Sunday, December 26, 2010

The 101 Most Useful Websites on the Internet

- 22/12/10

The 101 Most Useful Websites

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As we quickly approach the dawn of a new year, here are my picks for the 101 most useful websites of the year 2010.

The list primarily highlights the lesser-known or undiscovered websites and misses out all-time favorites like Google Docs, Wikipedia or IMDB that most of us are already aware of.

Useful Websites Worth a Bookmark!

The sites mentioned below, well most of them, solve at least one problem really well and they all have simple web addresses (URLs) that you can easily learn by heart thus saving you a trip to Google.

In a hurry? Download this list as a PDF eBook and read it anywhere.

01. screenr.com – record movies of your desktop and send them straight to YouTube.

02. bounceapp.com – for capturing full length screenshots of web pages.

03. goo.gl – shorten long URLs and convert URLs into QR codes.

04. untiny.me – find the original URLs that’s hiding behind a short URLs.

05. localti.me – know more than just the local time of a city

06. copypastecharacter.com – copy special characters that aren’t on your keyboard.

07. topsy.com – a better search engine for twitter.

08. fb.me/AppStore – search iOS app without launching iTunes.

09. iconfinder.com – the best place to find icons of all sizes.

10. office.com – download templates, clipart and images for your Office documents.

11. woorank.com – everything you wanted to know about a website.

12. virustotal.com – scan any suspicious file or email attachment for viruses.

13. wolframalpha.com – gets answers directly without searching – see more wolfram tips.

14. printwhatyoulike.com – print web pages without the clutter.

15. joliprint.com – reformats news articles and blog content as a newspaper.

16. isnsfw.com – when you wish to share a NSFW page but with a warning.

17. e.ggtimer.com – a simple online timer for your daily needs.

18. coralcdn.org – if a site is down due to heavy traffic, try accessing it through coral CDN.

19. random.org – pick random numbers, flip coins, and more.

20. mywot.com – check the trust level of any website – example.

21. viewer.zoho.com – Preview PDFs and Presentations directly in the browser.

22. tubemogul.com – simultaneously upload videos to YouTube and other video sites.

23. truveo.com – the best place for searching web videos.

24. scr.im – share you email address online without worrying about spam.

25. spypig.com – now get read receipts for your email.

26. sizeasy.com – visualize and compare the size of any product.

27. whatfontis.com – quickly determine the font name from an image.

28. fontsquirrel.com – a good collection of fonts – free for personal and commercial use.

29. regex.info – find data hidden in your photographs – see more EXIF tools.

30. tineye.com – this is like an online version of Google Googles.

31. iwantmyname.com – helps you search domains across all TLDs.

32. tabbloid.com – your favorite blogs delivered as PDFs.

33. join.me – share you screen with anyone over the web.

34. onlineocr.net – recognize text from scanned PDFs and images – see other OCR tools.

35. flightstats.com – Track flight status at airports worldwide.

36. wetransfer.com – for sharing really big files online.

37. pastebin.com – a temporary online clipboard for your text and code snippets.

38. polishmywriting.com – check your writing for spelling or grammatical errors.

39. awesomehighlighter.com – easily highlight the important parts of a web page.

40. typewith.me – work on the same document with multiple people.

41. whichdateworks.com – planning an event? find a date that works for all.

42. everytimezone.com – a less confusing view of the world time zones.

43. warrick.cs.odu.edu – you’ll need this when your bookmarked web pages are deleted.

44. gtmetrix.com – the perfect tool for measuring your site performance online.

45. imo.im – chat with your buddies on Skype, Facebook, Google Talk, etc. from one place.

46. translate.google.com – translate web pages, PDFs and Office documents.

47. youtube.com/leanback – enjoy a never ending stream of YouTube videos in full-screen.

48. similarsites.com – discover new sites that are similar to what you like already.

49. wordle.net – quick summarize long pieces of text with tag clouds.

50. bubbl.us – create mind-maps, brainstorm ideas in the browser.

51. kuler.adobe.com – get color ideas, also extract colors from photographs.

52. followupthen.com – setup quick reminders via email itself.

53. lmgtfy.com – when your friends are too lazy to use Google on their own.

54. tempalias.com – generate temporary email aliases, better than disposable email.

55. pdfescape.com – lets you can quickly edit PDFs in the browser itself.

56. faxzero.com – send an online fax for free – see more fax services.

57. feedmyinbox.com – get RSS feeds as an email newsletter.

58. isendr.com – transfer files without uploading to a server.

59. tinychat.com – setup a private chat room in micro-seconds.

60. privnote.com – create text notes that will self-destruct after being read.

61. flightaware.com – live flight tracking service for airports worldwide.

62. boxoh.com – track the status of any shipment on Google Maps – alternative.

63. chipin.com – when you need to raise funds online for an event or a cause.

64. downforeveryoneorjustme.com – find if your favorite website is offline or not?

65. example.com – this website can be used as an example in documentation.

66. whoishostingthis.com – find the web host of any website.

67. google.com/history – found something on Google but can’t remember it now?

68. errorlevelanalysis.com – find whether a photo is real or a photoshopped one.

69. google.com/dictionary – get word meanings, pronunciations and usage examples.

70. urbandictionary.com – find definitions of slangs and informal words.

71. seatguru.com – consult this site before choosing a seat for your next flight.

72. sxc.hu – download stock images absolutely free.

73. zoom.it – view very high-resolution images in your browser without scrolling.

74. wobzip.org – unzip your compressed files online.

75. vocaroo.com – record your voice with a click.

76. scribblemaps.com – create custom Google Maps easily.

77. buzzfeed.com – never miss another Internet meme or viral video.

78. alertful.com – quickly setup email reminders for important events.

79. encrypted.google.com – prevent your ISP and boss from reading your search queries.

80. formspring.me – you can ask or answer personal questions here.

81. snopes.com – find if that email offer you received is real or just another scam.

82. typingweb.com – master touch-typing with these practice sessions.

83. mailvu.com – send video emails to anyone using your web cam.

84. ge.tt – quickly send a file to someone, they can even preview it before downloading.

85. timerime.com – create timelines with audio, video and images.

86. stupeflix.com – make a movie out of your images, audio and video clips.

87. aviary.com/myna – an online audio editor that lets record, and remix audio clips online.

88. noteflight.com – print music sheets, write your own music online (review).

89. disposablewebpage.com – create a temporary web page that self-destruct.

90. namemytune.com – when you need to find the name of a song.

91. homestyler.com – design from scratch or re-model your home in 3d.

92. snapask.com – use email on your phone to find sports scores, read Wikipedia, etc.

93. teuxdeux.com – a beautiful to-do app that looks like your paper dairy.

94. livestream.com – broadcast events live over the web, including your desktop screen.

95. bing.com/images – automatically find perfectly-sized wallpapers for mobiles.

96. historio.us – preserve complete web pages with all the formatting.

97. dabbleboard.com – your virtual whiteboard.

98. whisperbot.com – send an email without using your own account.

99. sumopaint.com – an excellent layer-based online image editor.

100. lovelycharts.com – create flowcharts, network diagrams, sitemaps, etc.

101. nutshellmail.com – Get your Facebook and Twitter streams in your inbox.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

intro

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Spot.PH | 25 Great Gifts P100 and Under�|� SHOPPING SERVICES � What's New �

Spot.PH |

Every fashionista could use these lightweight capiz animal print earrings, just P20 each at Vente (with branches all over Metro Manila). Feeling extravagant? Get her a set of 5 pairs of different designs!

Camera pouches need not be boring. Tote yours in this quirky canvas pouch which has two compartments. Comes in other hues aside from pink: black, red, white and yellow. P100 at the Fashion Lane, Tiendesitas.

Make your techie friends’ gadgets roar with this leopard-print digicam/phone/iPod Nano case, only P99.95 at Landmark. Even the inside is lined in leopard! Comes with a detachable strap.

Notebooks with pretty and hip covers that fit perfectly in your jean pocket or purse lets you catalog crazy ideas, notes, and outrageous ideas wherever you go. Set of two notebooks at P79.75, National Bookstore.

Grab funky earphones at Swell Stuff (in Ayala, SM, and Robinsons malls) for P90. The ear bud type earphones come in many colors and designs like billiard balls, Mickey Mouse, pills, chewing gum, and candies, among others. If you’re lucky, you might find these items at Japan Home Centre as well and save yourself P2.

For the woman who has everything, a set of snakeskin print pouches for her pens and pencils, makeup brushes and what-have-you. Just P20 each at Vente (with branches all over Metro Manila).

Buy the TreeHugger Pen and help plant some trees. Made from corn and carton, it’s an ideal gift for your green warrior friends. Every purchase comes with a contribution to the restoration of Philippine forests. It’s available at Fully Booked for P20 and P30. Another TreeHugger product, made in partnership with Haribon Foundation, is the newspaper pencil worth P30 for every pack of five.

Have no problem storing this nifty tableware set inside your lunch pack. This Swiss knife, spoon and fork from Tickles (in Ayala, SM, and other selected malls) can even fit in your pocket. The product can be pulled apart to form a spoon and a fork. A knife can also be pulled from the side. Get this item for P79.75.

Get quirky with this frog lighter from Tickles (in Ayala, SM, and other selected malls). The bright green lighter is battery operated so when you open the top cap, it emits a croaking sound. It also features green-colored flames. Be warned--it consumes gas faster than the ordinary lighter. You may have it refilled. Get this gift item for P98.

Get your hands on these battery operated mini fans from Japan Home Centre (in Market! Market!, Robinsons Galleria, and selected malls) for P88 each (batteries not included). They come in different colors and designs. Most selections also have straps. (Photo from Japan Home Centre)

This whimsical carousel design notebook will brighten up anyone’s day. Cute little sketches inside, too. P60, Swell Stuff (in Ayala, SM, and Robinsons malls)

Treat your friends' lips to Human Nature’s new holiday offer, the Tinted Lip Balm Sheer Lip Soother (P64.75). The all-natural product is made from beeswax, rice bran oil, avocado oil, castor oil, sunflower oil, peppermint oil, calendula extract and vitamin E. Check out the Human Nature branch near you. Photo from Human Nature.

Memo to self: gift handy sticky notes to friends who love posting notes on everything. P50 each at Everything P50 stall, Tianggesitas at Tiendesitas, Pasig City.

For a yummy looking gift to give this Christmas, get the cake, chocolate, and sushi towels from Clipper (in Ayala, SM, and selected malls). Rates start at P88. Some items are also sold two-for-P88. The towels are neatly folded and pinned together with colorful designs to look just like food items. They’re placed in transparent boxes wherein each towel is perfectly mounted. (Photos from Clipper)

Here’s a useful gift item for the holiday season. For P39.75, get this duck-shaped bottle opener at Landmark (in Ayala Center). The bottle opener is made of foam. One side has ridges for a tighter grip on the bottle cap. The material is flexible so it can be used to open bottles of different shapes and sizes. This item is a suitable gift for friends and family who love to work in the kitchen.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Publicity That Lures In Reporters Like Insects To A Venus Fly Trap

Publicity That Lures In Reporters Like Insects To A Venus Fly Trap
Example:

“Hello, my name is Patrick Garmoe, and I’ve brought to market a skin cream from a recipe my grandmother in Poland used to heal a variety of rashes. People who use it see results without the side effects that plague other kinds of skin creams. It recently was put on four store shelves locally in Duluth Minnesota. I know a dermatologist at a local hospital who advises her patients to buy this over-the-counter cream instead of many more expensive prescription creams, and would be happy to speak with you to verify my account.”

Nearly every local reporter would definitely put that in a “to do” pile, without a doubt.
Why? Let’s dissect it:

Good opening sentence.

In journalism parlance, it’s called “the lead.” A journalist works hard to make the first sentence interesting. They know that if they don’t grab the reader immediately, they won’t.
It’s nice if the sentence sounds like poetry, but more importantly, it needs to have substance. If it sounds like a sales pitch, it’s getting trashed

“Hello, my name is Patrick Garmoe, and I’ve brought to market a skin cream from a recipe my grandmother in Poland used to heal a variety of rashes.”

At this point, the reporter has heard what he or she views as a potential heart-warming angle for a story about a local entrepreneur who brought to market an ancient family recipe.

“People who use it are healed of skin problems, without the side effects of other kinds of skin creams.”

This makes the reporter see why it’s worth writing about, versus the 10 other new skin creams on the market.

“It recently was put on four store shelves locally in Duluth, Minnesota.”

This sentence contains two big hooks for the reporter.

The entrepreneur already explained why the skin cream isn’t just like other skin creams. But the story is also unique, because the entrepreneur not only lives in the area the newspaper circulates in, but the product is being sold locally, and it was recently added to some local stores.
If the entrepreneur was pitching this product to a paper or television station in New York, while living in Arizona, it would be a non-starter. Your best potential audience in traditional media is always news outlets in close proximity to you. If the product wasn’t sold locally, it still might be a story because the entrepreneur lived in the area, but having the dual benefits just makes the story more likely to be covered.
By now, most people would say, “miracle cure” yeah right! And so is the reporter.

So the entrepreneur addresses this skepticism immediately.

“I know a dermatologist at a local hospital who advises her patients to buy this over-the-counter cream…”
Again, there’s a local connection to the story. But more importantly, there’s an expert who can vouch for the quality of the product. It’s not just the entrepreneur. She had a testimonial from a doctor, which is critical for credibility.

But here’s the important follow up, regarding precisely how the expert can help stomp out a reporter’s skepticism.

“… and would be happy to speak with you to verify my account.”
This is the clincher. Not only is a doctor available who the reporter can speak with, but the reporter was told the doctor is ready and willing to speak.

Make Running the Story You’re Pitching As Easy As Possible for the Reporter

Ideally, the pitch would say “we have three happy customers in Duluth ready to speak with you as well,” so the reporter doesn’t have to waste time finding someone who’s purchased the product.
This makes me as a reporter practically giddy. Had this entrepreneur not mentioned the doctor, or not mentioned that she’d be willing to be interviewed, I as a reporter would wonder if the product was a scam, or would be calculating the amount of time it would take to find another doctor. If the entrepreneur couldn’t produce a credible source like the doctor, there’s a 75 percent chance the reporter would drop the story, purely because he or she would have no practical way to explain to viewers or readers why this product probably isn’t a scam.
Would it be possible to independently test it in a lab perhaps? Sure. But when you’re dealing with reporters, keep in mind that it’s a sales process. The more hoops the reporter must jump through in order to make your story printable and defensible, the more unlikely it is not to get printed or on the air.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

10 Questions To Help You Write a Media Pitch

7 Ways to Improve Your Writing … Right Now | Copyblogger

7 Ways to Improve Your Writing … Right Now | Copyblogger
I’ve got a couple of fast ways you can improve your writing immediately. No waiting for that pesky, tedious “practice” to kick in.

Way better.

Be concise and be clear

You’ve heard this one a million times. Tight, concise, easy-to-read pieces are heaven for readers. Long, complex, convoluted ones are just confusing.

Very often, the longer you write, the less you hold a reader’s interest.

If you can’t say it simply in just a few words, then you’ve lost readers. Write short, write lean, and write clearly, so you don’t have to waste words explaining what you’ve just written.

Keep it short

Not your writing (although that’s a good idea), but your line length.

Interestingly, people actually read longer lines faster. But fast reading isn’t necessarily what you want them to be doing. You want readers to be absorbing what you wrote, understanding your message, and reading comfortably as well.

So go for short. Set your page layout so that it’s not full width, or if you need that full width, keep sentences short and use plenty of paragraph breaks.

100 characters per line is optimal for speed — but about 45 characters is best for reader comfort.

Stick to three

3 is a magic number.

It’s said that people can process 7 bits of information (more or less) at a time. But the number that’s most compelling is the one we like the best: 3.

So have 3 bullet points. 3 steps, 3 strategies. Use the number 3 as often as you can.

Not only will you capture better reader interest by doing so, but you’ll improve your readers’ ability to remember what you’ve written. We tend to chunk information into groups of three, and recall those triads more easily.

Watch your tone

It’s easy for writers to assume readers can pick up on our mood and tone from our writing.

After all, we certainly know our feelings, humor, intent, and state of mind at the time we write. But for readers, it’s clear as mud. They’re guessing at your tone — and they may guess wrong.

Here’s an example:

Honey. Please.

Was I exasperated and rolling my eyes? Smiling and gently teasing? Acidly sarcastic? Or maybe just eating toast and reaching for the bear-shaped bottle?

As a reader, you have no idea unless the words around that phrase cue you into my written tone.

Talk Food, Sex, and Danger

Susan Weinschenk from What Makes Them Click is writing a great series called 100 Things You Should Know About People.

Go check it out. It’s good. Seriously good.

In this resource, Susan mentions that our brains always ask the following questions:

Can I eat it? Can I have sex with it? Will it kill me?

Nice.

Nice for you, too, because if you want people to pay more attention to your writing, bring up those big three (there’s that number again). Use stories and examples that touch on aspects of food, sex, or danger.

Add descriptors or associative words. Pair it with a nice picture, if you’d like. It’ll glue them to the page.

Break it up

Time and again, I see writers spooling out long, chunky paragraphs.

No, no, no.

Make it easy for people to read your work. The easier it is, the more they’ll get your point and enjoy reading — and that’s what you want.

Reading online is tiring (yes, even for you fresh-eyed Gen Ys out there). So you need to do everything you can to make it less of a strain.

No more than three sentences to a paragraph, please, and keep those sentences short.
Add bullet points and subheads to guide people along.
Oh, and bump up that font size, would you? Tiny means squint, and that’s no good.

Stay on topic

I know how tough this one is — I commit the crime of wandering too often myself, and have to make sure I don’t stray too far from my main point.

If I add too many points to a piece of writing, readers get confused about the main point of my post. They’ll be confused about yours, too.

Building an outline helps. Decide on the main point of your piece and create three (!) sub-points that support it. Make sure each one ties back to the message you want to get across to readers, and make sure each sub-point is supportive and relevant.

So there are your quick guides to becoming a better writer today.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

MRS Professional Standards: fieldwork (including interviewers and mystery customer research)

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Tote Bags with Iron-On Silhouettes - Handmade Gifts for Her - Santa's Workshop - MarthaStewart.com

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Handmade Gifts for Her
Tote Bags with Iron-On Silhouettes
Shopping for a sister, daughter, or friend who has everything can be quite a challenge, especially when trying to stay within your holiday budget. The solution to both dilemmas is handcrafting your own thoughtful gifts. Here are our favorite ideas; we're certain there's something for everyone on your list.
Use sleek silhouettes to turn a modest bag into an artful gift.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Unique Homemade Christmas Gifts - Martha Stewart

No-Sew Tote Bags - Martha Stewart Crafts

Crafts | Handmade Gift Ideas | DIY Projects - Craftbits.com

Saturday, November 13, 2010

DIY Downloads | west elm

http://www.westelm.com/weimgs/rk/images/i/201045/0006/images/pages/downloads/img_hero.gif

Monday, November 8, 2010

Meet--or Exceed--Your Customers' Expectations - Business Reliability - Entrepreneur.com

Meet--or Exceed--Your Customers' Expectations - Business Reliability - Entrepreneur.com

Every day, hundreds of thousands of people choose to do business with a particular person or business because there's an assurance they'll get what they expect, when they expect it, the way they expect it.

And yet thousands of businesses lose at least one customer every day because they did not live up to the reasonable expectations of their clientele in terms of reliability, responsibility or dependability.

The sad truth is, many businesses (and people) have made a habit of being:

Careless
Maybe they forgot, maybe they get a better offer or opportunity, maybe they just can't get their act together--the bottom line is, whatever you wanted didn't get done.

Spineless
People will tell you they'll have something completed by a certain time or date even though they know they know they can't deliver. That's because they believe (often with good reason) that you'll take your business elsewhere if they tell you the truth. Somehow telling you "yes" now and facing the music later feels more comfortable.

Fearful
Often, people are embarrassed to admit they don't understand what you want because they're afraid they'll look stupid. They are uncomfortable calling back when they realize they forgot to call earlier because they're afraid they'll look like they weren't paying sufficient attention to the account or aren't on the ball.

Dishonest
Many businesses lowball a price in order to appear competitive, and then make up for it with hidden charges. Or they provide an inferior product or service and declare you'll have to pay more if you want what you thought you were getting in the first place. And then there are those who refuse to complete the service or hand over the product until you pay more than originally agreed on.

Where does that leave the customer? In dire straits. It's bad enough if the customer is purchasing the product or service for himself. But if it's a component of a product or service for that customer's client, it could easily cost the customer that client, other monetary damages and the company's reputation.

Reliability in Action
When someone needs something done by a set date, or a service performed in a specific manner, he's seeking someone who can provide that service with certainty. Many companies have built their reputation by providing that certainty for customers.

Reliability: FedEx realized it could corner the market by promising to get your letter to its destination overnight, without fail. The company created an entire niche that never existed before.

Dependability: A major attraction of all fast-food chains, aside from fast service, is that you can depend on the food tasting the same, no matter where in the country you happen to be.

Responsibility: A big selling point for many pest control businesses is that if you see another bug within a designated period of time, they'll come back and take care of it for free; in other words, they take responsibility for the quality of their work.

What about your business? It's easy to pay lip service to good customer service, but you need to back it up with action. Have your customer service department keep record of customer complaints. You should know how many orders have shipped incorrectly in the last 90 days, or how many times a product has been returned. Armed with this information, you can take measures to correct the problem and prevent it from happening again.

A high level of reliability, responsibility and dependability are lacking in our society today. The wise entrepreneur can build a profitable and steady business if she becomes known for having these traits.

How to Make an Awesome Corporate Blog

How to Make an Awesome Corporate Blog

There are a lot of really awful corporate blogs out there. Don't make yours one of them.
You've seen them: all the robotic press releases, boring business jargon and complete lack of personality. Yuck.
Fortunately, there are also some good ones. These are the blogs that give you a more personal take on a usually-impersonal corporation, offer a chance to engage in real, interesting dialogue with those in charge -- and develop a fan base of loyal readers in return.
We talked to a few of the people behind some good corporate blogs to find out what it takes to catch, and hold, a reader's attention in the tangled jungle that is the modern blogosphere.
Throw "corporate" out the window
Forget the "corporate" thing -- your business's blog should just be a great blog.
"I'm not even sure that 'great' and 'corporate blog' belong in the same sentence. Great corporate blogs are in reality great blogs for dedicated bloggers who happen to work inside corporations," says Dave Kellogg, CEO of Mark Logic and writer of Kellblog (the winner of SIIA's "Codie" award for Best Corporate Blog 2009).
"Instead of having 'a corporate blog' as your goal you should think about having a series of great corporate bloggers," he says.
Who should write for the blog? Everyone!
"Whether yours is a small or large organization, you need to under¬stand that social media is a tool for everyone, not just the official spokespeople or the PR team," Giovanni Rodriguez, Co-founder of Hubbub, tells the Society for New Communications Research. (Check out their best practices for corporate blogs [PDF].)
"We also have people across the entire agency contributing to the blog from the Managing Partners to strategists to account managers to creatives to even interns. We encourage everyone with a great idea to participate," says Brandon Evans, Chief Strategy Officer of media marketing firm Mr Youth (whose blog Grown Up Thinking was a nominee for Mashable's Open Web Awards 2009).
And Kellogg adds, "If you're thinking of having a ghost-written executive blog, stop. Don't bother. It defeats the point."
Your content should go beyond your business
Nothing could be more boring that just sticking to the company line. Contribute interesting content on a wide array of subjects that could be important to your target audience.
Kevin Hunt, Editor of LegalCurrent (Thomson Reuter's legal blog, which was nominated for a 2009 Codie award), says that their goal is to contribute to the discussion of topics that their readers are interested in, by talking about trends in the industry and having thought leaders offer their take, for example.
"It is critical to focus first on creating content that adds value to your readers and helps them do their jobs better," Evans seconds.
Kellogg thinks that his blog has become so popular because "it covers both company and non-company material. Some of it is generic business and marketing lessons I've learned over the years. And some of it -- I suspect the most popular -- is the application of those lessons to analyzing companies and their strategies."
A blog is not about marketing (but good ones end up doing just that)
No matter how much you want it to serve as a marketing tool, the best corporate blogs aren't created for the purpose of marketing.
Whatever you do, your blog should not be "an advertisement for the company or a regurgitation of company news and press releases," Kellogg warns.
"We focus strongly on our audience and what is of value to them vs. trying to sell anything. We very rarely speak about our agency or client projects on our blog but rather focus on the stories that interest us which we feel will interest our readers," Evans says.
You'll end up marketing your business indirectly if you get readers excited about your blog by giving them interesting stuff to read.
More content guidelines
"Create a strong theme that helps editorialize the content of the blog so users know what to expect," Evans advises. "All the authors involved in our blog have a lot of leeway to find stories of interest but ultimately know that posts should tie back to" the overall intent, he says. "Beyond that, it is really about keeping the content fresh, posting multiple times a week if not daily."
Get personal
A blog is a chance to get personal with your customers, away from the impersonal void that is the official corporate website.
"There are many reasons why I work at mark logic. I explain them in my blog," Kellogg says. "I also work hard to keep the writing light and where possible, funny."
The bloggers for Mr Youth just try to "give readers a taste of the types of things we are thinking about," says Evans.
If you want to encourage customer interaction
Kellogg advises, "If dialogue is one of your goals, then here are some things you should do:

Write in a way that encourages interaction -- ask lots of questions
Engage in dialogue -- respond quickly to comments (waiting 3 days and responding in bulk isn't going to stimulate a conversation)"

Many blogs use Facebook to make it easy for people to login in and comment and share stories.
And again, contributing to the discussions that your target audience are already talking about is key for sparking dialogue on your blog.
If you don't think you can do all of these points... don't have a blog.
There is no point in putting up a rotten corporate blog just for the sake of having one.
In Kellogg's opinion, "most companies shouldn't make a corporate blog; what they need instead is a news-and-events RSS feed (which is what bad corporate blogs degenerate into)."
If you can't commit to:

Focusing on fresh, interesting content
Avoiding all direct marketing
ploys
Getting creative and moving beyond boring company info

... just don't do it.
Some awesome corporate blogs to check out
These blogs have been cited on the web as examples of corporate blogging done right:
Marriott on the Move -- Marriott CEO Bill Marriott's blog
Off The Wall -- Official Vans blog
Zappos Blog
Playstation Blog
GM FastLane -- Official General Motors blog

Marketing on Facebook: 10 Dos and Don'ts | BNET

Marketing on Facebook: 10 Dos and Don'ts | BNET
Here are some do’s and don’ts for your company’s Facebook page.
1. Do: Take advantage of Facebook Places. This location-based application allows users to “check in” — or alert their network — wherever they are. If you have a brick-and-mortar location, turn patrons into Facebook promoters by giving them freebies or specials offers if they check-in from your location, using Facebook Places. But be sure to connect your check-in page to your company page, otherwise Facebook users who click check-in links on their News Feeds and Walls will be taken to a generic Facebook page that doesn’t contain your keywords or branding.
2. Do: Use Facebook for customer service. Online support forums and live-chat services can be costly. But Facebook can help you communicate easily with customers who become your fans on the site. Facebook’s Wall, forums, status updates and other features let you answer technical and other queries, post new product upgrades or offer a frequently-asked-questions section. Additionally, your fans can help each other out.
3. Do: Go “tag” crazy. Tagging is simply to identify a Facebook user in a photo or video, an action that triggers an update to the user’s News Feeds. Tag your business and your customers in videos and photos as often as possible. Why? Tagged photos and videos, especially those tagged by your fans, have a higher likelihood of being seen by more people. If you decide to launch a Facebook promotion, try to find ways to integrate tagging into the plan.
4. Do: Befriend Facebook group administrators. Search out influencers on Facebook and offer them specials, coupons and other perks they can offer to their Facebook groups. A status update, Wall post or message from a group’s administrator will return better results than a mass message to their members from you.
5. Do: Add a well-placed “Like” button to your website and newsletters. Don’t just throw a “Like” button on your site, integrate it into the customer experience and surround it with a call to action. For example, place near your mailing-list sign-up form. Users are more likely to click a “Like” button while opting-in for a subscription. Test, track and adjust this tactic until you see results. Here is a link to some instructions to help you get started.
6. Don’t: Let your Facebook Wall be the first thing newcomers to your page see. The company page Wall is usually busy with status updates and user comments. Instead, use Facebook’s page settings to set up a “welcome” page (see “How do I change the default tab”). Make sure it inspires action. Perhaps you can post a short YouTube video about your company with a vanity URL to a big promotion website or design a custom background showing users how to sign up for your mailing list.
7. Don’t: Turn off your user comments function. If you promote your brand online, odds are good that you’ll receive some negative feedback. Whether or not these comments are warranted, your responses and communication with these individuals will demonstrate your commitment to customer service.
8. Don’t: Use the Facebook Events tab for RSVPs. If users register for events that you list on Facebook, you will not capture their data for your mailing list. Always require registrants to sign up for events on your own site.
9. Don’t: Send mass messages to your network. Most users will never even look at your messages. Should you be compelled to send a message, make sure it offers something of real value. Clearly state that value in the message subject line. Avoid general brand messages and announcements, or you’ll lose supporters.
10. Don’t: Link Facebook Ads to your Facebook page. Targeted and compelling Facebook Ads may get you results. But link them to a page on your website that hosts information about the promotion and encourages users to take action in as few clicks as possible. Remember to push users from Facebook to your turf– a web page — where you control the content, environment and functionality. Doing so may provide a higher probability of converting leads into sales and acquiring consumer contact information.

8.4 out of 10 People Don’t Like Your Blog (or Mine) | BNET

8.4 out of 10 People Don’t Like Your Blog (or Mine) | BNET

Don’t blog unless you have something interesting or worthwhile to say.
The rule applies whether blogging is your business or you’re blogging about your business. And the cold truth is that most companies, outside the realm of their products or services, don’t have much to say.
Even if you do have stuff to say, there are other things to consider before your company jumps on the blogwagon:

You must keep it moving, alive and fresh. If you can’t make a real and permanent commitment, don’t even start. A neglected blog is worse than none at all. When I see the most recent post dated months ago, I envision a company with dust balls blowing through its corridors.
A blog should not be just a more casual version of your site. This is the number one thing wrong with most company blogs. You have a new product? Something’s on sale? Your stuff is great? That’s what your Web site is for. As a recent Entrepreneur article said, “the best corporate blogs aren’t created for the purpose of marketing.”
Devote the people, time and other resources you need, and make it important. Don’t just fire off emails saying “we haven’t posted in a while, someone please put something up.” You’re either serious about it or not.

We think we followed all these rules and we still didn’t succeed, but your mileage may vary. And of course, we’ll try again.
There are plenty of good examples and resources out there if you are serious about corporate blogging. Social media is a full-blown industry — the Madison Avenue of our era. Just make sure you have a reason, a plan, and something to say that you’re not already saying elsewhere.
In my company, we often say “just because you can doesn’t mean you should” — challenging ourselves to be sure we are making the most of our resources. But the opposite is also true: Just because you should doesn’t mean you can.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Under Pressure: Learning to be a "Clutch" Leader | BNET

Focused on a goal. “When they graduate they will be deployed to lead a platoon, probably in Afghanistan or Iraq. They know the responsibilities and the risks. And everything they are doing is preparing them for that moment. Do you know what your primary mission is at work?”
Continuous improvement. “They work in an organization that is continually striving to be better. When a mistake happens, the Army tries not to let it happen a second time. Are you aligned with the right organization? Or if you’re leading that organization, are you prepared to change things that aren’t working, even if change could be hard or even a reversal of something you implemented?”
Practice for success. “These cadets are given the physical and mental training that will help them do their jobs at the highest level. They know you have to be able to perform a task perfectly under normal conditions before you can expect to do it in a stressful situation. Can you say the same thing? Are you able to do your job at a high level every day? If not, then you should not be surprised when you make the wrong decisions under pressure.”

CMI Media Guide Overview 2

The Open Marketer - Content Marketing: Start Sending News Releases NOW

Amplify your Content Marketing with News Releases

News releases have been described as a great way to amplify your content development Courtesy of http://businessblogs.co.nz

efforts. News releases aren't just for product launches or additions to your senior management teams.

Here are some other topics you can promote with news releases:

Market your blog
Launch a new website
Promote your ebook or white paper
Interview with a customer
Highlight a customer case study or success story
Promote a new video
Encourage your audience to sign up for your newsletter
Announce your earnings for the quarter or year
Conduct a survey
Extend the reach of your latest podcast

Over the next few weeks, I plan on testing the efficacy of sending news releases to help promote two components of OpenView Partner's content marketing strategy, our weekly email of tips and tricks and our new idea site, OpenView Labs.

Junta42 Content Marketing blog: Content Strategy and the Dying Art of Execution

Junta42 Content Marketing blog: Content Strategy and the Dying Art of Execution
Don't get me wrong, content marketing strategy is critical to the success of a content marketing project. Not having a content strategy is like playing baseball without the bases (envision people running everywhere...not a pretty site).
That said, I've seen a multitude of content strategies die for the following reasons.

Lack of support from the executive team. They fail to understand why they can't talk about themselves all the time. They don't "get" the idea content marketing. The brand ends up producing mediocre content without real organization and continues to think that content marketing doesn't work.
Lack of setting success criteria. This happens more often that you think. Ever here the "we want to do a blog" request? The response to that request is "Why?" Understanding why you are creating and curating content seems like a "yeah, duh", but you'd be surprised how many times corporate content creators have no idea of the strategy behind their content execution. Result: the execution fails.
Lack of talent. Content marketing takes new skills. Combine a content strategist, a journalist and a marketer, a salesperson, a touch of Walt Whitman and you're halfway there. Just because we can doesn't mean we should with the talent we have. Hire more journalists.
Lack of consistency. Creating a content marketing plan is a promise to your customers that you are going to deliver information that helps them solve their pain points. Starting the plan, and then stopping it is like sewing up a wound halfway. Painful. Marketing agencies around the world have blogs where the most recent posts are from March. Ouch!
Lack of integration. There is no such thing a just a blog, just a custom magazine or just a webinar. These things work as part of a content marketing system, which works inside of your entire marketing program. Do me a favor...take the content creators out of the basement and get them talking with your marketing team. If content indeed is the center of your marketing strategy, you need to act like it and show your employees (and C-level) that it matters.
Lack of promotion. No, if you create information on your website in the form of a blog, article or ebook, people won't just come naturally and neither with Kevin Costner (Field of Dreams reference). You have to work it.
Lack of effective outsourcing. Outsource effectively or be effectively outsource. The majority of brands outsource portions of their content marketing. Outside expertise is mandatory for truly great content. We need people on the outside that don't have OUR brand or sales hats on. Find them, use them, make them part of your team.
Lack of a call to action. What do you want people to do when they engage with your content? If you don't know, how do you know what success looks like?

Yes, content strategy is critical, but execution is king for content marketing. Frankly, you need both.
Where is your "lack of"?

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The Only Interview Tip You'll Ever Need: Don't Pee in Your Soup | BNET

Friday, October 29, 2010

Six Keys to Being Excellent at Anything - Tony Schwartz - Harvard Business Review

Six Keys to Being Excellent at Anything - Tony Schwartz - Harvard Business Review

I've been playing tennis for nearly five decades. I love the game and I hit the ball well, but I'm far from the player I wish I were.
I've been thinking about this a lot the past couple of weeks, because I've taken the opportunity, for the first time in many years, to play tennis nearly every day. My game has gotten progressively stronger. I've had a number of rapturous moments during which I've played like the player I long to be.
And almost certainly could be, even though I'm 58 years old. Until recently, I never believed that was possible. For most of my adult life, I've accepted the incredibly durable myth that some people are born with special talents and gifts, and that the potential to truly excel in any given pursuit is largely determined by our genetic inheritance.
During the past year, I've read no fewer than five books — and a raft of scientific research — which powerfully challenge that assumption (see below for a list). I've also written one, The Way We're Working Isn't Working, which lays out a guide, grounded in the science of high performance, to systematically building your capacity physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
We've found, in our work with executives at dozens of organizations, that it's possible to build any given skill or capacity in the same systematic way we do a muscle: push past your comfort zone, and then rest. ~~Aristotle~~ Will Durant*, commenting on Aristotle, pointed out that the philosopher had it exactly right 2000 years ago: "We are what we repeatedly do." By relying on highly specific practices, we've seen our clients dramatically improve skills ranging from empathy, to focus, to creativity, to summoning positive emotions, to deeply relaxing.
Like everyone who studies performance, I'm indebted to the extraordinary Anders Ericsson, arguably the world's leading researcher into high performance. For more than two decades, Ericsson has been making the case that it's not inherited talent which determines how good we become at something, but rather how hard we're willing to work — something he calls "deliberate practice." Numerous researchers now agree that 10,000 hours of such practice as the minimum necessary to achieve expertise in any complex domain.
There is something wonderfully empowering about this. It suggests we have remarkable capacity to influence our own outcomes. But that's also daunting. One of Ericsson's central findings is that practice is not only the most important ingredient in achieving excellence, but also the most difficult and the least intrinsically enjoyable.
If you want to be really good at something, it's going to involve relentlessly pushing past your comfort zone, along with frustration, struggle, setbacks and failures. That's true as long as you want to continue to improve, or even maintain a high level of excellence. The reward is that being really good at something you've earned through your own hard work can be immensely satisfying.
Here, then, are the six keys to achieving excellence we've found are most effective for our clients:

Pursue what you love. Passion is an incredible motivator. It fuels focus, resilience, and perseverance.
Do the hardest work first. We all move instinctively toward pleasure and away from pain. Most great performers, Ericsson and others have found, delay gratification and take on the difficult work of practice in the mornings, before they do anything else. That's when most of us have the most energy and the fewest distractions.
Practice intensely, without interruption for short periods of no longer than 90 minutes and then take a break. Ninety minutes appears to be the maximum amount of time that we can bring the highest level of focus to any given activity. The evidence is equally strong that great performers practice no more than 4 Â½ hours a day.
Seek expert feedback, in intermittent doses. The simpler and more precise the feedback, the more equipped you are to make adjustments. Too much feedback, too continuously, however, can create cognitive overload, increase anxiety, and interfere with learning.
Take regular renewal breaks. Relaxing after intense effort not only provides an opportunity to rejuvenate, but also to metabolize and embed learning. It's also during rest that the right hemisphere becomes more dominant, which can lead to creative breakthroughs.
Ritualize practice. Will and discipline are wildly overrated. As the researcher Roy Baumeister has found, none of us have very much of it. The best way to insure you'll take on difficult tasks is to ritualize them — build specific, inviolable times at which you do them, so that over time you do them without having to squander energy thinking about them.

I have practiced tennis deliberately over the years, but never for the several hours a day required to achieve a truly high level of excellence. What's changed is that I don't berate myself any longer for falling short. I know exactly what it would take to get to that level.
I've got too many other higher priorities to give tennis that attention right now. But I find it incredibly exciting to know that I'm still capable of getting far better at tennis — or at anything else — and so are you.

The Eight-Word Mission Statement - Eric Hellweg - Our Editors - Harvard Business Review

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Five Beliefs that Inhibit Good Design - Deepa Prahalad - The Conversation - Harvard Business Review

Five Beliefs that Inhibit Good Design - Deepa Prahalad - The Conversation - Harvard Business Review
There are plentiful examples today of companies using design to create value for consumers and shareholders. Despite the growing interest in design across industries, there are also persistent misconceptions that keep many business leaders from realizing its potential in their organizations. Here are the most common ones:
1. Quality is more important than design in my business. Quality is important in every business and always will be. However, quality is the price of entry in many industries and it's rarely enough to win market share and loyal consumers.
There's a persistent belief in a trade-off between style and substance. In reality, design is a way of conveying quality. Data suggest that companies gain the luxury to focus on design when they have mastered quality, distribution, and understand their markets well enough to create a relevant offering. Google, Coca Cola, HP, Procter & Gamble — are just a few examples of firms that are high design and high performance.
What's true in the lives of individuals applies to companies as well — when you're exhausted, overwhelmed or confused about what to do next, you never look your best. Consumers look at a dirty store, picked-over merchandise and bad service and come to the same conclusions. Good design is like putting on a suit for an interview — it shows the other person that you care about the relationship.

2. It is more important for me to offer a great price than a great design. Some great designs and brands do cost more, but there is no absolute correlation between price and design. Great design exists at all price points. Some of the best-known examples are companies such as Target, IKEA and LEGO that offer goods in a budget-conscious segment. The pattern continues with the Top 20 global brands, which include luxury retailers but also accessible goods and services like Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Google and Gillette.
More importantly, some of the most innovative designs today were created with affordability and scarcity in mind. The Tata Nano, the award-winning portable ECG machine from GE and One Laptop per Child were just a few notable efforts that challenged assumptions about price-performance relationships and generated design buzz. The push for sustainability across industries is likely to amplify this trend.
3. I would like to have a great design, but I have to launch on time. Design by definition must include execution. Focusing on design forces an organization to test ideas, synthesize feedback, and generate new concepts at a rapid pace. Historically, designers were brought in at the end of the launch process — and creating concepts under intense pressure is still the norm.
Look at the many of the companies that are strongly associated with design today. Apple, P&G, Target, Amazon, LEGO and others expand their portfolios and launch products more frequently than their peers. Design efforts don't slow down product launches. Indecision does. A widely shared set of decision criteria around design can make the process more efficient.
4. Design and aesthetics are too subjective — I need data to make decisions. Although great design speaks to a consumer's needs and emotions, there is no single aesthetic that companies must drive toward. Consistency between the brand values and the physical design is what creates a superior consumer experience. BMW, Honda and Hyundai have deep consumer loyalty with very different looks and features. Moreover, design priorities are based in actual data. Consumer testing and feedback can be achieved at low cost today with the internet and social media.
5. I will create the product or service; I trust the advertising experts to tell the story. The worlds of brand, advertising and design are rapidly converging. Well-crafted marketing and branding can boost the impact of a great design, but unless the message is reinforced by real-world experience, the effect is usually temporary.
In the best cases, the design itself can become the advertisement. Some familiar success stories — Dyson, FlipCam, the iPod, Method — illustrate this point beautifully. These designs fuel demand and propel brand loyalty. It's no accident that great companies often have great ad campaigns and use social media effectively — they are leveraging the same deep understanding of the consumer.
Business leaders don't need to go to design school to bring great design into their companies. They need to remember bring their own core skills — listening to consumers, asking questions, and openness to new ideas — into the design process. Design doesn't work in a vacuum — it's the alignment with the right business model and service that creates a compelling consumer experience. Getting to great design requires looking at consumers, not competing products, more thoughtfully.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

How to Tell if You Have Work-Life Balance | BNET

Travel Marketing Online: How Hard Rock Hotel Vegas Uses Web Cams & Viral Games to Increase Bookings | MarketingSherpa

Hospitality industry case studies

MarketingSherpa: How Cirque du Soleil Uses Email to Sell Out Shows at Local Cities

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

10 Things That Good Bosses Do | BNET

Monday, October 25, 2010

REVEALING CORPORATE DNA

Corporate Communications | IMD
ompanies love talking about their sustainability initiatives and noble corporate purposes. But are these companies really walking the talk? Corporate purpose is often received with mistrust, skepticism and even cynicism. Many perceive the way companies express and communicate their corporate purpose as “window-dressing” or political correctness.
Recent events before and during the global recession have reawakened public scrutiny of a corporation’s purpose. These events have revealed strong differences and opinion about the role of business in society and how it links to the stated purpose of corporations. The current societal flux is also leading corporate decision-makers to revisit the definition of corporate purpose.
To make a solid contribution to this field of research and organizational practice, IMD’s Center for Corporate Sustainability Management entered a partnership with the global public relations firm Burson Marsteller to better understand the inputs and impacts of communicating corporate purpose.
What is the nature of corporate purpose being communicated by leading companies? How is purpose integrated into corporate strategies? How do companies express their sense of purpose in the public arena? What is the impact of corporate purpose in building trust with key stakeholders such as employees, financial analysts, media, NGOs, suppliers and customers? What is the link between impact purpose and financial performance? These were some of the questions we sought to answer.
IMD interviewed managers in 27 companies in a diversity of industries (banking, food & beverage, energy insurance, technology and communications pharmaceutical, transportation equipment and services, retail and heavy manufacturing) to understand their communications inputs. We also scrutinized the purpose outlined on corporate websites and in annual reports. To understand impact, we compiled a rankings of the rankings based on data from 213 top European companies, such as Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies, the Reputation Institute’s ranking of the World’s Most Reputable Companies, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and so on. Excellence in purpose communication was measured by evaluating the level of trust that companies had actually built with key stakeholders.
In a nutshell, corporations wishing to reflect on whether and how better to communicate corporate purpose more effectively, and – particularly in this day and age – salvage or rebuild tarnished or wrecked reputations through a more purposeful communications strategy need to “better walk the talk while talking the walk.”
The project revealed that these European companies are transitioning from a “just do it” approach to a “talk the walk” approach on communicating corporate purpose. Leading companies that have traditionally taken a low-key, “below the radar screen” approach have recently become much more active in this regard.
Companies articulate and communicate on corporate purpose with the ultimate aim of building and sustaining reputation and trust. Managers have good reason to view this proposition as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, more thoughtful and careful communication of corporate purpose gives the opportunity to build, sustain and increase trust. On the other hand, some managers feel it can open the door to still more stakeholder mistrust and skepticism. Clearly the idea of not only “walking the talk”, but “talking the walk” consistently and coherently is the only way around this conundrum. This is no easy proposition, but the rewards, in terms of reputation and brand benefits, are potentially rich.
In interviews, leading companies stated that they are not positioning financial performance in their communications as an end in itself, but as a means to an end. Interestingly, they also claim that the “lion’s share” of leading companies’ efforts in communicating corporate purpose is dedicated to communicating on issues that help companies to align their corporate interests with those of key internal and external constituencies. Customer-focused messages also take up a good share of efforts. But viewing the literature and discourse around this subject, companies still have to be careful that “talk” matches “walk”. Otherwise, a substantial reputational risk factor enters the equation.
Overall, we found a positive correlation between effective communication of corporate purpose and financial performance. The effect of corporate purpose on financial performance of 108 companies was statistically tested through regression analysis and the results show that communicating purpose in a way that is consistent with corporate action can boost differentiation, strengthen reputation risk management and build additional competitive advantage.
Whilst one can be cynical about this, pointing to the “chicken and egg” conundrum (the view that financially successful companies do most things better anyway), we tried to counter this view by taking time effects into consideration to build a regression model that only measures the effect of purpose on financial performance, but not vice-versa. We tested the impact of purpose impact rankings in 2005 to financial performance over the five following years.
Nokia, Philips, BASF and L’Oreal are the top performers in purpose communication and have been extremely successful in building trust in the market and with key stakeholders, as well as in using it to leverage financial performance. Energy, pharma, technology and communications are the sectors in which companies are thriving in purpose communication, pulled by the excellence of industry leaders such as Nokia, Philips, Siemens, Vodaphone, E.On, StatoilHydro, Total, Roche, Bayer and GlaxoSmithKline.
Companies in the banking, insurance, logistics and automotive sectors have been struggling to communicate purpose in an effective way, with the exception of Swiss Reinsurance, HSBC, Volkswagen and BMW.
The food and beverage sector have the most uneven playfield. Danone and Nestlé excel in purpose communication, followed very closely by Unilever, Inbev, Diageo and Sabmiller, while its competitors are having a very hard time in building and sustaining reputation and trust. Interestingly, food and beverage is the sector in which purpose have the strongest influence on financial performance.
We conclude that clarity on corporate purpose – and in communicating it – enhances not only economy-wide financial performance but also relative financial performance within industries. Communicating purpose is indeed more than just talk.

Make Meetings Work: Fight the PowerPoint - Robert C. Pozen and Justin Fox - The Conversation - Harvard Business Review

Make Meetings Work: Fight the PowerPoint - Robert C. Pozen and Justin Fox - The Conversation - Harvard Business Review
PowerPoint overload! Hundred-twenty-minute snoozefests! Inconclusive conclusions! We all know how meetings can go wrong. In this fifth in a series of posts on personal productivity, Bob Pozen, chairman emeritus of MFS Investment Management and senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, tells HBR's Justin Fox how to structure meetings that don't waste anybody's time.
JF: What are your rules for meetings?

First, almost every meeting can be completed in one hour or at most 90 minutes. At 90 minutes, people turn off — they get tired and they stop paying attention. If you try to extend a meeting beyond 90 minutes, the diminishing returns are staggering.

Second, you should have meeting materials delivered the day before or the night before by email. All materials should have a one-page executive summary, and the assumption should be that everyone has read at least the summary before the meeting starts.

There are so many meetings at which the presenters just slog through 20 or 30 PowerPoint slides. But they've already sent the material in advance to the participants so this is a terrible waste of time. In my view, the presenter should give a five or 10 minute introduction to set the stage and tee up the key questions, and leave the rest of the time for discussion and formulation of an action plan.

JF: If somebody comes with a PowerPoint presentation, do you just say: "Look, you already gave me those slides, so I don't want to see these PowerPoints?"

Usually, I let them go on for a little while to see if this is just an introduction. But if they start to drone on, I would say, "Look, you've already given us this material, which we've all read. And there's some really excellent analysis in this material. So let's see if you can focus us on the key points we need to discuss and decide upon."

JF: What's your strategy in structuring a meeting?

There are two typical styles for leading meetings, both of which are problematic. One is the very open leader who says, "OK, let's have everyone's ideas about what we should do." But that leader has not given any structure to the conversation, so the participants can waste a lot of time. The other sort of leader is authoritarian. He or she says: "This is my view about where this project should head. And here are the steps I believe we need to take." Then the participants are likely to be afraid to say that this whole plan makes no sense.

I take a third approach, which could be called the rebuttable presumption. It is designed to focus the discussion and encourage debate. I might say, "Here is the area where we really need to do something. But it is a difficult area and there are several ways to address the problems. Now this is my tentative view of the path we should take, but I could be wrong. I want you to feel free to disagree and offer alternatives." And then you have to be willing actually to discard or modify your plan if someone comes up with a better one.

If someone comes up with a truly new idea in a meeting, I embrace it enthusiastically. How many times do you hear a totally innovative idea? If you embrace new ideas, you will attract creative people to work for you because they see that you really value innovative contributions.

JF: Do you have a particular way of closing meetings?

At the end of a meeting, I will always ask, "Where are we going to go from here? What are the to-do's and who's going to do them and when will they be delivered?" I want the meeting participants to agree on a set of deliverables and to set their own timetable. Then they will have an ownership interest in the follow up, rather than just going along with my directions. And they often select a more aggressive timetable than I would have the nerve to suggest.