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Archive for January, 2010

On this, the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday, I pondered this question. My guess would be “yes”, as it certainly would have been easier for him than bouncing about as he did over his short life. With a single place to share his thoughts, just think how many retweets we’d be enjoying!

Oh, and a disappointing word of note: The “Poe Toaster”, who’s been visiting the Poe grave since 1949 has not shown up this year to pay their respects.  I’ll do my part and toast Mr. Poe with some fine Ouzo, as his body of work lives on today and I’m so much richer for having some in my own library. (UVA photo courtesy: Jen Waller)

With the whole flap over Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno, NBC Television has really provided us another stark reminder: As has always been the case, consumers will tell you when they don’t want what you have to sell – they simply don’t buy. In this case, it’s a comedian that, while fun in his day, has lost his appeal to viewers of today. Moving Leno to Prime Time was the first mistake, (come on, who noticed any substantial difference in the content of that “new” show?) but that really should have been the only mistake.

Consumers weren’t interested. It happens.

And let’s let’s face it, his show is what you’d turn on when you were done with your day, not starting it out.

But for some reason, the thinking now is to move him later, AND push the Conan O’Brien show even later still? Seriously, WHY? Destroy two shows and two timeslots simultaneously- that’s the plan? Nice, stone…er…move.

I cannot help but believe the same cronyism that has plagued the auto industry is likewise hard at work in the television industry.   The rest of the story...

In running a small business, you as the owner might have a problem trusting your team. It’s not necessarily because you don’t have faith in the skills of the team, but mainly because as owners, we tend to believe we’re the only one that can do the job right. This thinking is harmful to the fiber of your business. Why? Because your team starts believing that they are powerless, instead of powerful. They operate more pensively, and tend to come to you constantly for guidance on even the smallest of tasks, fearing they can’t move without your knowledge or direction. After all, you know it all, right? This is an exhausting and debilitating way to conduct business, for everyone.

Boiled down, I call it the “truck theory” – you’ve heard variations of this, but it simply means that if you (the controlling force in your business) get hit by a truck, with you lies all the knowledge and skills that go into running your business. Will the business fail if you’re absent or will your employees be able to carry on for a little while without your presence? Can your team run your business without you controlling it 24/7/365? If you answered, “No”, then more delegation is likely not only necessary, but critical. Here are a few tips to help you navigate this new terrain:   The rest of the story...