Archive for June, 2006

In my last post about the book, “The Wisdom of Crowds,” we explored the question…

If you had to meet someone in New York on a specific day but had no way of contacting them, when and where would you meet?

This proved to be a provocative question and the answers varied greatly. In the book, author James Surowiecki explains that when large groups were asked this question, 40% of the respondents all picked the same time and same place. This is pretty amazing given that New York has over 47,000 square miles and there are 24 hours in the day.

When I thought about the question I immediately thought about the Statue of Liberty, while my wife though of the Empire State Building.

The popular 40% answer was Grand Central Station at 12 Noon.

It was interesting that out of the 6 comments on this blog no one picked this location.

As I have continued on in the book one of the other fascinating facts is the accuracy of respondents in the Game show, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire“.

Here is today’s question for you.

Regis Philbin has just asked you a $2000 question on the show.

Would it be best to…

• Listen to the Audience and take their advice
• Phone a friend and take their advice
• Reduce the answers from four to two and increase your odds by 50%

The answer may surprise you as the percentages vary greatly.

I would like to hear your comments and ideas.

I’ll post the answer tomorrow.

In the meantime you can pick up James’ fascinating book here or download the audio version from iTunes.

I picked up a new audio book over the weekend as part of my MBA on the Run program. Entitled the Wisdom of Crowds, author James Surowiecki takes us on an amazing journey in the study of group think. Written in a entertaining and thought provoking style this book is hard to put down. If you liked Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink or Tipping Point, you’ll like this book. Interesting social science research brought to life by an engaging writer.

One of the fascinating scenarios that James brings up is the following question..

If you had to meet someone in New York on a specific day but had no way of contacting them, when and where would you meet?

Let’s take a look at the question in a little more detail.

• We are given the place (State of New York)
• We are given the day
• We don’t know the time
• We don’t know the meeting place

Where would you go?

What time would you go?

Amazing as it may sound, researchers found when they asked this question that 40% of the respondents chose the same time and place.

The state of New York has 47224 square miles and there are 24 hours in the day, yet 40% of the population chose the same time and place. This fascinating tidbit of group think is just the tip of the iceberg in this book. Over the next few days we’ll look at some of the other items, but today I would like to hear your comments on this one item…

What place would you go?

What time would you go?

I’ll post the answer on Wednesday.

It will be interesting to see how many people match up with the 40% group.

If you can’t wait until Wednesday you can download this amazing tome from iTunes

I found this work to be interesting, thought-provoking, and maybe best of all, leaving you with more than a few nuggets to interject into a group conversation that will make you seem more intelligent than you really are.

Have you started a diet or exercise program only to fail after a few days. Your goal was lost among the daily activities of life. Your plans evaporated into that bowl of ice cream or bag of cookies. Your daily ritual took over and that latest diet book was put back on the shelf.

Why does this happen?

Why do diets ultimately fail?

In my experience diets fail because they are not practical. Sometimes they are so restrictive that all you can think about is what you can’t have. The next try may have you drinking a bland shake for 2 or 3 meals a day. The next diet may have you completely eliminating a food group such as carbs or fat. The food becomes the enemy and you soon give in, eat up, and gain more weight than ever.

So what does work?

In my experience a four prong approach works the best and there are many books written on the subject. The four points are…

1. Aerobic exercise at least three days/week
2. Resistance training at least three days/week
3. A balanced diet divided into 5 or 6 smaller meals
4. Drinking at least two liters of water/day

When I have followed this type of plan I would lose an average of two pounds per week, have more energy, and not feel restricted like most diet plans. The resistance training would soon build muscle and my body would naturally burn more calories. Motivation would soon come in the form of lost weight and a lower body fat percentage.

So how do you get started?

1. Pick a plan. There are many books written on the subject of diet and fitness. I would suggest that you find one that takes a balanced approach and includes all four items above. My favorite books are Five Factor Fitness by Harley Pasternak, Body for Life by Bill Phillips, and Core Performance by Mark Verstegen. All of these plans are reasonably easy to do and can be followed at home with a minimal amount of equipment or food preparation.
   If you feel you need the added motivation of a professional program, Weight Watchers has proven effective for many people. For gourmet low glycemic meals you may find the new Sonoma Diet to your liking. Great recipes created in the spirit of the Napa Valley. For the latest research into diet and exercise you might like the new book by Dr. Mark Hyman called Ultra Metabolism. If you like to cook and have a natural foods store nearby you may like his natural diet plan.
2. Get the necessary tools. There are three tools that have made a noticeable difference in my fitness routine. The first is an accurate scale. This above all else is the best tool you can buy when starting any type of diet or exercise program. I recommend the Tanita Scale as it has very accurate weight measurement and will also give you a relative body fat percentage. The second tool that should be in your toolbox is a digital pedometer to count your daily steps. I recommend the Omron unit because it displays time, aerobic steps, distance in miles, and even calculates calories/fat grams burned. This unit will open your eyes to your level of daily exercise. The third tool is a Bell body ball and resistance band that is incredibly useful for resistance exercises.
3. Track your progress. The secret to any diet or fitness program is finding an effective way to track your progress. If you don’t know where you are you can’t make adjustments to get back on track. I have put together two walleteer sheets that may help you on your fitness quest. The first is called the five minute diet planner or dieteer, a simple tool for daily diet planning and tracking. The second is the five minute diet motivator, little cards with motivational sayings on them to keep you focused on your diet goals.

Here are simple instructions for printing and assembling your Dieteer.

• Download the Five Minute Diet Planner (Dieteer) and Diet Motivator
• Unzip the file (contains both templates)
• Open the template(s) in Microsoft Word
• Fill in the blanks as needed or print as is
• Print out on Avery Business Card stock (10 card)
• Break the cards apart. Mix & match as necessary
• Clip them together with a mini-clip
• You now have a complete Dieteer or Diet Motivator

Suggested uses…

1. Daily Tracker Card
   Works well with most diet plans
   Works with the Daily Diet Goal Card
   Tracks calories and fat grams throughout the day
2. Weekly Exercise Card
   Works well with most exercise plans
   Tracks aerobic and resistance training throughout the week
3. Daily Diet Goal Card
   Set your daily goal for calories, fat grams, and exercise
   Post in a visual place on your desk or in your car
   Use in conjunction with other Diet Motivators
4. Calorie & Fat Gram Card
   Comes with popular fast food listings
   Modify as necessary to include foods on your diet
5. Glycemic Listing Card
   Comes with popular glycemic listings of popular food items
   Modify as necessary to include foods on your diet
6. Twelve Week Weight & Waist Card
   Works well for tracking your progress over 3 months
   Designed for Body for Life and other plans
7. Weight Watcher Points Card
   Track your daily Weight Watcher points
   Provides a subtotal column so you can plan your next meal

These cards fit easily in pocket or purse and allow you to keep track of the important aspects of your diet and fitness program. The pocket motivation cards can be placed most anywhere with tape, magnetic card backing, or on your own motivation station made easily with a clothespin and a pencil. Good luck with your diet program. Remember to always check with your doctor before starting any type of diet or exercise program.

Other Five Minute Items you may be interested in:

Five Minute Organizer
Five Minute Flowchart
Five Minute Outliner
Five Minute Motivators
Instant Garage Sale

Tired of those endless political calls that seem to show up before every election? Do you throw the phone down in anger when you realize it’s a machine on the other end? Maybe this call is from Arnold Schwarzenegger… why would Arnold want to call me you wonder? This is politics in the new millennium. Endless phone and mail spam…. call after call, brochure after brochure… most deleted or thrown in the trash.

Does any of this stuff work?

In my experience these tactics just make me mad, especially the phone calls at dinner time. But they must work to a certain extent or politicians would not use them. Many of them are from candidates or causes that I truly support. This is a strange dichotomy… I support you… you spam me.

There must be a better way!

Enter the idea of Permission Politics. Candidates and causes develop a list of followers and “ask their permission” to send them items, call them on the phone, and update them on elections. The idea is similar to marketing guru, Seth Godin’s, book on Permission Marketing. Fast Company had an article on the Seth’s book and here is a brilliant excerpt…

The biggest problem with mass-market advertising, Godin says, is that it fights for people’s attention by interrupting them. A 30-second spot interrupts a “Seinfeld” episode. A telemarketing call interrupts a family dinner. A print ad interrupts this article. “The interruption model is extremely effective when there’s not an overflow of interruptions,” Godin says. “But there’s too much going on in our lives for us to enjoy being interrupted anymore.”

The new model, he argues, is built around permission. The challenge for marketers is to persuade consumers to volunteer attention - to “raise their hands” (one of Godin’s favorite phrases) - to agree to learn more about a company and its products. “Permission marketing turns strangers into friends and friends into loyal customers,” he says. “It’s not just about entertainment - it’s about education.”

I think this can truly work in politics as it does in the marketing world. Let me choose how you communicate with me. Send me an e-mail newsletter, but don’t call me on the phone. No need to fill my mailbox with your expensive advertising. I’ll give you permission to send me an absentee ballot so I don’t have to fight the lines at the polling place. You can even send me a reminder e-mail on election day. And to help you, I’ll respond with a return e-mail letting you know that I voted.

In a world where a minority of the population decides most elections, this type of strategy would be very effective. All of a sudden I’m part of your team. You communicate with me in a way that works for me. Maybe I want you to call me to remind me to vote. You’ve got my permission to call me the day before. I’ll want to see how the election turned out so make sure to update me election night by e-mail or send me a link to your election website.

This concept would be effective in turning the usual “adversarial relationship” into an evangelical one. If you treat me right and communicate with me in a way that “works for me”, I’ll tell others all about it. I’ll spread the word. This scenario can easily lead to a word of mouth bonanza.

Now if we can only get politicians to think this way….

Have you ever been in a class that was so impactful that you came away so excited that you wanted to tell all of your friends about it? Have you had a teacher with the extraodinary talent to keep you totally immersed in the subject, where everything just seems to click? Have you had a teacher take the extra time to find out your needs and to personally help you with a project or assignment?

I have had a few teachers like this in my life. You walk away from their class excited and with a renewed sense of direction. You want to do the assignments and learn more. All of a sudden learning has gone from laborious and boring to exciting and rewarding. It takes a special person to do this. It’s not just facts and figures, but stories and personal experiences. It’s a learning experience that matches your unique learning style.

In thinking back to some of the teachers that have had the greatest impact in my life, I can think of three important things that they did that made a difference. Practices that may not be recognizable at first but have a subtle impact to your learning experience.

1. Their teaching matches your learning style. There are three primary learning styles, Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic/Tactile. Visual learners learn through seeing, Auditory Learners learn by listening, and Kinesthetic Learners learn through moving, doing and touching. If a teachers presentation matches your particular learning style you’ll come away with more retained knowledge. Really great teachers know this and may include all three styles in their presentation.
2. Individual attention. Everyone learns a little differently and we all have different goals and aspirations. Through individual attention, teachers can custom tailor their presentations to our individual needs. This is especially helpful for kinesthetic learners that may need a more hands on approach. A great approach is to say it, then show it, and then have the student do it himself. This can take more time than just telling us the facts and figures, but the results are incredibly powerful.
3. Passion for Teaching. Great teachers have a passion for their profession. They have a vision for each student and really care about the outcome. Instead of just sharing a lot of data, excellent teachers are results oriented. They take the time to work with each individual student and learn about their aspirations. Some of my best teachers were more interested in where I was going than I was. Their aspirations for my life and career helped change the direction of my life.

I did some career retraining in the mid 90’s and as a fill in to my computer network training I took some free classes at the San Diego Career Center. I had a teacher named Karen Owen who had an incredible gift of teaching. She taught classes in Word, Access, Excel and Photoshop. Every one of her classes was an amazing adventure. She taught by telling us what we were going to do, then showing us the exercise, and then having us do the project hands on. She also got to know each one of her students and really had a vision for each one of us. Her goals were big and audacious. She wanted us to all have incredible careers… she wanted us all to be extraordinary.

I can truly say that the knowledge I learned in her classes changed my life. This knowledge is a help everyday on my job. I am constantly in Word, Access, and Excel. She instilled in me a passion for Photoshop and the graphic arts. She made learning fun. This is what true teaching is all about. She truly created hundreds of student evangelists, excited about technology, and with a vision for the future.

As American author William Arthur Ward says… The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.

Thank you Karen for the inspiration to do truly great things!

I spent the weekend discovering the world of Podcasting. It was an amazing journey fraught with pitfalls and frustration. Podcasting is not as easy as it sounds. Creating the audio vocal track is only the beginning. To create something that sounds professional you’ll need to mix the audio track with intro music and add noise reduction. Then you need to upload it, create a XML feed and publish the link where people can find it. There are a few software packages that make this task much easier.

If you have a Mac, the garage band software that is included in the iLife suite is setup to make this task easy. Unfortunately on my Mac-Mini you can’t just plug a microphone in and start recording. The Mac is setup for line-level input so you’ll need to purchase a USB microphone or amplify a standard microphone. This was a frustrating little “gotcha” that kept me from using my Mac on my first Podcast experience.

Next I tried my Windows XP computer. I plugged my Sony microphone into the PC and tested the recording. It worked great and I was on my way. I went online and looked for PC based podcasting programs. The most popular was a program called Propaganda which is available for free testing (full featured but with unacceptable company name audio overlays on the final output). The test went well and I decided to purchase the full version.

With the full version loaded, I was ready to go. I recorded some audio which was full of um’s and ah’s and paused all over the place. I found that I couldn’t just wing it. I needed a script. I tried using some blog posts as the outline and the result was much better. The more I practiced, the more expression I was able to add. One of the big battles was trying to get a consistent vocal level. I found that keeping the microphone close but below my mouth worked pretty well. This reduced the breathing noises that are sometimes picked up in audio recordings.

With the audio recorded, I added some intro music and put all the clips together. I added some clip info and cover art and then published the final podcast on the web. The next step was the creation of a XML file for subscribers and then a listing on feedburner. The final step was a link uploaded to iTunes and Odeo. This whole process took many hours the first time around. There are actually quite a few steps and multiple pieces of software are involved.

The finished product is available on a feed from Feedburner. You can subscribe to the feed and be notified when it is updated. The link on iTunes is in process and hopefully will be available in a day or two. Once I get this process refined I’ll post some detailed instructions on the individual steps.

For now you can subscribe to the link by clicking the icon below. Please let me know what you think.

Our first full podcast is entitled: Employee Evangelism & Primal Marketing

For a listing of all of our current blog feeds, please check out our feed page.