Kelly Shea Landmark Group President

It Really Is that Easy People who have been hearing about speech recognition software since the 1990s often come to Achieve Results with preconceived notions of what it is like to use. Because early generations of the technology weren't perfect, computer users who heard about it years ago assume that the Dragon software we use now is the same. It's not. The speech recognition software of 2008 is extremely easy to learn to use and to implement. However, there are still factors that can impact how successful a new user will be. In fact, we have identified three criteria that are the greatest determinants of success in using speech recognition technology: 1. Technical components – the computer hardware you will be loading the software onto can affect or even determine how successful a user you will be short-term. Older computers sometimes lack the computing power required to enable the program to function so unless your computer has the processing speed necessary, no amount of training will help.   2. Workflow process – a working knowledge of the application being used in conjunction with speech recognition software is vital. As compared to typing, if you are not comfortable using Microsoft Word, your e-mail application or any other computer program, you cannot be effective. 3. Skills – the skills training you receive has perhaps the biggest impact on your likelihood of successfully adopting speech recognition software for your everyday workload. Fortunately, skill-building is Achieve Results' forte, based on our patent-pending training methodology. However, client attitude can overcome virtually any challenge. That point was driven home for me a couple of months ago during a semi-private training session with Kelly Shea, the CEO of the Landmark Group. Mr. Shea is a visionary leader, very willing to try new strategies and approaches to address problems, but he would probably not have called himself "computer savvy" before his training. Yet even without in-depth familiarity with computers, Mr. Shea recognized the potential impact speech recognition software could have on his work life. He quickly caught on to the use of the software and easily gained the skills needed to effectively use the program. However, when he returned to his office he had two more challenges to contend with – technical and workflow. As a result, six weeks later we received a call from the Landmark information technology department indicating that Mr. Shea's software wasn't working. He wanted to use it but was unable to and they asked for our help. A quick visit to the company's offices led to the discovery that the computer Mr. Shea was using needed some technical modifications to work efficiently with the software. While the IT staffer made adjustments we discussed how easy it is to train professionals in the use of speech recognition software. She was skeptical, as so many people are. "It sounds too good to be true. It sounds too easy," she told me, sure that the technical upgrades would have little effect on Mr. Shea's ability to use the software. After all, he had only been to one short training session! But to her shock, once the technical issues were addressed, Mr. Shea sat down and immediately began speaking responses to his long list of emails, finishing in a matter of minutes. The IT pro who had been assisting was astonished. "It really is that simple!" Interview by Marcia Layton Turner, Layton & Co.