Thursday, January 23, 2014

Four ways YOU are killing LinkedIn

LinkedIn has always been the social media platform of choice for business professionals. This platform's users are often those who wouldn't ever consider composing a tweet or making a like. Yet, there are an over-abundance of short sighted users who are accelerating the death nail for this platform. How? Here are the four ways you (or too many others) are killing LinkedIn:


In order for me to be a LION; let’s connect. – More connections aren't better connections. While I consider myself a LinkedIn Open Networker, I don't consider myself another just number. Read my profile and have a reason you want to connect. Any reason is better than none whatsoever.

I’ll just connect and hope you figure out a reason why this matters. Of the almost 5,000 people with whom I’m connected, the overwhelming of them have just asked me to add them and stopped there. If you want to add me in a professional context, have a professional reason to do so. Do you want to use my service, have me as a mentor, get a quote or bid, or looking for something I have or do? If so, let's connect. If not, let's not.

You don’t have a clue what I do, but I want for you to rate me. – The ultimate LinkedIn Spam. People who have connected with you want for you to rate them, and you know their name and picture … and that’s about it. Stop signing up for this junk generating spam source. Tell your ego that it needs to ask people who can say real things versus bland, self-serving praise.

I do this for a living, and you should switch to me. This request is all features and little to no benefits. I usually get it as requests for using offshore talent, IT services, app development and other emerging technologies. It’s usually a short and succinct note that has all the pizazz of a classified ad. It is usually devoid of any reasons to do business, short of 'here I am.'

LinkedIn is a tool that can expand relationships beyond markets, industries and buying patterns. Done right, it opens doors. Done wrong, it generates annoyance, suspicion and apathy.  Don't kill the platform because you think it’s like other platforms  – Use a professional site in a professional way. 

Friday, January 17, 2014

News that's not outrageous, but mock-rageous.


Rupert Murdoch is reported to have said that "News is Free, But Journalism Costs Money."  If press releases and tabloid reports of the comings and goings and flashings and showings of twenty-somethings is what now constitutes news, we have definitely gone broke.

I am publically calling out celebu-tants, reality TV personalities, high image recording artists of various degrees of talent, shock jocks, bloggers and all nature of people who believe that being totally outrageous and self serving is the key to your success. I will not fill space here with their names. You know the people about whom I'm writing. Talking about their sexual escapades, party habits, anti-social behavior and poor fills all manor of websites, TV shows, tabloids and any other communications methods.

You are not outrageous. I deem you as mock-rageous. We live in a time where we have to stop pretending that we can fill our minds with all this mock-ragious behavior, and we need to put our thoughts about solving problems that can aid us all.
Outrageous is when gas prices go up 30 cents in a week because we can't build a secure networks of pipelines that don't rupture and leak every six months. Outrageous is making our food with less and less nutritional ingredients and more and more chemicals because we think that this will make it last on the shelf an extra few months. Outrageous is forgetting how far we have come with research, technology and invention in just the last 100 years, and then not challenging ourselves that we have so much further to go.

We need to focus our thoughts and actions towards solving real problems. I challenge you to invent something, write or draw something, re-engineer a process you use or dare to do something  absolutely different.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

My Words of Advice for Jim Caldwell, New Detroit Lions Coach

The Detroit Lions have hired Jim Caldwell as their next head coach.
MY WORDS OF ADVICE:
1) Your best friend Tony Dungy used the term "Same Old Lions." Use this at the fulcrum for cultural change that your bosses want.
2) Teach QB Matt Stafford how to grow up from being a cap backwards wearing "I don't want to work with a QB guru" young man in to a mature leader of men.
3) Acknowledge the Curse of Bobby Layne and all the pent up anger against your team's owner. We don't need a carpetbagger for another five years.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Catch me on DaddyBlogger this Mon Jan 6th.


I am honored and delighted to be the guest on the Google Hangout for Daddy Blogger site. Looking forward to talking with Ricky Shetty about my takes on being a dad and the hard earned wisdom I can pay forward. For more information on this: http://daddyblogger.com/