Keef Curator

I’m reading Keith Richards’ Life. A powerful book on many levels.

Recommended by a client, I was like his wife Patti, saying that everyone knows the Rolling Stones, just don’t know who they are.

Keef became credible for me early on when when he explained his fascination with 5 string open guitar tuning. He explained why he liked it, why it is useful, but then acknowledged where it came from...1920’s, American South, Sears Catalog, Gibson guitars, banjos.

With that one example he became my credible guide, taking me through a lot of new territory about the advantages of drugs(?), government abuse, the creative process, parenting, who wrote Chuck Berry's songs, and the skinny on maintaining a top performing best-in-the-world organization for over 40 years.

That is a lot of territory, mostly new ways of thinking for me, and he kept his credibility by backing up his conclusions with personal observation and including other pertinent information...curation.

Last week, Doc Searls wrote how media outfits are no longer linking to original sources. My original thought was, “Prezackly why I don’t believe them.”

Doc had an explanation from middle management: We want to be stickier, keep people on our site. That’s how we justify plagiarizing other people’s work.

Great! Justify your actions when you don’t know what you are doing. Another example of incompetent hierarchy.

I’ve given up on any newsreader knowing what they are talking about. After reading Keef’s unconventional scholarship, I realize that with the flood of information easily available now, a key skill becomes finding the real information, beyond some airhead’s dramatic misreading of a press release’s headline.

It’s perfectly all right for a media outlet to not acknowledge sources. There is no approved book of rules. The uses of the internet are increasing, the users of the internet are increasing, and how people use the internet is changing.

I just hope readers will develop the habit of verifying sources, and frequent the writers curating useful knowledge.

Come to the Capital Technology Management Hub, June 14th, for Sales Lab Rainmaker #6: ‘Networking - Are You Being Served?’ 

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Website For One

Bruce asked for some pointers about putting up a personal website. He’s a content consumer more than an author, and needed a personal website as a prototype for a new project. That would usually involve getting a domain, server space, hiring someone to do the work, building something, updating, and on it goes.

I suggested taking a half hour and putting up a Google Profile instead. “Decide what the world sees when it searches for you” is their headline.

I have had my profile for six months and have been told it is the best navigation site connecting three websites, four blogs, several social networks, and a host of other projects. Plus, the Buzz tab shows all my blog posts from several places.

Bruce had his profile up the next day, showcasing his experience and his blog posts, providing a starting point on the Web. Unlike LinkedIn and Facebook, a viewer doesn’t have to be a member to see everything.

Since the URL’s for Google Profiles are complex, I use http://bit.ly/DickDavies, and Bruce uses http://bit.ly/BruceWon for publicizing the sites. 

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Tee Up For Power

I got blasted on a discussion site. A three week n00b posted that my post wasn't pertinent to what she thought the site should be about.

It was her first post on a site where I have been assistant mayor for a couple of years.

I didn't respond, what could I say?

Then a bud came to my rescue, and explained what I couldn't, without being self-serving.

Here's the neat part. Two weeks ago, my bud had gone out of her way, introducing me to prospects at a face-to-face event. It was wonderful.

A couple of days later I was marveling at my good fortune, and thought, “What could I do for her?” I want to encourage her behavior.

So I described what she had done and posted it as her first recommendation.

Then two weeks later, she is paving the road in front of me...again!

I was taught to “tee up” or make a thoughtful, positive introduction of my teammates. Now I realize I've got team I wasn't even counting.

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What Was The Best Thing You Learned?

I ask that question a lot. Probably my most useful tool.

You see, I don't learn much by myself. Most of the really important stuff I know I either read or am told. I even write blog posts reporting the results.

I really want to know the answer, as other people regularly tell me things that are better than what I heard.

Asking at the end of a meeting uncovers key themes, important details, and next steps which allow me to reconstruct the other details of the meeting.

Asking during a meeting keeps the discussion from bogging down and shows new directions.

Knowing I am going to be answering that question molds how I listen, which sharpens my understanding.

Once I was leaving a major meeting at Pax River with my technical partner, his boss, and my boss. I started the car and and my partner turns to the back seat and asks, “Well, what was the best thing you learned?”

The bosses were stopped, unprepared, had no idea, so one asked why he asked?

“Well, Dick always asks me when we get in the car.”

I hadn't known that. And I've remembered ever since.