Archive for April, 2008

I just FAIL at the Inbox Zero concept and related methods for taming the email beast. I know this so well that I’ve never really *tried* hard to get there. A few half-hearted, high-energy assaults on my inbox, adoption of some of the main principles, yes, but never achieved. And the progress I *do* make I never manage to preserve.

The truth is, a LOT of my email just serves as little flags of information that I can take in at a glance with no need to act on. The time it takes to find and delete all of these little flags, if I bothered, would be wasted. It’s enough to have them register in my brain via gmail or blackberry and then flow away in the stream that is my inbox.

What I *really* need isn’t inbox zero, it’s inbox infinity.

Inbox Infinity

I want my optimized inbox to automatically delete all messages on a rolling time frame, x weeks or days after receipt. With that as the default, I would set up rules for certain messages to auto-archive instead of delete. The bulk of messages received fall into the first or second treatment.

Everything else can then be batch processed using an “Inbox Zero” like system, where I respond, convert the message to a task, add an event to my calendar or tag and archive information I will need for later reference.

This in place, I’d only have to give mind and click-share to the messages I need to act on. The rest would just play their parts as messengers and beacons and then drift away on the river without my intervention. It’s a subtle difference, and might not sound like a big time-saver to many of you, but deleting and archiving by hand is actually a substantial (and worthless) part of my inbox maintenance.

What do you think? Are there hackarounds in Gmail that would let me do this?

I am lecturing twice today at Bentley College in Waltham, MA for Professor Mark Frydenberg’s IT101 course: Introduction to Information Technology. Mark is extraordinary in the degree to which he incorporates, teaches and uses web 2.0 tools (wikis, blogging, popfly mashups) in his class.

The morning class was delightful and of course, we live streamed the entire thing on Qik.com/pistachio

I told my Twitter followers to follow this link to remain abreast of the students’ conversations and remarks via Twitter during the class. It is just a www.tweetscan.com search for “pistachio” so that everyone can follow all of the replies together and see the students’ individual introductions. It kept us all on the same page. Fun.

Next class is in a few minutes, I’ll return later to embed the video… Follow us live (if chat doesn’t work, there is probably just a time lag on the upload) at www.Qik.com/pistachio.

I’m not a churchgoing woman, but I’ve always valued the strong community support that remains available to my family at my childhood church in South Glastonbury, CT. “Our” congregation gets a whole lot right about the nature of community, what to provide and how to foster it.

Driving past another church recently I noticed a sign:

“Childcare is Provided”

Becoming a mom changes every small aspect life. Lots that I used to do slipped away, no longer practical for a woman with two tiny babies. That sign washed a small wave of comfort over me. My needs, anticipated. Provided for. My needs were no problem. I was welcome.

I immediately thought of MotherGooseMouse and J&J’s Camp Baby. Sure, it was designed to be a child-free weekend. But newborns and nursing moms are exceptional. Complications meant I was barely able to get out of bed three weeks after both daughters’ births. Separating for a business trip would have been impossible (call it a getaway, but J&J was paying because it met their business interests).

Even without complications neonate nursing pairs can’t really separate for more than a few hours. It’s a simple need to anticipate. It’s not hard to work around. It’s amazing she was willing to attend (again, in J&J’s business interests) with such a tiny baby. I know because I attended an all-day nonprofit board meeting with a very tiny S worn in a “sling,” napping or nursing at will. To the detriment of precisely no one.

That simple phrase outside the church bore compassion, understanding and welcome. They want younger families to attend, so they provide for a way around their biggest obstacle/anxiety.

You can apply this lesson of providing for human needs to everything: customer service, presentations, social networks, managing people, social media relations, creating communities. It’s not about coddling people or creating extraordinary expectations. Just, anticipate the most fundamental obstacles, and find small ways to reduce or remove them. Understand who you want to reach and then know how to reach out.

I’m excited to announce that NewsGator just signed on as my newest client last Friday. I’ve been a huge fan of Jeff Nolan’s Venture Chronicles since last spring, so I was kinda giddy when he contacted me about working together on NewsGator’s stories and messaging. My excitement is equally split between how smart these folks are and how cool the stuff they’re working on is. Even if they were not my client, I would (and will now that I’ve posted this) blog and tweet enthusiastically about what I’ve seen. So, look forward to that, but for the moment: welcome aboard!

Stan’s Cafe/Project Website: Of All the People in All the World. Read this writeup from Infosthetics.com (who deserve their own info impact rock star backstage pass).

For a moment, let’s go way, way far afield from your everyday “presenting” lives for a quick “information impact” lesson.

As I bookmarked this for the “Information impact rock stars” series, I thought: “But, as much impact as that has, you can’t really use it in a presentation.”

Ha.

1) If you mean a slideware-based presentation, sure you can. You can use large vivid photos of it.

2) But if you really mean presentation, as in shared physical space with live speaking, consider: physical objects asserting their bulk in real space trumps funky greyish bar charts anyday.

What could you demonstrate physically? How? What about metaphorically?

(This was modified from a post for SAP’s Marketing Community Meeting)

Watching Bentley Professor Mark Frydenberg demo what his Web 2.0 students have been doing with Popfly was a highlight of Tech Tuesday for me this evening. As we chatted later, he told me he’d assigned a Twitter project, but wanted more assignment ideas.

This Twitter experiment and blog post are *my* answer. In the comments, what is YOURS?

I asked Twitter…
Discussing with @checkmark what assignments he could give his students to help them “GET” Twitter. What do you think?

You answered…
chelpixie @checkmark connect with @hrheingold re: assignments to help students understand twitter. Community founder + Stanford instuctor

steketee i would say it is web based IM with controls and ease of finding like-minded people. (twitter)

Peter West suggestion for @checkmark - for a given topic, find knowledgeable people on Twitter & report back on related emerging trends

jpblogger Using the CA fire scenario as an example … how could twitter connect people in a crisis?

Dean Terry also twitter games can be interesting @amyguth & others have talked about a six degrees of separation. Location focus is possible

Rick Wolff There’s no “getting” Twitter. You just get on and ignore the feelings of foolishness, and suddenly one day, it makes sense.

Dean Terry we use twitter in our Emerging Media program. Have students do a class where they only communicate or write stories via twitter

Scott Monty Have them use www.twitterlocal.net and follow people w/in a certain geographical radius, asking locality-based questions

jer@nyquil.org : I’ve been using it a year and I don’t think _I_ even “get” Twitter.

Client: “Should I have a PowerPoint?”

Pistachio: “Why?”

Client: “I don’t want them to be bored.”

Pistachio: “Then don’t.”

Pistachio: “Is there anything you need to tell them that you cannot do with your body or your voice?”

Client: “No.”

Pistachio: “There you go.”

Pistachio: “Uh, do you mind if I write this down for a blog post?”

Community, duh, equals people with things in Common. Those things in common are what Hugh McLeod at Gapingvoid has been calling social objects.

Apple’s lack of “social media” efforts have been widely criticized, BUT. Who has arguably the strongest cult, err, community following of any technology company going? Oh yeah. Right.

They did it by creating things people feel so passionate about that the community arose on its own.

If your company is smart enough to value community, what can you learn from this?

Community sin #1 Community without love. iPod is a social object because people have a passionate relationship to it. How does your company stir passion?

OK, stop laughing. Your work matters to someone. There’s a headache you solve or you wouldn’t make money. Take waste management. Passionless. Yawn. Except, someone SURE cares when there’s the lack of it. And the person whose job it is to take care of personal and commercial trash disposal sure as hell cares when the service sucks.

Community sin #2 Trying too hard. I won’t even bother to google for examples, surely you’ll have plenty in the comments. Picture yourself standing in the middle of the playground at recess yelling “hey guys! let’s make an M&M Mars community!” FAIL. Instead, try “hey guys! who wants some M&M’s?”

Communiy sin #3 Community as destination (and to benefit the company only) instead of as means to something mutually interesting. Be useful. Be convenient. People have enough obligations in the circles they currently frequent. Don’t build another damned place for them to go. Build stuff that fits and goes wherever they already are.

The bottom line is that someone already cares or you wouldn’t be in business. That’s your community. Serve them well.

What are your “Community Building” pet peeves? How would you guide a company trying to generate real business value through community?

Next week 2,000 marketers at SAP will convene to learn and share marketing innovations. The Marketing Community Kickoff Meeting will feature:

• Seth Godin
• Ze Frank
• Dennis Howlett
• Zoli Erdos
• Ross Mayfield
• David Armano
• David Meerman Scott
• Laura “Pistachio” Fitton

www.Unisfair.com’s virtual environment will 2,000 SAP marketers for the Marketing Community Kickoff

I’m ecstatic to be in such good company, sharing my ideas about how to communicate and present more effectively. Blogging, answering questions and digging in to share ideas with the other bloggers and interact with the SAP community has already been fun and inspiring.

How SAP is running the event is exciting too. All internal blogging and discussions are on Clearspace collaborative software, and attendees will “meet” in the Unisfair virtual environment, from wherever in the world they work. I love how the event both models and teaches new ways of communication, collaboration and marketing. Can’t wait to see how it goes.

Gary Vaynerchuk declares 4/3/08 Good People Day A “Flash Holiday” conceived in a moment and spread all around the web in hours via Garyvee’s signature energy and passion. An important day to salute those who pour themselves into all things positive:

I have to make sure that tomorrow people write and talk abd blog and twitter and just flat out SING about people that are AWESOME and GOOD. It is time that we take control of the fact that WE are the media and pump out a day tomorrow that will make NOISE across this WORLD!

Thousands of good people touched my life, meaningfully, especially in the last 9 months. There’s no way to list you all. I’m sorry. You all deserve each other’s recognition. I hope you recognize yourself, and I hope you know what you did made a difference. If you *think* this *could* be you, you’re right. So, instead of names, I offer these musings.

What is Good?

A Summer Camp CIT Lesson
When you have to discipline someone, correct the behavior not the person.

Thoughts on Dog Training
To train a dog FAST, avidly catch them in the act of doing the right thing. No matter how small, reward it in some way. Ignore the bad and reward the good. Rinse. Repeat. Extinguish bad behavior by ignoring it. Reward good behavior with praise, and be especially wary not to accidentally reward bad behavior with attention.

Good People are Made
I believe this is how good people are created. Not through inherent “better-ness,” but because someone takes time to look behind their facade, seize on something good inside them, and honor it. Sounds a lot like love. It is.

If nobody does this for you, start doing it for yourself. Seek out others who will. Keep looking and do not give up on yourself, on life, or on people in general. You *are* worthy, and when you start to believe that you will become more and more and more so.

Who is Good?

In lieu of names, some (random) ways people are good. People who…

• are kind to telemarketer humans even while being firm with their no.
• can assert themselves with customer service without making the rep. feel badly about themselves.
• pour hours into making something better.
• reach out to others in need.
• share their time, expertise and ideas generously.
• take time to thank everyday people.
• listen.
• love.
• believe in others.

and even:

• manifest as angry, cynical or mean because they care deeply about making something better.

BONUS:

@Kallena Created this site to let you share your “good people” shout outs publicly.

UPDATE: In the comments: What are some other random acts of kindness and goodness we can celebrate and share?