May 20, 2013

CIO IT Leadership Interview with Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel is a thought leader in new media, marketing, technology and business. He’s the President of the Twist Image digital marketing agency, the author of two business books, a columnist in the Montreal Gazette, a prolific blogger, and host of the Six Pixels of Separation weekly podcast.

Here he talks with me about his most recent book, CTRL ALT DELETE – Reboot Your Business, Reboot You Life. Your Future Depends On It.

We talk about resetting your approach to business and your career for a different landscape now that recent technology innovations have changed everything. The implications for CIOs, IT Leaders, and any leader in an organization today are enormous.

The video is embedded below and also accessible via this link.

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May 16, 2013

Ctrl Alt Delete, by Mitch Joel

ctrlaltdelReboot your business. Reboot Your life. Your future depends on it.

So argues Mitch Joel in his new book, Ctrl Alt Delete, a follow up to his earlier work on the world of new media, Six Pixels of Separation. Where Six Pixels of Separation showed you the new world order emerging, Ctrl Alt Delete is a wakeup call to help you recognize that it has arrived. Joel says we’re in a sort of business purgatory now, so it’s crucial that you do the things that will get you to the promised land.

And that doesn’t mean tacking on some social media bells and whistles here and there. It means embracing new strategies for success. Your business must establish a direct relationship with its customers. Your digital products aren’t to be cute shiny objects, but must offer real utility. You must understand the difference between passive and active media, and know how to leverage each. You must recognize the wealth of data you now have access to and learn how to analyze customer behavior more fully. Finally, Joel argues that it’s a one screen world going forward – the only screen that matters is the one your customer is looking at right now.

In a conversational tone, Joel walks you through this new world as he sees it and provides specific guidance on how you should move forward. The advice is summarized as lessons at the end of each chapter.

Lessons for you

Once he’s done talking business, Joel spends the second half of the book speaking to you more directly. How should you personally navigate this new environment?

Joel explains how to become a digital native, how to view your career path differently, and how to embrace the new work environment. He goes on to talk about marketing yourself, embracing a start-up mode attitude, and other ideas for personal success going forward.

A lot

There’s a lot packed into this book. It’s really like sitting down and having a conversation with Joel, one where he attempts to tell you everything he knows about what’s happening right now in the world of marketing and business and gives you his best advice for how to be successful. That can make the work a bit overwhelming at times, but the book is structured well and ideas can easily be referenced later on, along with the specific advice that’s called out at the end of each chapter.

I enjoyed the book, and I very much enjoy Mitch’s weekly podcast. If you’d like to learn more about how a really smart and successful guy sees the business and marketing world right now, pick up a copy of the book. It might just be the wakeup call you need.

 

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May 13, 2013

A very clever restaurant receipt technology innovation

0 (480×640)Restaurant receipt technology has been the same for a long, long time. And when you are out with friends it’s always the same drill when you divide the bill – you either figure out what everyone ordered and how much they owe or you simply divide the total bill by the number of people in the party.

There are over 200,000 restaurants in the United States and people have been eating out for dinner since restaurants first emerged in the 18th century. At some point in the 20th century, cash registers and receipts became the normal way of tallying bills for dinner.

But it wasn’t until now that the clever receipt technology has emerged that addresses the persistent need to divvy up the bill. Enter Legal Seafood, the first and only place I’ve seen that has made the innovation.

See the photo of one of their receipts and note that each guest’s complete meal is conveniently subtotaled. Also note that the grand total is also divided by the total number in the party should you just want to split the bill evenly.

What a great and simple way to add value to your customers’ dining experience. A nice upgrade to an old technology.

 

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May 9, 2013

A Leader Sees Greatness in Other People

Leadership is not about you, it’s about them. And it’s not about them being led by you. It’s about them being great.

A leader sees greatness in other people. You can’t be much of a leader if all you see is yourself.

-Maya Angelou

Leadership is about possibilities. It’s about a better future, built together by using everyone’s best effort.

A great leader will bring to the table a compelling vision of the future that serves a greater good and inspire others to help make it a reality.

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May 6, 2013

Fixed and variable

Sometimes we’re too well trained in problem solving. We accept the problem as given, or worse – we subconsciously jump to a problem definition of our own that’s too rigid. We view certain aspects of the challenge as fixed and only limited options as variable – often reducing the variable to a single, all-important yes/no question.

That’s not the way the world works. We always have more options. It just requires taking a moment to step back and recognize them.

Listen to any good advice-based radio show. Most of the time the caller has already framed the situation so that it converges on a single decision point, with neither option being a good one. That’s why the called into the show – they’re stuck.

What does the host do? The host listens, queries, and then starts to open up possibilities. In a brief exchange, the whole situation is presented and analyzed at a high level and new possibilities emerge by reframing the problem, questioning the initial assumptions, and digging for deeper insights. Talking things through (in the interest of creative thinking, not grousing) always helps, particularly if the person you’re talking to is the type who will push you to be your best.

The next time you’re faced with a “no win” scenario, where neither option seems particularly appealing, take a moment to recognize that you’ve likely over simplified and over dramatized the situation. The choice is likely more than a simple yes/no, and the variables you’ve already accepted as fixed can likely be changed. You just need to open up the possibilities. Reframe. Question your assumptions. Dig for insights.

A good way to do that is to call on a friend or colleague. Pretend they’re the host of an advice-based radio show. Or pretend you’re the host and look at your problem from afar. What questions would you ask? What weak spots in the story would you challenge? What advice would you give?

 

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May 2, 2013

Situational Awareness

Leadership is not linear. It’s not what they teach you in school. Case studies are artificially neat and clean.

Rather, good leaders have honed situational awareness skills that constantly absorb, process, and adjust to changing dynamics and variables. They recognize the complex system of politics, individual motivations, group dynamics, external forces, and technical matters as well as their ability to react to and influence those variables as situations develop.

We bring clarity to things by setting goals, understanding and communicating objectives, and laying out a logical path forward – project plans with milestones, dates, and resources assigned. That’s all crucial, but insufficient. Leadership is needed to move the initiative forward into and through an environment that’s constantly changing (sometimes in big ways, and always in small ways). Those leaders who have a “feel” for this, who have the intuition to “read” and adjust to situations – those are the ones who get you through successfully.

Plans are good, but not good enough. Leadership must remain focused, but the path forward is always somehow divergent in unanticipated ways. That’s what makes leadership difficult. But also what makes it interesting, challenging, and fun.

Tune your situational awareness. It’s the best, most important skill you can develop as a leader.

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April 10, 2013

Take 20 minutes to learn the best presentation tips

What are the attributes of a good presentation and how can you adapt them to the next one you develop?

Below are three links – two videos and an article – that clearly and concisely lay out some great tips and simple truths about great presentations.

The first video teaches us that:

  • You’ve got to tell a story
  • Go low tech in the preparation phase (don’t start off in PowerPoint!)
  • For design, less is more
  • Rehearsal is perhaps the single most important aspect of preparation (that’s often overlooked)

The second video (that deconstructs the Steve Jobs presentation formula) teaches us that:

  • Setting the theme right up front is key
  • Providing an outline sets the pace
  • Managing topic transitions helps the audience follow along
  • Always, always, always put numbers in context
  • Again, be visually compelling by keeping design simple
  • Show passion and don’t be afraid to use a little showmanship
  • Rehearsal is crucial

Finally, in the article below, Nick Morgan lays out the basic story constructs and how they can be employed in your presentation.

All in all it should take about 20 minutes to watch and read this information, which could transform your next presentation from bad to good (or good to great). Enjoy.

How to Give an Awesome (PowerPoint) Presentation [video]

Present Like Steve Jobs [video]

How do you take an ordinary presentation and turn it into a powerful story? [article]

 

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April 3, 2013

A Personal Appearance

chrisbroganWhen you give a talk, you convey information. Well, ideally, you communicate an idea. Better still, you provide insights, change someone’s perspective, and motivate them to act in a new way.

That’s a lot. And focusing on organizing the content, structure, and delivery of that sort of presentation is a complex task that can become a real technical challenge. But style matters a lot too, of course.

Here’s another way to look at it. Your talk is a personal appearance. It is YOU who is delivering all of the above. And that should be reflected in the talk.

Personal Appearance

I got the chance to watch a real pro in action in an intimate setting. Chris Brogan came to guest lecture at the eMarketing class I teach at Bentley University. We had talked about the class, topics covered, and where I thought Chris could provide some really valuable insight.

Like a pro, Chris came prepared. He had an elegant presentation that tied together many great ideas in an interesting way. Of course he’s done a lot, like write 5 books in the space, so he’s got material. And he’s also a professional speaker, so he knows how to do a presentation.

But, this wasn’t a presentation as much as it was a personal appearance. And it wasn’t a personal appearance of the get a photo with a celebrity sort (though Chris is certainly a celebrity in the digital media and marketing space). Rather, it was a personal appearance in that Chris Brogan the person was there, delivering his thoughts and ideas – his unique perspective – and delivering it in his personal style.

Everything from prepared remarks to off the cuff answers to random topics that came up was delivered with his honest and direct assessment of the world as he sees it – complete with his own quirky phrasing, made up words, jokes, story telling style and more. With his personality.

And isn’t that what you want every speaker to bring to all the presentions you attend?

Isn’t that what you should bring to your next presentation?

No wonder why his business is called Human Business Works. Great job, Chris. We appreciate your time, your presence, and your bringing your whole self to the class for us.

Photo credit: Chris’ Twitter Profile

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March 27, 2013

A TED Talk in the Making

320px-David_Meerman_Scott-David Meerman Scott was my special guest last night at an eMarketing course I teach at Bentley University. We use his book The New Rules of Marketing and PR in the course, so it was great to talk marketing with him. It was a delightful, insightful, and revealing discussion with the students.

And we got another real treat while he was there – a chance to watch a craftsman at work.

David is working on a TED Talk and he demoed an early version with the class. You’ll have to wait until it’s done to learn about the content, but let’s talk about the process.

Prepare and Practice

Good talks come from preparation. And preparation takes time. David put a lot of time (many, many hours, and counting) into preparing the ideas, organizing the message, and working on delivery. And don’t just practice alone, use a live audience – that’s a much better test.

Seek Feedback, Early and Often

David delivered his talk to us, complete with slides and props.  Then he asked for feedback – and he meant it. He ran a great discussion about the talk and each suggestion or comment that was raised. The dialog was great, with lots of good ideas exchanged that will no doubt help David to improve the talk. Don’t just ask for feedback, embrace it.

Hone Your Craft

Even though David is an A-List speaker on the marketing circuit, he works with a speaking coach (Nick Morgan, whose book on speaking is one of my favorites). As he explains, professional athletes use coaches, why not professional speakers? A great sentiment.

But even if you don’t want to go quite that far, you can do this – record a video of your talk. David came prepared with a tripod and video recorder. He even recorded the feedback discussion to make sure he captured everything.

Do Like David

Presentations are key to success. The ability to give a good talk is important in any leadership role. So, learn from David and:

  • Prepare (think, ponder, sketch, research)
  • Practice (really practice, like David – in front of a live audience when the stakes are high)
  • Embrace feedback  (ask for it and then listen and engage in dialog)
  • Hone your skills (even if you’re a good speaker, you can always get better)

Oh, and definitely check out his talk when it’s released. It’ll be a good one.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom, insights, and process with us, David!

Photo credit: wikimedia commons

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March 24, 2013

Good ideas are not the secret sauce

Compelling presentations, great books, inspiring videos, great podcasts, insightful articles – you are literally surrounded by good ideas.

But that’s not the secret to making things happen.

There is no shortage of good ideas, there’s a shortage of action. Of course, the irony is that in order to apply the glitzy idea or create the compelling story or accomplish the larger visible goal, a lot of boring, tedious, and very un-glamorous work needs to be done. That’s the secret sauce.

You have the knowledge and experience to relate the good ideas to your circumstance. These ideas provide you with insight and motivation for moving forward. And you can share them and leverage them as a jumping off point for conversations and work with groups of people in order to make the larger changes happen.

But it’s all predicated on some quiet time, alone, working through the tedium. Uncovering the details that matter, struggling with the analysis, discovering lots and lots of roadblocks, wrestling with discouragement, finding hope, and mustering sheer determination to finish the thing.

It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. Big results only come from working through the details.

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