Archive - July, 2011

You have time to read

July 29, 2011 in General, Publishing, Rants, Tools with 8 Comments

An entrepreneur starting a new business was asking for advice on specific connecting tools this week. I gave him a few tips. Ultimately though, I told him there were a few books that would supply him with everything he needed to know. Plus they would cover the topic in greater detail. His reply was a simple “I don’t have time to read”. Really, I asked? Not even an audio book while you travel?

Reading keeps us sharp and helps us stay constant students not only of our own trade but the world around us. On average in the US Adults spend 2.73 hrs a day watching TV and an average of 23 minutes commuting to and from work*. Those are just a few segments of time that could be used. Books are available in many forms making it easy for the busy person on the go. I am currently reading three books with my kindle account on three devices that sync between each other. I can grab a section on my MacBook Pro, pick it back up on my Droid X sitting in a doctor’s office and then continue at the same spot as I settle into bed with my iPad. Some ebooks can even read to you while you commute (including two my company developed) and others can also be synced through your favorite audio program like iTunes, Spotify or Google Music.

If you tell me you are too busy to read I will tell you that you wrong. You are missing out on valuable information to help you not stagnate in an ever changing business world. Most of all though, you are missing all the benefits that a good book offers. Peace, perspective and a stimulated mind. If you still feel you don’t have time, my friend Tara can point out all the time you don’t know you actually have.

*figures based on US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Gallup poll.

Dinner: It is more than a meal

July 26, 2011 in General with 0 Comments

I dine out a lot. I was raised by restauranteurs, and as we travelled we always enjoyed exploring new eateries. Dinning can be the connectors best tool. Because I travel a lot I try to do two things: leave time to explore where I am going and always make meetings over a good meal. This past week is a great example. My friend and business colleague Oliver Glenn (who is a Senior Account Manager at Openfeint.com Now with GREE) invited Chris Skaggs and I to dinner before the Open Feint VIP party at Casual Connect, a gaming conference. Oliver had picked a great local restaurant featuring a unique and delicious menu. Our time at The Wild Ginger was filled not only with business dealings, but also with catching up on each others lives and just enjoying the company. So much happens over the course of a meal. You learn about your companion’s tastes and interests. I have learned that dinner is much more a meal.

Lastly, you never know what eating out might offer. I have had the surprise of dinning next to Elton John, and meeting new friends, like the greeter at San Diego Gas lamp districts Analog Restaurant and Bar. While at dinner with Oliver, we noticed Kenny G was enjoying a party with friends a few tables over. So don’t settle for fast food and dull dinning. Mix it up, from elegant dining to awesome street vendor. Dinning out, especially while travelling, can be one of the connectors most valuable tools.

For reference I am trying to post on my favorite haunts on Yelp. It is far form complete but hopefully will be soon. I hope it is helpful.

A good read as well is Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi.

Follow people

July 25, 2011 in Connecting, Social Networking, Tools, Twitter with 10 Comments

Does it really make sense to categorize people? Whether it is Google Circles, Facebook or Twitter lists, they have been used effectively by people for years now. Yes circles are somewhat different but really they are ways to categorize who we follow and read. One particular post on G+ and it’s resulting conversation caught my attention. Chris Guillebeau said he only had one circle called “Awesome People” which got me thinking. I follow people not subjects. Yes I focus on company culture, game and app development, technology, writers and publishing, business acumen and communication. What I have found is that I really am more interested in connecting with people and while they may show up on my radar because we share similar interests I am actually compelled to follow them because of the complexity of their interesting lives. In the past I have tried to categorize them into subsets but I finally resulted in a list like Chris’. You see it comes down to this, I like people. Whether they know it or not, all people are marvelously complex and interesting.

Brevity and connection

July 22, 2011 in Connecting, General, Marketing, Publishing, Rants, Social Networking, Tools, Twitter with 3 Comments

Twitter taught me how to get a point across in 110 characters of text. Many of us noticed our writing improve on blogs and in books. Another benefit was the ability to know quickly if you were someone I wanted to connect with. In the short descriptions on a good twitter profile I knew who you were, what you did and where you did it. Better yet I had a link to find out more.

As people add me to circles on Google + I am noticing a common occurrence. Just like twitter, Google Profiles are where I quickly assess whether I want to add you to a circle or not. Several profiles read like resumes or worse they are just one solid block of five hundred words or more. Most of all they are boring.

The profiles that catch my attention are short, creative and utilize all the tools that Google has offered including the photos banner. And like twitter, really your profile is as good as your last post.

Like the subject of this post I am keeping it brief. Please feel free to comment, disagree or share your own profile insights.

If we are not connected on Google + you can find me at http://gplus.to/johnflurry. See you there.

Two worlds of the web

July 18, 2011 in Connecting, General, Social Networking with 10 Comments

Two worlds today exist today on the web. One of trolls who bait others into flame wars and one of active thriving conversation and community. A few months back I shared a post with a good friend. We have an ongoing conversation about web communications. He is a successful business consultant and like most executives participate in a healthy balance of value questioning and actual participation in social online communication. Most of our conversations come down to one simple rule; good practices of communication and relationship work offline as well as online. One observation of his continues to dig at me. As he read through the comments on my blog he pointed out obvious civility, thoughtfulness and intelligence of the community. To be honest I had never thought of it before. So what was the differences he noticed? Yes I would love to think I attract the smartest and civil people. I think he uncovered something more though. It is a result of two worlds of the web.

As I thought about it more I realized that because of my web habits I often never see the other world where web trolls entice arguments and sometimes even worse as in the case of Mitchell Henderson (see NYT article on Trolls and Henderson’s death). I mostly read a collection of blogs and articles related to my interests and profession with an occasional news article. I rarely enter into any conversation in a comment section where anything but civil arguments are being conducted. You can easily find these darker conversations though. Look up any comment section in a local online newspaper. A recent article written in Kotaku.com about a conference I helped coordinate now has over a thousand comments, most just a volley game between trolls in a flame war completely off the article’s topic.

Whenever I see these darker conversations occur I have an instinct to jump in a set things straight. I have found the best practice is to take what I can from the original content and go back to the places that have valuable conversations. Luckily I have more than enough of the good. You see it comes down to where you look and choose to hang out. By the way, thanks for making me look good and contributing the one side of the web that adds value. I think I will hang out with you instead of the trolls.

Giving Pause in Google + (or anywhere)

July 15, 2011 in Connecting, General, Publishing, Social Networking with 3 Comments

While doing research writing policies for my former employer, I ran across Intel’s social media policy. To this day the one line that still sticks with me is “if it gives you pause, pause” meaning that if anything makes you stop and think maybe it should not be shared on the web or wise counsel should be sought before doing so. This past week Google + surprised me with a notice when I began to share a friend’s post. The box appeared when I clicked share reminding me that it had originally been intended for a limited audience and asking me if I really wanted to do that.

I loved the reminder. All of us could use a pause button. To this day my post on filtering your tweets is still one of my most read entries. We make mistakes, are impulsive and even at our best often lack judgement. We let things slip that should not be said. We say things to people we quickly regret. Is it so bad to have filters and checkpoints? Google found it worthy enough to include it in their sharing methods.

My grandfather told me once that I should pause before saying anything and roll it around my head first. He said that trying it on first will help to say something more meaningful. As we have increasing ways to broadcast ourselves, pause is more valuable than we may realize.

Join me on google plus. If you don;t have an account I have plenty of invites. Send me your gmail account name on my contact form.

About you: Google profiles

July 13, 2011 in Connecting, General, Marketing, Social Networking, Tools with 10 Comments

I first started using google profile about two years ago. It just makes sense. Google allows you to add as many links as you want as well as a useful description about yourself among other items. It is probably the most public place where you can tell the world about you. Remember the term “google me”. When I originally updated my profile I found that I showed up first on an organic search (raw search of google where you type in a term, like your name). Just for reference there are over a hundred John Bergquists in the U.S. with professions ranging from MDs to computer engineers.

Those seeking new careers or just graduating college have asked me what is the best way to connect with employers or potential business. Simply making sure that your information is readily available is key. An about.me page or a resume site can do the trick. The more creative you can be the better. Honestly, now as google + takes off (I have not seen a social network grow as fast as it has over the last few weeks), it makes sense to have a robust and complete google profile page. It certainly can’t hurt. I am working on a post about my following methods on social networks. A complete profile helps me know if you are someone I need to connect with.

As always I recommend that you never leave your most creative content out on anyone else’s platform. Let all roads lead back to home base as Chris Brogan coined it. Make sure your blog or website is the curation site that holds your remarkableness.

A quick note on privacy. Like any content on the web, be mindful of your rights as well as privacy settings. Too many people are not educating themselves on the details. Make sure you understand what you are sharing and how it can be viewed as well as used in the future.

If you are not on google + I still have invites. Send me a note here with your google account name and I will add you.
If you are on google + you can connect with me there as well.