Plan of attack
As you dive into your next project, what is your plan of attack? How do you intend to approach the various challenges? Adjusting your attitude, focal points, and formulating specific intentions will go a long way in defining your level of success with the initiative. How are you going to measure the project, other team [...]
Knowing the business
Context matters. Even the most generic function can be made more valuable by understanding the business context in which it is being performed. Double that (or more) for any project or initiative of significance. Explaining the business context and value added by the efforts of a team or individual can really help to organize an [...]
Social media and the cab business
Cab drivers are independent businesses in a competitive environment with seemingly little ability to differentiate, let alone innovate using social media. However, one cab driver is leading the way using a variety of social media tools and business savvy. In the interview below, Rashid Tamuri, talks about how he’s used Twitter, Google Latitude, Foursquare and [...]
What makes you stand out? Taking Initiative
If you want to stand out, to rise above the crowd in a busy workplace – take initiative. Ambiguity is opportunity. Work is messy, particularly nowadays. Less people are doing more stuff. Pressure is rising on everyone. New tools and technologies confuse and complicate matters. Lots of things need to be figured out – that’s [...]
Project Management and Project Leadership
Are you managing or leading? A question worth pondering as you embark on your next project. Project management is about meeting spec. The bulk of the work is in aligning resources, coordinating tasks, and reporting on progress. All crucial to getting work done. For this you need good followers on your team. Project leadership is [...]
Solitude and Collaboration
This recent New York Times article is worth a read: The Rise of the New Groupthink. There’s a lot packed into it, and a few good takeaways: Creative work is best done in solitude Committees are not creative (beware ‘brainstorming’ sessions) The way you layout your office matters Interruptions are not harmless (more on that here) [...]
Prepare to meet
If you just show up at the meeting, your behavior will be shaped by the group. You may not speak up so quickly, or at all. You’ll tend to agree with opinions expressed by others first, or at least be influenced by them. Your thoughts and opinions, questions and insights can get influenced, watered down, [...]
Drawing attention
The most precious commodity these days is attention. The age of information overload is well upon us and that’s obvious to everyone now. Which means that we’re taking a far more defensive posture against all that stuff that comes at us all day long. It was always hard to get attention, but now it’s harder. [...]
Assets and Liabilities, On The Job
Many of us count our assets and liabilities on the job in a certain way, without questioning it much. That’s because it’s pretty obvious – our personal assets come from within. We bring to the table skills, experience, knowledge and expertise. Even more, actually. We have a certain style, a unique approach, a viewpoint, and [...]
Sharpening (and broadening) your skills
Ignorance is not likely to lead to bliss much in the field of social media, marketing, or technology. The days of compartmentalizing functions and expertise are quickly slipping into a new era where really smart people need to know a little (or a lot) about a lot of different things. An obvious example The classic [...]