here!  Pack up an overnight bag and go away for a day or two.  Pick someplace like Phoenicia, NY, one of the coolest small towns in America and they don't have cel service.  It can be something inexpensive like camping or a night at a really nice hotel.  Allow yourself to disappear for a weekend. 

How do you check out and unwind?  Have you burnt out before?  Tell us your story.  We’re all ears.  

You get up in the morning, you don't have that same drive to primp the way you did when you first got your job.  The iron is overrated, so you just throw on your shirt and head out the door. No one's looking at your shirt, they are looking at your work, or are they?

Did you know that your wrinkled shirt might be the reason you're being passed over for that promotion?

Kaitlin Madden of Careerbuilder.com reports that "according to a new CareerBuilder survey on promotions, certain personal attributes — namely those that might detract from your professional image — can prevent you from ascending the corporate ladder as swiftly as you may like."

In otherwords that wrinked shirt and unpressed pants may very well be the reason you aren't being considered to move up the corporate ladder. 

Here are the other reasons sited in the Careerbuilder.com study as to why you've been overlooked for that promotion:

• Piercings — 37 percent
• Bad breath — 34 percent
• A visible tattoo — 31 percent
• Messy hair — 29 percent
• Dressing too casually — 28 percent
• Too much perfume or cologne — 26 percent
• Too much makeup — 22 percent
• Messy office or cubicle — 19 percent
• Chewed fingernails — 10 percent
• Too suntanned — 4 percent

“While strong job performance and leadership skills will weigh heavily on prospects for upward mobility, employers will also look at whether the employee conveys an overall professional image both internally and externally,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.

Fortunately, most of these things are easy to fix.  Being put together at the work place may take some extra effort but you can easily clean up your act so that your work is the highlight or your presence at your current company. 

My suggestion?  Make some effort to clean up your act. Time to make an appointment with the hairdresser, get a new suit or two, hit the classy make up counter at the department store and hit the manicurist.  Just think, the reward might be that promotion you've earned all along!

Still feeling like you could promote yourself?  Go for it!  Follow us on Twitter and get the latest news and updates on over 150 jobs we have available. 

Though we'll touch on robotic telepresence later, our main concern here is the telepresence conferencing that's revolutionizing global business by dramatically accelerating knowledge transfer, learning and productive work while reducing physical travel and reengineering work.

If you need a one-sentence definition, try this on for size: Visual collaboration solutions that address the human factors of participants and attempt to replicate, as closely as possible, an in-person experience.
 
 
Why Does Telepresence Cost So Much Money?
 
Because the human brain is so damn smart!
 
From the first seconds of life your brain has accustomed itself to visual collaboration. Your eyes are "cameras" delivering video to the "display" that is your brain. The retina and optic nerve are actually outgrowths of the brain itself, an organ with hundreds of millions of neurons -- a full 30 percent of the cortex -- devoted to
vision (versus eight percent for touch and three percent for hearing.)

Whereas each auditory nerve is limited to about 30,000 fibers optic nerves that carries signals from the retina to the brain consists of around a million. Over your lifetime, your brain has developed certain innate preferences for communication, with "video" being its hands down favorite.

Studies have shown people comprehend and retain information better when they see it as well as hear it. Most importantly, some behavioral psychologists believe that 70 to 80 percent of communication is non-verbal: facial expressions, gestures, posture and eye contact. The brain processes non-verbal information quickly, naturally and often subconsciously for a richer understanding of what's being communicated than through speech alone.

Telepresence providers address a range of human factors that traditional videoconferencing didn't. It costs more, but the immersive experience of telepresence is worth is.

What Makes A Visual Collaboration Solution...Telepresence?

The complicated process of immersing two sets of people and making them feel like they're talking to each other in the same room involves dozens of factors. Chief among them are these:

• A natural and realistic environment -- If seeing is believing, then lifesize images,spatial acoustics and visual perspective are essential.
• Fluid high definition video - High definition video with fluid motion, accurate flesh tones, and error-free transmission that eliminates screen remnants or anything else that would distract from the immersive experience.
• Collaboration -- If you want to be productive between locations, you need intuitive collaborative tools that everyone can figure out.

• Ease-of-use - Simple to schedule, simple to operate.
• Utility and Inter-operability - Connecting the headquarters with branch offices is valuable, but inter-company connections with partners, vendors and customers are the game changer.
•  

The Pay-off

There is definitely a cost involved in more faithfully replicating in-person meeting experiences but for businesses trying to manage disparate operations or connect with partners, vendors and clients globally the ROI is immense. The better the human experience the more that visual collaboration will be adopted by the enterprise, enjoyed by the participants, and accepted by partners. This additional usage and end-user satisfaction translates directly into improved productivity, reduced travel and a higher quality of communication and understanding from all participants. If every human brain is a supercomputer then telepresence is opening up gigabit connections where more and better information flows faster between participants, organizations and eco-systems and the results are extraordinary!

Monkey Vision - Why Humans Like to Look at Other Certain Other Humans



Why is People magazine at every supermarket check-out? Why do so many websites traffic in celebrity pictures? What's so fascinating about looking at the rich and famous? The answer may lie with a study called "Monkey Pay Per View."

 
Dr. Michael Platt, a neurobiologist at Duke University Medical Center, began offering thirsty male monkeys their favorite drink (Cherry Juicy Juice) as images scrolled in front of them. The monkeys could stop and look at a given image by not drinking. They could, in fact, "pay" to see certain images by delaying gratification. Which images did Dr. Platt discover the monkeys were willing to pay for?

1. Monkey Pornography -- Pictures of female monkey hindquarters - Not surprising 
2. Monkey Celebrities -- More surprising. Monkeys live in communities called "troops" where there exists a hierarchical pecking order of lower status and higher status members. The monkey's were willing to "pay" to see pictures of higher status monkeys within their troop The study provides an insight as to why visual communications is appealing to humans and monkeys alike. Better not let Madison Avenue find out or the next thing you know they will be using sex and celebrity to capture our attention long enough to show us commercials.

Immersion - What Does It Mean & How Do You Measure It?

The Polycom RPX 400 Series has an enormous 4 foot x 16 foot video wall that takes up almost the entire peripheral vision of the eye, the camera is hidden at eye-level behind the screen, the participants are perfectly positioned, and the architectural elements of the room are mirrored to produce a superb sense of immersion.

Anyone who has ever fallen in love on a first date can understand immersion. When immersion happens between two people, they connect so well they block out all other stimuli in their environments. This isn't to say that executives need to fall in love to improve business communications. But they'll produce better work in more immersive environments. When the brain isn't distracted by the Medium (the visible screen, the obvious camera, low-quality audio, space, etc.) it's freed up to focus on the Message (what's being said, body language and social cues). Immersion produces superior end user acceptance and participants can stay in immersive environments longer without getting fatigued.

In visual collaboration immersion is best thought of as a continuum where the graduations are not noticeably different from their adjacencies, although the ends or extremes are very different from each other. The more elements you can address the greater the immersion you will achieve. Here is a list of some of the more important ones:

• large seamless displays to address human's wide horizontal field of view
• high-definition, life-size images
• absence of visible cameras, screen bezels, and electronics
• replicated environment including architectural elements, colors, furniture,
• excellent eye lines

About the Author

Howard Lichtman is the President of the Human Productivity Lab, an independent consultancy focused on telepresence and effective visual collaboration for organizations looking to improve productivity and reduce costs.  The Lab provides corporate clients with acquisition consulting, RFI/RFP creation, and ROI/TCO financial modeling on telepresence systems, telepresence managed services, and inter-networking telepresence. The Lab also provides investors with prescient insight into the rapidly growing telepresence industry.  Mr. Lichtman is also the publisher of Telepresence Options, the #1 website on the internet covering telepresence technologies and the Editor of Telepresence Options Magazine and the Telepresence Options Telegraph.