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December 31, 2007

New Mobile Tools

Over the past few months I have been playing with a lot of the new GPS enabled mobile apps. There has been a shift (finally) from ported applications (applications written for the web and ported to mobile) and true mobile designed applications. Here are a few I have had some time to play with and test during my travels.

Windows Live Search for Mobile

I really like this product. With or without a GPS, the WLS is a great add-on to any Blackberry or Windows Mobile Device. WLS offers.
• Ability to either speak or type the location or store your searching for
• GPS directions and centering
• Turn by Turn Directions
• Real Time Traffic Status
• Cheap Gas Locations
• Movie Theater locations, times and reviews
• Category breakdown search for local businesses
• Satellite Images

Google Maps w/ My Location (still in Beta)

This application is smaller and more specific than the WLS. The directions were a bit more accurate but not as many local features integrated like WLS.

• Real Time Traffic
• Turn by Turn directions
• Integrated Search - Local business locations and contact information appear all in one place, integrated on your map.
• Satellite Images

Yahoo Go! 2.0

Yahoo Go! is a real stand out in the mobile apps arena. The Yahoo Go! App is nice as it gives you the most used Yahoo features outside of their search in a Mobile designed (not mobile ported) application It is more of a true portal app rather than a local search application. The interface is very stylish and very easy to use. It takes the concept of a portal page and breaks it down into mobile friendly tabs. My only issue with it is it’s not GPS enabled. Maybe in v 3.0.

Here’s the breakdown by tab.
• Integration with Yahoo Calendar, Contacts, and Yahoo Today
• Traffic Watch and Local Search
• Top News Stories and News watch.
• Sports including team watches
• Money and Stock watch.
• Entertainment news and Entertainment watch
• Weather
• Flickr direct view and upload
• Yahoo Mail

All these apps are free and well worth the time for you travelers to download.

Wishing all my readers much health, wealth and happiness in 2008

Stephen
Stephen is Sr. Partner and Network Architect with Odyssey Consulting Group and a Microsoft MVP for Network Technologies.

Posted by Stephen L Rose at 12:07 PM | Add Comment

December 28, 2007

Resolution: Create a Stronger, Smarter Organization

Tired of the usual end-of-year reflections?

Alongside the new year, you may be looking for a new practice to improve your organization's competitiveness, talent, staying power, and smarts.

Conduct a learning culture audit to speed your organization along the learning culture continuum and to help you get stronger now.

A simple diagnostic can help you assess your organization and your leadership team's orientation to learning. Examine characteristics of cultures that encourage or block learning to see how well you're fostering an environment where everyone continuously learns and applies what they learn faster.

Consider each question carefully and think about your behavior and that of your colleagues. You might also want employees to complete such a survey to get a sense of how they feel you and the entire organization are doing.

By taking organizations through this audit, you demonstrate your willingness to ask tough questions and hear answers which are honest rather than reassuring. The self-assessment should take no more than 10 minutes and the lessons learned can focus your organization for at least the next year.

Continue reading "Resolution: Create a Stronger, Smarter Organization"

Posted by Marcia L. Conner at 9:32 PM | 1 Comments

The Leading Edge - How Committed Are You to Keeping Your New Years Resolutions

Want to see if you're really committed to keeping a New Year's Resolution?

Step 1: Think of someone in your life who cares about you that you most respect.
Step 2: Go to him, tell him you'd like his assistance and ask him one positive behavior you could start doing and one negative behavior you could stop doing that would increase his and other's respect for you.
Step 3: Repeat back to him those behaviors to make sure you heard him accurately.
Step 4: Ask him if he would be willing to send you an email in two weeks and then a month later to see if you've kept your commitment (after a month's time, there's a good chance it will become internalized and then you ask for another pair of behaviors to improve upon).
Step 5: Thank him and ask him how you can return the favor to him.

The extent to which you will do this is directly related to your true commitment to change. If you hesitate, then you are more ready for change than you are ready to change and you're not going to change.

Posted by Mark Goulston at 3:12 PM | Add Comment

Work/Life: The Top Ten Work/Life Balance Movies of 2007

Hey, look, we all have to talk about business every day of the year, but who among us has been able to resist being an armchair critic at our various holiday gatherings? Well, it’s my blog and I can do what I want, so for today I’m the snooty film reviewer we all wish we could get paid to be. Here are my picks for the Top Ten Work/Life Balance films of the year. Whether they present good or bad examples in this category, they merit a special mention, and I’m sure the filmmakers concerned will forgive the tongue planted firmly in the cheek. Eat your heart out, Ebert!

1. RATATOUILLE – It’s a bit sad that the only way we can absorb the message that pursuing something you truly love to do can make you happy (and more inherently balanced) is through an animated rat, but I’ll take my uplifting wish-I-had-become-a-chef-instead-of-a-corporate-recruiter fantasies wherever I can get them. All in all, a great movie about doing what you do with passion.

2. SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET – Another fine example of someone doing what they love, albeit with decidedly different results. If anyone out there is thinking of taking up Sweeney Todd’s occupation, at least sacrifice those guilty of malfeasance first.

3. THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM - Jason Bourne gets to kick butt, drive fast and narrowly escape death every day. As far as I’m concerned, these are all healthy outlets for aggression and negativity, and will probably make Jason much calmer and emotionally available in his home life.

4. MICHAEL CLAYTON – This movie features a disillusioned, overworked corporate attorney having a meltdown and stripping naked during a deposition. I recommend it as aversion therapy for anyone putting in more than 40 hours a week.

5. I AM LEGEND – Again, a cautionary tale. The last man on earth, and just when he’s getting used to some quality down time, suddenly it’s all about macho competition and one-upmanship. Makes you sick.

6. EVAN ALMIGHTY – Not a great movie, but it does provide a great idea for any of us looking to bust out of the grind. I would think that calling in sick would very quickly come in second to calling in charged by God with a sacred duty. Might be worth a try.

7. TRANSFORMERS – After two hours of this noise-fest in Dolby Digital surround sound, you come out of the theatre going “work/life what? What the hell just happened to me?” It’s a short-lived respite from your everyday struggle, but having it beaten out of you is also an alternative worth exploring.

8. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – One poor loser is driven to risk his own life and the lives of his loved ones for a wad of cash, and another guy wanders around killing people with a compressed air canister. I can’t think of two people more in need of a nice, soothing Wayne Dyer fund drive special on PBS.

9. SPIDER MAN 3 – Spidey wrestles with his darker, more negative side this time around. It is a revealing look at the forces of the id operating in each of us, and the battles between our hero’s shadow self and his altruistic self symbolize the underlying tension between work and life, indeed the very struggle inherent in cinema itself: a two-dimensional medium trying to get at the universal truths we all experience in the reality of three dimensions. Does this make any sense? I doubt it, but I couldn’t have my film critic fantasy without saying something pretentious, now could I?

10. I’M NOT THERE – This is a rambling and bizarre art film ostensibly about the enigmatic nature of Bob Dylan and his music. The only reason it’s on the list is because of the title. It’s just something I so often wish I could say when people call.

I’m sure there are other examples, good and bad, of work/life issues to be found at the box office, so if any of them strike you, go for it, Rocky. (Or Adrienne!)

Posted by Tom Stern at 7:31 AM | Add Comment

December 27, 2007

Careers: Personal Branding Wishes

Wishing you and your family a joyous, healthy and prosperous New Year! May you find imaginative and successful ways to differentiate yourself. May you dream big, may your personal brand soar and may your business and career resound with the sounds of success!

Posted by Wendy Marx at 9:19 AM | Add Comment

December 26, 2007

Leadership: Speaking Up vs. Silence

"What would you do if you heard a rumor that a co-worker was on drugs or had a drinking problem?” Last night at dinner with friends there were many “What if” or “What would you do” questions tossed around. The first about a chemical dependency was one of them. Another was “What would you do if you heard some news that affected a client, a family member or a colleague, that hadn’t been shared with that individual yet? Would you tell him/her, even if it was good news?”

We polled the table and it seems women would say something and men wouldn’t. Interesting don’t you think?

In my world, where I hear decisions as they’re being made, these decisions directly affect my clients lives, whether it’s a posting abroad, a promotion or a political appointment. I cannot say a word for various reasons, one being a confidentiality issue as everything shared with me or in front of me remains confidential by virtue of the ethics of my profession among other things and secondly if for any reason any information would leak out, they might lose the appointment and that wouldn’t be good news for anyone.

Still, for example, if you knew your spouse was going to find out something life altering, a promotion, a transfer etc before he or she knew of it, and it also impacted your life, what would you do? Would you say something or wait for official notification? The last question that was asked was, “If you hadn’t said anything would you fess up to having known it beforehand?” That’s probably the biggest dilemma of all as it might affect the level of trust between the two of you. Or would it perhaps strengthen it?

A dilemma for many; black and white for others. Many had a very hard time with this, more with finding out someone close to them knew and didn’t say anything, even when it was fantastic news. They felt betrayed.

If you were in this position, would you do and why? Your answers will help many people in this position and, perhaps, you yourself if you become faced with this same issue at some point in your life.

Donna Karlin • Executive and Political Shadow Coach™ • Ottawa, Canada • •www.abetterperspective.com

Posted by Donna Karlin at 11:27 AM | 8 Comments

Leadership: Burning Lessons

“I gotta go with Billy on this one, Reggie,” the owner said, insisting that Reggie meet individually, man to man, with each of the players on the team to apologize for his remarks in a sports magazine in which he had criticized the team and its best player. The owner is none other than George Steinbrenner, and “Billy” is Martin and “Reggie” is Jackson. Later that same year, as depicted in ESPN’s drama series, The Bronx Is Burning, Steinbrenner also urges the “best player,” Thurman Munson, to bury the hatchet with Jackson for the good of the team and as a personal favor to him the owner.

Being that this is TV drama, one cannot be certain how accurate these scenes are, but as depicted, Steinbrenner comes across as an enlightened leader, doing what is necessary to back his management and hold his team together. Of course in other scenes we see him go off the rails, and act more like his public persona – the meddlesome Boss. And now that the real-life Steinbrenner, rumored to be in ill-health, has stepped back from active management in favor of his sons Hal and Hank, it may be time to remember the Boss as a senior leader who did do some things right. These include:

Let the manager decide. When Steinbrenner backs Martin’s insistence that Jackson make personal apologies, the Boss is showing support for the manager to manage the team. That’s what managers in baseball as well as “real life” are supposed to do. Managers need to be able to run their own departments; support from senior leadership helps them do this.

Continue reading "Leadership: Burning Lessons"

Posted by John Baldoni at 10:43 AM | 1 Comments

Work/Life: 'Twas the Day After Christmas: A Panic Poem

Because of the holiday on Tuesday, the CEO Dad Tuesday Tirade is on a Wednesday this year. Deal with it. And while you do, please enjoy this Boxing Day poem!

‘Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the house
Everybody relaxing, not a gripe or a grouse
No school for the kids, so they didn’t care
The wife’s office closed for the week…oh, despair!

See, I’d stacked up my Palm Pilot, just like I said
While visions of strategies danced in my head
But all of my contacts were off or away
And I had no transactions to fill up the day

With fear of some down time consuming my mind
I paced back and forth, I was in such a bind!
I did online trading, checked an e-mail or two
That took all of five minutes, now what do I do?

Well, there’s ESPN for a couple of hours
But my wife doesn’t like it, she sits there and glowers
I could take a walk, buy a coffee, but curse!
No, all that caffeine will just make matters worse!

Please somebody call me with a task to fulfill
Or I’ll have a conniption, I swear that I will!
I’m the type who moves constantly, just like a shark
If I don’t then my bite is much worse than my bark!

But wait, something happened, there’s something to see
My daughters have put on a play just for me
One is the hero, the other, the villain
Hey, this is fun, and get this, I’m chillin’!

“Maybe we should all go out for a meal”
Said my wife as I once again feared I’d congeal
“Okay, that sounds good,” I found myself saying
Though why, I don’t know, ‘cause I would be paying

Just the same, “let it go,” a voice said inside
This is family, your loved ones, kick back, let it ride
Here you were looking for something to do
And the answer was sitting there staring at you

Yes, it’s true I get caught up in workaday crud
Which I have to admit makes me rather a dud
There’s plenty of joy to be had in a life
There’s more to it, people, than hard work and strife

So now I’m resolved, I will take some time off
Though you may say it’s crazy, you may even scoff
So happy Boxing Day to all, and to all a good night…

But tomorrow let’s go back to work, all right?

Posted by Tom Stern at 8:23 AM | 1 Comment

December 24, 2007

Technology: Are You A Tech Elitist?

Are *you* a Tech Elitist? If so, how's that workin' for ya?

As it's now Christmas, and we think of The Grinch sitting high on the hill, looking down on all the little people of the village with contempt... Let's consider our own positions in our respective fields and how we've chosen social media sites & groups as well as whom we've chosen to affiliate ourselves with.

There was much change during 2007. More ways to communicate. More social sites to join. More video hosts with their own little gimmicks that made them slightly different from the rest. New video editing software. New storage solutions. New live streaming options....

Continue reading "Technology: Are You A Tech Elitist?"

Posted by Bill Cammack at 6:52 PM | 3 Comments

December 22, 2007

The Leading Edge: How to Increase "Buy In"

Getting more from you people begins with "buy in." If you want to increase it make sure you keep the following in mind (these are the results of an interview with me by ABC News "Working Wounded" reporter, Bob Rosner).

Does it make sense, feel right, and is their job doable? The best motivation killer is to feel that what you're doing doesn't make any sense, is wrong, and undoable. That's why it's so important to take the time to find out how your people really feel about their jobs and your company.

Do you get ongoing reality checks? How exactly do you make sure that they think the job makes sense, is the right thing to do, and is doable? Don't wait for them to come to you. Check in with them constantly -- not only in meetings, but also in one-on-one conversations and e-mails.

Do you take into consideration their other commitments? Most of us have a full plate -- kids, parents, civic commitments, etc. Rather than thinking that the job is the only thing in a person's life, it's helpful to find out what else is going on. For example, if someone is juggling their schedule because of kids, it probably will mean a lot if you give them flexibility in when they have to show up for work. The more flexible you are, the more buy-in they'll undoubtedly give back in return.

Do you ask for their opinions on the top opportunities? There is an old saying, "You paid for my hands, you got my brain for free." It's fascinating how seldom most employees are asked to use their brains. Ask employees to get out their crystal ball to identify opportunities for your organization.

Do you ask for their opinions on the top obstacles? As tough as it is to ask about opportunities, it's even tougher to ask about obstacles. Why? Because obstacles are messy and much easier to disregard. Chances are, if you take the time to ask, you'll learn something from their responses.

Are you an active listener? If location, location, location is the mantra for retail, then listening, listening, listening should be the mantra for anyone trying to be a better leader.

Increase your people's buy-in and they'll haul your organization out of the rubbish to an entirely new level.

Posted by Mark Goulston at 1:42 AM | Add Comment

December 21, 2007

Picture Perfect

I had one of the first cell phones with a camera. It would take these tiny, fuzzy photos that you would share with people on a 1 x 1 inch screen that was so small, that the image was nearly incomprehensible.

Now camera phones have gotten better. My new cell phone has a 2 MP camera and actually supports video conferencing but, I have a nice small Cannon that fits in my pocket for those moments to share. So, what else can the camera be used for .

I have found other really good uses for my cell phone camera. If you have others, please comment and share.

1. Take a photo of where you parked. I go to Disneyland with my family alot. The current structure is the largest covered lot in the United States has 7 levels and holds over 750,000 cars. After parking, I take a photo of the sign where I parked. This is also a great tip for airport parking when your returning from that long 5 day trip.

2. Food can labels. Want to go home and do some research on a food? Take a photo of the label

3. Business addresses and hours.I add them to my Outlook when I return home.

4. Shopping. When looking for a good deal on something, I shoot the label and then go home and look it up online. I have the model, price and sku all at my fingertips.

5. Dining. Ever pass a place and say I need to remember about that restaurant next time where thinking about where we should go. Photo it, send an email home and add a entry to your calendar.

6. Hotel rooms. Now that there is no more room keys, they give you that little slip of paper (which I always loose) with your room number. Shoot the room #.

7. Rental Cars. I always shoot a photo of my rental car and the license plate. I forget what I rented and don’t want to start looking for paperwork (which is probably in the glove box of the rental) to remember what I was driving/

8. Shopping list - Low on milk, coffee, etc…Start a photo only shopping list.

9. Take a photo of your bag before you check them. I have a lot of different bags and cannot always remember which ones I took with me on this trip.

10. Gifts. I often see things that I want or that others say they want as a gift. My wife is amazed that something she touched in a store 8 months ago and commented on ends up under the tree at Xmas. I do not have a good memory. I have a camera phone with a lot of memory. And that is good enough for me.

Stephen is Sr. Partner and Network Architect with Odyssey Consulting Group and a Microsoft MVP for Network Technologies.

Posted by Stephen L Rose at 11:54 AM | 3 Comments

Work/Life: The Most Memorable Quotes of 2007

The end of the year always provides a dizzying array of lists, from a rundown of deeply significant events in the news (Britney, anyone?), to a top 10 of truly meaningful things that changed our world (striking writers, anyone?), to movie critics naming their year’s best (“Norbit,” anyone?). It should come as no surprise, then, that there is somebody in charge of choosing the Top Ten Most Memorable Quotes of 2007. That person is Fred R. Shapiro, editor of the Yale Book of Quotations. And the winner this year is “don’t tase me, bro,” the pleading outburst given by a University of Florida student as he was being muscled out of a speech given by Senator John Kerry. Other not-to-be-forgotten turns of phrase that made the cut included the gut-wrenching monologue from that Miss Teen USA contestant trying to explain why so many US citizens cannot find America on a map. Of course, Don Imus’ tasteless remark was up there, too.

These are the quotes that make national news, as they are uttered either by famous people, or people who ended up in the public eye at the wrong time. But I would postulate that those of us who are sensitive to work/life issues have heard their share of catchy quotes this year, too. I know I have. And since I can’t get CNN to cover the story, I’m putting them out there in a blog. Hey, the way TV viewership is going these days, I probably wouldn’t want CNN numbers, anyway.

THE TOP FIVE MOST MEMORABLE QUOTES OF 2007 as compiled by Tom Stern

1. “You’re the one that needs to do your homework—like, actually being HOME.” - retort by my eleven year-old daughter after being scolded for not doing her homework.

2. “I don’t mind running solo on this project, I just don’t want to have to do it alone.” – Overheard during a meeting-in-progress while passing by a client’s open conference room door.

3. “Oh, he said he wants to just be quiet for a while and figure out what he’s going through emotionally. Honestly, that is the LAST thing I would need.” - Let’s just attribute this to “anonymous” so that I won’t lose any business by pointing out the unintentionally ironic outbursts of people I deal with on a daily basis.

4. “What do you mean ‘which anniversary?’ How many other anniversaries did we have?” – My beloved wife, expressing dismay at my response to her consulting me on plans for our wedding anniversary. Though I have no defense for my brain-addled reply, I did counter very cleverly by listing several other possible anniversaries, such as the anniversary of our opening a joint retirement account, the anniversary of that time we took the dog to the vet, and the anniversary of the one day we both agreed that her parents can sometimes be a pain.

5. “How am I supposed to write a blog about work/life balance if you people won’t go away?” -- Myself, spoken in jest to my family. Unfortunately, the joke was not appreciated, and the only reason I didn’t spend the night on the couch is that we wanted to try out our new Sleep Number bed.

So, any personally memorable quotes from your year come to mind?

Posted by Tom Stern at 7:16 AM | 2 Comments

December 20, 2007

Careers: Personal Branding No Nos

I got stood up this week. My new hire, Chris, left me a voicemail one hour before he was to begin his first day on the job to tell me he wasn’t coming. He had accepted another job for more money and benefits.

It’s not a new story. I’m sure most people in a hiring capacity have similar tales of woe to report. But it’s a good lesson in personal branding. Chris certainly burned his bridges with me besides failing Ethics 101. While it’s certainly important to further your career, there’s no advantage doing it at someone else’s expense. Chris surely didn’t get his offer one hour before he called to kiss me off. No reason he couldn’t have called me the week before. Not that the outcome would have been different in my case; but it would have made a world of difference in my opinion of him.

Rule Number Two in personal branding and career management is not to burn bridges. The person you write off today could be in a position to further your career tomorrow. Rule Number One is to behave ethically. Sure, you can get ahead by stomping on others – and history of course is filled with villians who have profited off of other’s misery. But, in the end, beside behaving like a heel and hurting others, you’ve stained your own good name.

In the spirit of the holidays, let’s remember that in business as in life, giving is what makes us human and enobles our souls.

A warm and wonderful holiday season and a New Year filled with promising new opportunities and the continual joy of self-discovery and helping others.

And much personal branding success!

Wendy Marx, Personal Branding and Public Relations, Marx Communications

Posted by Wendy Marx at 9:36 AM | 11 Comments

Careers: More Dazzling Than Dull

The Wall Street Journal says being a motivational speaker is a high-paying gig. Actually what they say is it one of the five most overpaid jobs in the country.

Apparently that's a bad thing.

For some of us, overpaid is ample motivation. But you really can't make a name for yourself on the lecture circuit until you write a book.

And if you're going to write a non-fiction book, quite often you need a novel thesis or - barring that - a gimmick.

Alas, cleverness is a technique which some authors push too far. Take, for example, a book that arrived in my mailbox this week called Release Your Brilliance. The book promises to deliver "4 steps to transforming your life and revealing your genius to the world." And I thought that's what blogs were here for.

Previously unknown to me, the author Simon T. Bailey once worked as a Disney executive but left it all behind to become a motivational speaker. I have no idea how well Bailey motivates people, but he sure has a way with conceits and affirmations.

I am skeptical of affirmations. Oh sure, sometimes I give myself a pep talk, but usually it's on the tennis court where respectability is my aspiration, rather than say brilliance. But I digress. Bailey's book offers an exercise he calls The Brilliance Continuum. Let me know if this works for you.

"Dazzling of course is what you're striving for," he writes. "Draw a vertical line to indicate where you believe you are right now on the Brilliance Continuum."

Dull < --------------------------------|---------------> Dazzling

I'm going to place a vertical line where I think I fall on this continuum today. You'll see that I'm slightly more dazzling than dull, but that's because I haven't finished reading this motivational book yet.

Bailey includes helpful sidebar comments, which he calls Gems. I'll share one with you now. "Everything you need to be brilliant is already inside you," writes Bailey. If that's the case, you need to choose wisely about whether a book will help you unlock your inner brilliance. It stands to reason that people who don't take this advice to heart run the risk of having their brilliance bottled up so tightly they will never find it again.

Bailey is a busy guy, but he takes time each morning to "guard his energy and protect his spirit" with a "personal Hour of Power ... twenty minutes of meditation, twenty minutes of exercise and twenty minutes of reading out loud."

Hard to knock that advice, although I'm unclear on the reading aloud thing when you're alone. Should you read aloud with inflection, you know, expressively, or just in a flat 'let's get through this' kind of tone? Maybe it depends upon what you're reading. For a motivational book I suggest you read it as loud as possible - it's therapeutic.

I leave you today with one final Bailey gem: "If you want to expand your brilliance, expand your thinking."

Rusty Weston, My Global Career • San Francisco, Ca • http://www.myglobalcareer.com/ •

Posted by Rusty Weston at 1:16 AM | 2 Comments

December 19, 2007

Leadership: Stubborn Leadership

You have the job….the job of a lifetime…the job of a leader. Your heart is in the right place. You want to take your organization to the next level and you know the potential is there but you’re losing the support of your people.

One by one they’re leaving the leadership camp hoping an intelligent, well-meaning leader will see he is the main reason standing in the way of success. As one of that camp...someone about to bail, what do you do? How do you make him see the best thing he could do is step aside? Or is it the best thing he can do?

A dilemma for sure but one that is happening in too many places right now, mostly because the leader got the job for all the wrong reasons.

Do you leave? Have a heart to heart with him? How do you resolve a problem that could potentially bring the organization down?

I’d love to hear…

Donna Karlin • Executive and Political Shadow Coach™ • Ottawa, Canada • •www.abetterperspective.com

Posted by Donna Karlin at 8:39 PM | 9 Comments

Hands Free Voice to Email with Jott

"Hi, this morning I'm using Jott. I'm actually in my car driving about 50 miles an hour, and sending an E-mail/message to myself to remind me of things I need to do today, while it's still fresh in my head. So I no longer have to type and drive at the same time. Note to self: stop typing and driving. Very dangerous. This is a great mobile technology that I am very excited about it, so I'm gonna end the Jott and wait till I get back to my office finish and finish this blog entry."

Jott! I love it. I use it. And best of all…it’s free!

What is Jott? Well, with Jott, you can record free voice messages that are transcribed and sent as text messages or e-mails without having to fumble for a pen or your mobile device.

How can you use it:

I mainly use it to send emails or notes from the car to myself or anyone in my Jott address book.

Now they have added several strategic partners so there are some new features like:

Amazon.com shoppers can use it to create a list of their favorite products using their voice.

For example, a user of the new service, which launched today, could add a voice message about favorite products -- say an Zune or the Heroes DVD Boxed Set and have the results from Amazon.com returned in an e-mail message.

You can use it to add appointments direct to your Google Calendar

Make a shopping list at Remember The Milk

Find out where the speed traps are by saying your location and getting an email back from trapster.com

Maybe just blogging directy to your Wordpress, Blogger, TypePad, or tumblr site.

So…www.jott.com. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Stephen is Sr. Partner and Network Architect with Odyssey Consulting Group and a Microsoft MVP for Network Technologies.

Posted by Stephen L Rose at 11:57 AM | 2 Comments

Work/Life: Flexibility Will NOT Hurt Customer Service

“But how will we service our customers?” If I had a dollar for every time I heard this from a corporate leader…This fear is one of the key obstacles organizations hit when implementing flexibility. And on some level, it’s a valid fear. No customers, no business, no jobs.

But in our 24/7, high tech, global work reality where people who sit on the same floor primarily communicate via email and IM, and customers span all time zones, we need to start rethinking what “customer service” looks like, and how flexibility might actually make it better.

We asked respondents to the 2007 Work+Life Fit Reality Check, to choose one of the following responses to the question, “If you had more work life flexibility….” 1) Clients and customers would expect better service because you would be a more satisfied employee; 2) It wouldn’t matter to clients or customers; or 3) Clients and customers might worry it will affect your ability to service them.

Even I was surprised by the overwhelming consensus: Almost 9 out of 10 respondents (86%) feel there would either be a positive impact (27%) or no impact at all (59%). Only 12% think clients and customers would worry.

Continue reading "Work/Life: Flexibility Will NOT Hurt Customer Service"

Posted by Cali Williams Yost at 10:53 AM | 0 Comments

Leadership: Our Better Nature

We like him because he makes us feel good about ourselves. And we dislike her because she makes us feel inferior. That’s an assessment from political pundit, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, about why people like Barack Obama and dislike Hillary Clinton. The point is debatable; Matthews makes his living by stirring the political pot. The assessment may be fun for political musing but it raises a very crucial point about leadership. Men and women who get us to follow them are often those, who in the words of Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural address, appeal to our “better angels of our nature.”

When we feel that the leader is well-intentioned and wants what’s good for us, and our organization, we naturally want to follow. And if that leader can cause us to feel good about ourselves, too, that is special indeed. The history of civil rights teaches us this; people embraced Martin Luther King, not only because he was smart, eloquent and moving, but by following him we felt better about whom we were. To a much lesser degree, but very visceral way, rooting for our hometown sports team – be it Yankees or Dodgers, Patriots or Chargers, Celtics or Lakers – makes us feel good because we assume they are one of us. [Of course they are not, but we feel as if they are.]

Leaders who make people feel better about themselves are very powerful and can accomplish great things. In ancient Greece, Epanimondas rallied the yeoman class of Boetia to fight against the hated Spartans and twice defeated them in battle, the second time destroying Sparta’s ability to invade again. As historian Victor Davis Hanson writes in Soul of Battle, Epanimondas’ appeal was directly tied to his ability to make the farmers feel good about taking up arms against the enemy that had brutalized them for so many years. In business, people embrace Whole Foods because they like the selection of foods, natural and otherwise, but also because they feel good shopping in a place that treats its employees well and lives its creed of sustainability as much as possible.

Continue reading "Leadership: Our Better Nature"

Posted by John Baldoni at 9:53 AM | Add Comment

December 18, 2007

Leadership: 2007 Communication Successes Hall Of Fame

Last week, I posted my Communication Faux Pas Hall of Fame. This week, it’s the successes that get the ink, profiling those who went the extra mile and communicated well. Unfortunately, to come up with my 11, I really had to look since there are not nearly as many to choose from to induct into the Successes HOF than the Faux Pas HOF. This is no surprise, but disappointing and depressing nonetheless.

So, here goes. As with the last post, if there is someone or some act I overlooked and you think should be included, let me know and I'll see about including it in updates with appropriate attribution.

Continue reading "Leadership: 2007 Communication Successes Hall Of Fame"

Posted by Ruth Sherman at 6:36 PM | Add Comment

Office Gift-Giving

A friend passed along some funny statistics about holiday gift-giving:
• 20% of working Americans get stiffed by Secret Santa.
• 50% find office gifting expensive and time-consuming.
• A third of those who give gifts to co-workers have re-gifted (32%) or simply thrown out a gift from a co-worker (31%).
• One in five co-workers say they have received an inappropriate gift from a co-worker.
• More than half have received gifts that they didn’t like.

A great gift for anyone at the office is a copy of Never Eat Alone, my book in building relationships for career and life success. Another great idea is Giftscriptions, the magazine gift subscription in a box. Both are available on amazon.com. Happy holidays!

Posted by Keith Ferrazzi at 5:10 PM | Add Comment

Work/Life: Getting my front tire past NY's toughest gatekeepers

It's fitting that my latest experiment relates to the "/" in work/life – the sliver of time spent getting to and from the carpeted cubicle, counter or cockpit.

I've been conducting a test with the tikit, a new kind of folding bike, one that collapses in 5 seconds and looks like an incognito French Horn when required. If I can weasel it past the glum gatekeepers of NY's toughest and stuffiest office buildings – including those claiming to be 'green' - I can pronounce a folding bike to be a true adjunct/alternative to the mass transit system.

It's my small effort to be part of the 20% solution to global warming, when 80% of the first world still thinks of it as "bonus beach weather" – admittedly good for property values at chilly altitudes as long as the water isn't lapping at your Leger like in Venezia.

Continue reading "Work/Life: Getting my front tire past NY's toughest gatekeepers"

Posted by Lynette Chiang at 10:12 AM | 3 Comments

Work/Life: Performance-Enhancing Drugs...It Ain't Just Baseball, Baby!

CEO Dad’s Tuesday Tirade….

The Mitchell Report has everybody rushing to deflect blame and responsibility regarding the illegal use of performance-enhancing drugs in professional baseball. Everybody wants to point a finger, but it’s time to get a little more global on this one, folks. Nearly everything we see or read these days has devolved from a pleasant distraction into some form or other of a spectacle. It’s all been getting pretty forced over the years, and now it’s at a tipping point. How can we tell what is really a gargantuan thing when another mediocre, two-part, made-for-TV miniseries about lust and murder in a small town starring Jaclyn Smith and Bruce Boxleitner is billed as “an NBC movie EVENT! Clearly, our standards for what qualifies as an “event” have lowered. And so, everything from department stores to theme parks to, of course, professional sports, have had to inject the very IDEA of what they are with metaphorical steroids just to get people pumped up about spending their money on a dress, an uneventful ride loosely based on a hit movie, or a couple of bleacher seats. Baseball was long ago dubbed “the great American pastime.” Pastime. Ahhh. Now, doesn’t that connote something a little more laid back? A pleasant way to “pass” the “time.” Well, forget it. Like everything else in our culture, it is performance-driven. Is it any wonder there might develop a compulsion to enhance that performance, so that everybody gets their jacked-up, “event”-style money’s worth? Hey, if the ball goes sailing over the left field wall, who cares if it was a scientifically-created human Transformer that sent it there?

And we’re not immune in the workplace, or at home. What is coffee if not a performance-enhancing drug? All right, so a baseball player can’t request he be injected with a steroid that’s double-decaf latte-flavored, but for us go-getters, three cups a day allows for an artificial sense of increased potency, so that we can allot extra time to tasks that keep us working, sacrificing time with our loved ones, because everything depends on last quarter’s numbers, and if the company is going to have an “event”-ful spring, you better darn well not slow down for a second. Of course, all this stress makes you too exhausted to relax enough to experience true physical intimacy, but don’t worry, there’s another performance-enhancer waiting in the wings for you: Viagra! (Just don’t forget that you’ll have to slot a full four hours into your Daytimer if you go that route…and you may not have that kind of time to spare.) E-mail, Blackberry, fax, a faster car…all things designed to increase our performance, make us better “players” in the game of life. And we take a hit of them every day.

Am I disillusioned by the findings of the Mitchell Report? Of course I am. But until I put down the cup of java I paid 4 bucks for just so I could make it through to lunch, or until I stop spearheading a movement to find a low-cost way to surgically implant my Bluetooth into my ear, who am I to talk?

If I’ve left out any of your favorite performance-enhancers, feel free to let me know.

Posted by Tom Stern at 8:15 AM | 1 Comment

December 17, 2007

Careers: 7 Steps to Managing Your Brand

When’s the last time you evaluated your personal brand? I’m not talking about a little five minute introspection following an annual review, I’m talking about a top to bottom look at how you are seen and how that differs from how you want to be seen.

Whether you’re an entry-level employee or a mid-level executive, what we do can and will shape how we’re seen by others. To successfully manage your brand, steal a page from brand management 101 and ask yourself the following questions:

1. What are you trying to accomplish? A question you should ask yourself multiple times throughout the day. Whether it’s how you word a follow up email to an angry customer, or positioning yourself for a promotion, you can’t get out of first gear if you don’t first know what you’re trying to accomplish.

2. What’s your value proposition? Chances are there are dozens of equally qualified people just like you within your department, company, and industry. What’s unique to your brand? What can you do that will add more value than someone else?

3. How are you packaging yourself? From how you dress, to the role you play with your work group, your packaging occurs on many levels. To get a feel for how well you stack up, observe how others in the organization are packaging themselves.

4. Who are your competitors? People that you are directly or indirectly competing with as you climb the corporate ladder. Knowing your competition is a must if you’re going to be able to effectively differentiate yourself when you’re gunning for that big promotion.

5. What’s your brand promise? What do you want to stand for? What is it that you say you’ll do? As will come as no surprise to those who know me, responsiveness is a big part of my brand promise.

6. What’s your tone and manner? People make snap judgments based on how you present your ideas and respond to situations. Are you someone who flies off the handle or are you someone who remains calm, cool and collected? Do you approach issues using wording that will promote dialogue or are you abrasive and standoffish? Something as little as “Have we thought about going in this direction” versus “You need to go in this direction” can make a huge difference.

7. Is your brand strategy working? A question you should be asking more than once a year. Look to feedback from 360, quarterly and/or annual reviews. Pay attention to verbal and non-verbal cues from coworkers and make adjustments as needed.

Our brand matters. And, unlike large corporations, we don’t have a team of marketers behind the scenes telling us what to do and how to act on the job. Don’t leave your brand to chance, dedicate time to evaluate and manage it every day.

Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (courtingyourcareer.wordpress.com).

Posted by Shawn Graham at 6:38 PM | Add Comment

The Learning Glass Ceiling – Part 2

In my last blog I said that in working with senior leaders in major organizations I’ve observed that once they get to be the CEO, or reach other C-suite level positions, many quit participating in learning experiences. I noted that there are two problems this causes: 1) the negative messages it sends to the rest of the organization, and 2) the inability of those top leaders to role-model and reinforce what is being taught. See the last blog, The Learning Glass Ceiling – Part 1, for a discussion of the first problem. Now for the second issue.

These senior leaders often support leadership development with their words and financial backing, encourage those who report to them to participate, kick-off or close their senior executive/leadership development programs, and sometimes “teach” in them – usually presenting the organization vision, strategy, marketplace challenges and priorities. They might even go so far as to be briefed in some detail by the head of HR, or Chief Learning Officer, or head of executive/leadership development, on the objectives and content of the programs. But if they haven’t actually attended personally as a “student”, several problems arise that are critical and often overlooked:
• Since they have not had the development experience themselves, they can’t possibly role model what is being taught to leaders below them
• Because they don’t have the same training/development they can’t encourage, support, and reinforce what is being taught with the leaders who report to them who have participated in the programs or development experiences
• If top management doesn’t role model or reinforce what is expected of others in the organization, it is much less likely that there will be an environment that supports people in applying what is learned. At best, this makes it extremely difficult for lessons learned in leadership development experiences to be applied and sustained over time. And at worst, it can make the time and expenditures on development a complete waste

So, what do you think? Do you think top level leaders understand the problems created by their lack of personal engagement in learning and development? If you agree that this is a problem, what do you think can be done about it?

Jim Bolt*jbolt@executivedevelopment.com*www.executivedevelopment.com

Posted by Jim Bolt at 5:27 PM | 2 Comments

The Leading Edge: Iowa, Presidential Candidates and the CPI Index

The endorsement of Hillary Clinton and John McCain by the Des Moines Register should come as no surprise if you look at the candidates through the lens of Clarity, Preparation and Integrity. These are three key components to respect-ability. When perception of these qualities goes down, so too does our respect.

Individuals who have clarity are neither confused nor confusing when it comes to who they are and what they want. They are very clear in the goals they have set for themselves and understand what they need to do in order to make those goals a reality. If you have ever had the chance to work for or under an individual who has that clarity, you would probably agree that they are self-assured, exude positive energy and make great leaders. On the other hand, if you've had the misfortune to work for an individual who is confused and/or confusing in terms of what they envision, they exasperate or at the very least frustrate you and as a result command little if no respect. Typically, that type of person stands for nothing and when you discovered it, you lost respect for them that you never got back. People who possess clarity trigger our admiration.

Individuals who properly prepare do not shoot from the hip. They think long and hard about what they want to accomplish and how they will get it done. They have a plan and they execute. By doing their due diligence on the front end, they are better prepared to leads others to a positive result. By being properly prepared, they understand that even if they get knocked off course they will be able to get back on track and pick up where they left off. People who are prepared have experience, but more importantly learn from it. Those that are not prepared have no idea what their course might be and as a result when they get knocked off, they simply cannot come back because there is no plan to climb back on to. Prepared individuals bring solutions to problems. Unprepared individuals seemingly make excuses, blame or "whine" without a constructive solution. Individuals who are prepared are self-assured, exude energy and are the people that most people want to be around. People who are prepared inspire confidence.

Individuals who have integrity are the type of individuals we all want to be around! These are the individuals who do what they say they are going to do. They are the leaders who stay the course no matter what the circumstances might be because they are committed to a vision that rests soundly or core values dedicated to serving and enriching the common good. We all have come across those who talk a good game but when the "rubber meets the road," we find that their substance is weak or nonexistent. In contrast, high integrity individuals have the judgment to know the right thing to do, the character to stand up to those who don't do it and the courage to stop those who won't do it. In life, we all have opportunities and challenges. It is easy to stay the course when things are going well. It is when we hit a pothole in the road that throws us off course that really tests our mettle and our commitment to ourselves and to those around us. Most people want to know that a leader will be there when the chips are down. Integrity is everything! You can spend a lifetime building it and it only takes one situation where you did not live up to your commitment to tear it down. On the other hand, people with integrity are not perfect and do make honest mistakes. But when they do, they don't lie or pass the buck. Rather they take full responsibility for them and then take corrective action to not repeat them (think J.F.K. and the Bay of Pigs). Reputation and integrity are the foundation of the good leadership. Those, who hold that dear, will not tolerate anyone who lacks integrity. People with integrity engender trust.

Now that we have defined clarity, preparation and integrity, how do our current presidential candidates stack up? What is their "CPI Index™"? On a scale of one to 10 measure each on these values -- 1 being" negligible" with 10 being "outstanding" – how do they measure up?

If we look at prior elections and prior candidates, the ones who were elected were perceived to have a high CPI index. Those with a low index fell by the wayside. Bill Clinton was perceived as being high in clarity and preparation and his (personal vs. professional) integrity mainly came into question after he had one and half terms under his belt. Al Gore was perceived as being prepared and having integrity, but alas, he just didn't come off as clear as George Bush in 2000. John Kerry was perceived as being somewhat prepared on issues, but lacked clarity and was perceived as having "flip flop" integrity issues. Howard Dean seemed clear and to have integrity, but in lacking self-awareness of how he could turn off people, he was unprepared. George Bush possibly prevailed in both 2000 and 2004 because he was perceived as being clear and in having integrity (especially with regard to doing what he said he was going to do). And if he was perceived as being unprepared, he was perceived as being advised by people with a lot of experience and expertise (a la Ronald Reagan another high in clarity, high in integrity president).

Part of the reason for the incredible enmity toward him now is for his perceived lack of integrity as more and more information comes forth regarding decisions and policies.

As we consider the current cast of candidates from both parties, it is difficult viewing them as possessing a sustained high CPI index. On any given day any one of the qualities can appear to be lacking.

That said, it should come as no surprise that the Des Moines Register has endorsed Hillary Clinton and John McCain. McCain's CPI index is probably the most consistently high of all Republican candidates. However his insistence on focusing on what Americans need to do instead of what they want to do without having the requisite J.F.K. persona and idealistic youth population to challenge us to: "Ask not what our country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," may in the end do him in.

Clinton may be lacking in clarity and integrity in the eyes of voters, but her integrity appears to be more about the maneuvers to get elected, more than what she will do once in office given in respectable record as Senator. Compared to other Democratic candidates she is perceived as off the charts in preparation especially with her husband as confidante and advisor at her side. And detrimental as his flawed personal character may appear, it pales in comparison with George Bush's perceived flawed performance.

One person who embodies these qualities and has a high CPI index is Clint Eastwood. His high level of clarity, preparation and integrity engender deep admiration, confidence and trust. All of this adds up to immense respect which leads to his having his independent projects financed by a tight fisted community that would not green light any other director that wanted to do similar movies.

Unfortunately for us, Clint Eastwood may have the qualities to make him a great leader and who knows maybe even President, but he also possesses the common sense to not want the job. Too bad, because America can certainly use a President that could "Go ahead and make our day!"

Posted by Mark Goulston at 12:01 AM | Add Comment

December 16, 2007

Welcome. The Power of Design

Recently a lot has been said about the “power of design” and its positive impact in business performance. According to the UK Design Council, “Share prices of companies using design effectively have outperformed the FTSE All-Share index by 200 per cent over ten years”. Apple, Google, P&G, and Samsung know this.

The question then is why, in the big picture, so few companies truly embrace design as a strategic tool? And why designers are not stronger players in the corporate world?

In my view design and designers are underutilized, and to a point miss-utilized, in today’s business world. I believe the main reason is due to the lack of understanding and appreciation between designers and business people.

My aim in this blog is to bridge this gap, highlighting the “power of design” and creating a greater understanding between designers and business people. Stay tuned for future postings. It will be fun!

Posted by Manuel Saez at 8:25 PM | 5 Comments

December 15, 2007

Change Forward

In life and business sometimes bad stuff happens to good people. I like to think I'm currently in that group. If you read my last Fast Company Resource article, Shifting Gears at 105 without Falling Off the Cliff, you will be familiar with my recent land mine, a misstep in selecting an IT development firm and the result a product that the functionality sucks and the back end of the site needs to rebuilt. So during this time of forward change, what do we tell our community and new visitors? Especially since we can't stop the clock, we did screw up and we still need to drive traffic, grow our community and brand fans.

Continue reading "Change Forward"

Posted by Karen Post at 8:26 PM | 1 Comment

December 14, 2007

More or Less

Day after day, year after year, I've strived to always do more. In school when I was assigned a paper on an "ism" I wrote it on "Moreism." My first book was titled, Learn More Now. I've not aspired for more goods, rather more experiences. As to why, I have more theories than time.

My life was complicated by running forward without recognizing I'd tangled my path. More clients. More calls. More writing. More naps.

When starting something new I rarely asked myself, "What will I take off of my schedule?" I'd never aggregated my actions: looking at all I was doing, observing my patterns, let alone considering my bounds.

Then something changed. No single event gets credit, rather more small events than I should have required. It's as if the more light has gone out. In it's place a faint glow that puts everything else in perspective.

Each day I ask myself these questions:

What is it time for?
What is it time to let go of?
Is there even more to let go?

Although some mornings I catch myself trying to separate or avoid the answers, I find these questions as intertwined as learning and life.

Asking them works. Change comes more easily. My capacity to make clear decisions has soared.

There is less on my do-list and there will be fewer experiences to reflect on come years' end. But I'm learning (if not more than ever) at least as much each day as I did when life overflowed. And I feel brighter and lighter because I have the mental space to focus on what matters most.

Continue reading "More or Less"

Posted by Marcia L. Conner at 10:56 AM | Add Comment

Work/Life: The Lost Work/Life Predictions of Nostradamus

On this date in the year 1503 (for you younger readers, waaaaay before computer games), the great philosopher and predictor Nostradamus (real name Michel de Nostre-Dam) was born. Revered by soothsayers and writers for the Weekly World News alike, this fellow seemed to have an uncanny knack for saying things hundreds of years ago that could handily be interpreted as applicable to this very day and age. And now, on the anniversary of his birth, researchers (please, don’t ask me for details) have uncovered several pages of parchment which reveal his prescient nature when it came to work/life balance, too. Here are few choice entries in ole Nostre-Dam’s Day Planner:

--In approximately five thousand moons, there will be visited upon the earth a great plague known as “Power Point.” Mankind could well waste many, many hours compiling information for the morning of a Monday, only to basically stand there in front of their so-called “presentation” simply reading aloud the words they spent all weekend picking the right font for. Yay, verily the graphics will not help much, either.

--For in the far future, how far I cannot predict with accuracy, mankind will be so incapable of spontaneity with their offspring that they will be forced to schedule something called “play dates.”

--Beware, for a square box capable of providing visual stimuli waits in the future to create a time suck such as the world has never known. It will begin simply enough, with blurry black and white images of cross-dressing comedians, but will soon escalate into a product capable of being recorded for posterity and even disseminated on other, smaller boxes that will be at our workstations and on tiny devices we will hold in our hands. They laugh at me when I say that several million citizens will be drawn to a moving picture of a piano-playing cat, but I see it, friends, as clearly as I see the rise and fall of trans-fatty acids.

--But for all the chaos created by the myriad frightening things that will come, many wise people will provide in-house child-care within the very confines of the workplace itself. And these people shall be declared forward-thinking and good.

As you can see, that Nostradamus was way ahead of his time. If any of you have stumbled upon other soothsayers out there who made some dead-on predictions about our fun-filled 21st Century, feel free to let me know.

Posted by Tom Stern at 8:18 AM | 1 Comment

December 13, 2007

Innovation Lessons From 'The Big Apple'

Ten years or so ago Apple Computer was almost bankrupt. Fast forward and Apple (the company no longer uses the word computer) is now regularly cited as the most innovative company in the world. So what can we learn from the comeback kid?

Rule #1
Orchestrate and integrate. Ideas can come from anywhere, including outside the company. For example, the iPod was originally dreamt up by a consultant and most of its parts were off the shelf.

Rule #2
Build products around the needs of users. This may sound obvious but too many products are still designed by engineers or marketers for engineers or marketers.
Thus Apple places the emphasis on simplicity (such as design) rather than complexity. For example, the iPod wasn’t the first digital music player into the market but it was probably the first that was easy to use.

Rule #3
Trust your instinct. Don’t allow the customer to dictate what you do. This may seem contradictory to Rule #2 but customers can only tell you about what already exists.
As Akito Morita (the founder of Sony) once said: "The public doesn’t know what is possible but we do.” Also don’t forget that as well as measuring public opinion or tracking the latest trends you can create both.

Rule #4
There’s no success like failure. Fail often, fail fast and fail well. In other words, don’t be afraid to make a mistake but always learn from your mistakes – in Apple’s case products like the Apple Lisa and Newton.

Rule #5
Safe is risky. Develop products that define new categories and markets rather than products that compete in existing markets.

Posted by Richard Watson at 10:09 PM | 1 Comment

'Tis the season for attention-demanding tasks

I couldn't resist this...

If you're feeling 'humbuggy' this Christmas do something that demands intense concentration. Research by a Canadian professor of psychology has found that people have better focus and are better at attention-demanding tasks when they are in a sombre or miserable mood. Conversely, people that are joyous and happy are better at tasks that require a high level of creativity.

So does that mean that happy people are better at innovation? On the face of it you'd think so but history seems to suggest that the opposite is in fact the case.

Posted by Richard Watson at 9:40 PM | Add Comment

From 8 million pieces of paper to one

I am an amazing organized person except for when I travel. For some reason, I carry 20 different sheets. Flight info, hotel info, googled directions, etc…. Even worse with the 10 emails shared with my wife and assistant with all my info to the point they have no idea where and when I will be anywhere.

Then I found Tripit.com . All my info from all sources in one place and shareable! Trip it allows you to book from any source, email your confirmations to Trip it and it builds an Trip Plan for you.

What is a Trip Plan? A TripPlan is a single web page with all your trip details. Organized by day, it's a step-by-step guide to the things you've planned, plus notes you want on hand during the trip.

A TripPlan is like an itinerary, but better. In addition to organizing your flights, hotels, rental cars, and other typical travel components. Share this with friends or fellow travelers, and even give others the ability to add comments or their own items to the TripPlan. TripIt also gives you helpful options for printing your itinerary so all your information is at your fingertips while you're on the road, in a concise and easy-to-read format.

In addition, TripIt will automatically add:

Local map info from Google maps
NOAA weather
SeatGuru seating advice
Wikipedia city info
Eventful current events
Flickr city photos
Open Table dining reservations.

Sounds too good to be true? I thought so as well. I created the account and sent my Hyatt flight info from my Outlook inbox and my Orbitz trip confirmation to plans@tripit.com. (When you register, it registers your email address so it knows it’s you. You can even add multiple email addresses.)

I logged into Tripit and was amazed. It scrapped all the data from the email from Hyatt. Everything was convereted there including my frequent traveler info and my early check in.

I then choose to share but not allow edit rights to my wife and assistant. They were granted access to all my info and will be sent updates as things change.

One piece of paper now. My life is good.

Stephen is Sr. Partner and Network Architect with Odyssey Consulting Group

Posted by Stephen L Rose at 3:06 PM | 1 Comments

Innovation: Best Buy Apologizes for Cease and Desist to Laughing Squid

Scott Beale was having a regular day on Tuesday December 11. His blog, Laughing Squid, was being profiled in a San Francisco publication. Life was good. Then he announced on his Twitter stream that he had just received an early holiday gift from Best Buy. Except for this was not really a welcome one -- a “cease and desist” letter.

Apparently the Best Buy legal department took notice of some coverage Scott was running on another blog at Laughing Squid. Improv Everywhere selling Best Buy blue polo shirts as inspired by a stunt the group ran at a Best Buy store. After talking with his lawyer, Scott decided to publish the cease and desist letter on his blog.

Continue reading "Innovation: Best Buy Apologizes for Cease and Desist to Laughing Squid"