Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 209

Have We Reached Peak Productivity?...It May Be Killing Us.

How much better can we get at work?

TED Talks can be provocative. That's what the best ones are. That's what the best ones are supposed to do. Some might argue that it's more like popcorn than a proper meal. That these talks don't really do that much to either change the world, or to spread great ideas. I don't agree. I would argue that stimulating your brain to think in different ways about issues that lie on the periphery of the work that we do - day in and day out - is what makes our own creativity expand. It's where innovation sparks. I would also argue that spending about twenty minutes watching/listening to someone talk with passion about the work that they do, is time much better spent that re-watching some movie on Netflix. 

I wasn't sure about this one.

What makes a business work? Efficacy? Productivity? Yves Morieux focuses on this, exact area. He's a senior partner at BCG (Boston Consulting Group) in DC. Morieux's work is related to what it takes for employees to solve long-term problems. This is not about minimizing mistakes or increasing profits, but rather how the teams are engaged - at all levels of the company. His TED Talk is called, How too many rules at work keep you from getting things done. It turns out, that all modern work (everything from being a waiter to a bean counter) require employees to  solve problems, be flexbile and collaborative. With that, we have set up our organizations to follow a very specific formula, process and rule book. How does that intersect? It turns out that productivity (as we have known it to date) is, actually, keeping us from doing our best possible work.

Watch this: How too many rules at work keep you from getting things done...

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Six Links Worthy Of Your Attention #271

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (BitCurrent, Year One Labs, GigaOM, Human 2.0, Solve For Interesting, the author of Complete Web Monitoring, Managing Bandwidth: Deploying QOS in Enterprise Networks and Lean Analytics), Hugh McGuire (PressBooks, LibriVox, iambik and co-author of Book: A Futurist's Manifesto) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person "must see".

Check out these six links that we're recommending to one another:

The Privilege of the Future - Dangerous To Those Who Profit From The Way Things Are . "This may be the greatest thing I have seen on how different the world is depending on where you're from. Madeline Ashby explains why privilege informs those who think about the future. 'It's easy to imagine an optimistic future when you've been successful. It's easy to be hopeful when your hopes have been fulfilled, when your faith has been rewarded. And crucially, the people shaping our futures -- the ones developing our apps, writing our laws, deciding our policies -- are the ones who reject pessimism simply because they've never needed it. They have never understood the danger of hope. They cannot know the vulnerability it requires. They have not been vulnerable, in that way.' Sobering thoughts during a pair of North American electoral cycles." (Alistair for Hugh).
Big Data, Big Computers, Big Trouble - Gary Smith . "I met Gary Smith all too briefly a couple of weeks ago. He's got a fascinating mind when it comes to data and economics. He warns that when you comb through data with a pattern in mind, you're bound to find one -- whether it's meaningful or not. 'Thirty years ago, calling someone a 'data miner' was an insult comparable to being accused of plagiarism. Today, people advertise themselves as data miners. This a flaw, not a feature. Big data and big computers make it easy to calculate before thinking, it is better to think hard before calculating.' Stats, but worth it." (Alistair for Mitch).
The Late, Great Stephen Colbert - GQ . "Stephen Colbert soon will be taking over the The Late Show hosting duties from David Letterman. We mostly know Colbert as a satirical rightwing cable blowhard character... but, he's going to be 'himself' with his new gig. What's that going to look like?" (Hugh for Alistair).
Picasso on Intuition, How Creativity Works, and Where Ideas Come From - Brain Pickings . "Basically: do the work. Keep working. Keep at it. Keep going. That's where ideas come from." (Hugh for Mitch).
Study of Holocaust survivors finds trauma passed on to children's genes - The Guardian . "We're learning more and more about how we operate as sentient beings. There's that saying, 'the mind navigates the body.' If you're mentally not feeling great, it is often manifested in physical ailments. The link between our mental health and our physical health gets closer with every new discovery. Like this one. So, maybe the next time you feel inclined to tell someone, 'it's all in your head,' what you should really be saying is, 'it's all in your DNA'?..." (Mitch for Alistair).
When Everyone Is Doing Design Thinking, Is It Still a Competitive Advantage? - Harvard Business Review . "It used to be that businesses did not understand (or even care about) the value of design. Now, design is taking the center stage. It's hard to be a successful brand without strong design, in this day and age. Even cheap, copycat brands are thinking about good, strong and functional design. Not just the physical look of things, but how the brand comes together. Yes, design is at the center of everything... including business these days. And, it is glorious." (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on Twitter, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

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Was Privacy An Anomaly All Along?

Every Monday morning at 7:10 am, I am a guest contributor on CHOM 97.7 FM radio broadcasting out of Montreal (home base). It's not a long segment - about 5 to 10 minutes every week - about everything that is happening in the world of technology and digital media. The good folks at CHOM 97.7 FM are posting these segments weekly to SoundCloud, if you're interested in hearing more of me blathering away. I'm really excited about this opportunity, because this is the radio station that I grew up on listening to, and it really is a fun treat to be invited to the Mornings Rock with Terry and Heather B. morning show. The segment is called, CTRL ALT Delete with Mitch Joel.

This week we discussed:

Most people are done hearing about the Ashley Madison hack from last week. We know that over 30 million accounts have been released, and that there's probably a lot of dirt that is going to come out over the next short while about this. Did these cheaters get what they deserved? The more important question, for all of us, is this: is our data safe? Apparently, not. So, are we all ready for a post-privacy world or have we been living it for a long time already? 
LinkedIn is making a smart bet. If you want to know about your fellow co-workers, where do you go? Facebook can be awkward, as many use it - primarily - for family and friends. Intranets usually get neglected. Still, everybody, keeps their LinkedIn profiles up to date, so why not use that? Last week, LinkedIn launched, Lookup, a standalone app that will attempt to make you closer to your co-workers. Employees of companies who have opted-in to the service can search for coworkers by name, title or department to see information from their LinkedIn profile, including their skills, work experience, education and work email address. If they want to chat with someone they found through the app, they can email them or message them directly through Lookup. Smart stuff... and this could replace the corporate intranet (if it gets some traction).
App of the week: VHS Camcorder for $3.99.

Listen here...

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Louder Than Words... Finding Your Brand Voice

Episode #476 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Mirum Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.

I won't miss a beat when asked what the best book title is when it comes to creativity. Todd Henry called his second book, Die Empty. Brilliant (and the content matches the quality of the title). Die Empty came after his incredible debut, The Accidental Creative (also the name of his very popular podcast). Well, Todd is back with Louder Than Words, and it is a very important read (not just for creatives, but for anyone and everyone who is creating content). It's one thing to choose a platform. It's another thing to create content. For most individuals (and brands), they miss the mark. The reason? They don't really have a voice that resonates. It's not just about resonating in the moment, it's about developing and nurturing a voice that both works and is sustainable. Let's face it, it's not something easy to do, in a world where everyone is publishing so much content at a frenetic pace. Todd (and his book) are here to help. Enjoy the conversation... 

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation - The Mirum Podcast #476.

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Six Links Worthy Of Your Attention #270

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (BitCurrent, Year One Labs, GigaOM, Human 2.0, Solve For Interesting, the author of Complete Web Monitoring, Managing Bandwidth: Deploying QOS in Enterprise Networks and Lean Analytics), Hugh McGuire (PressBooks, LibriVox, iambik and co-author of Book: A Futurist's Manifesto) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person "must see".

Check out these six links that we're recommending to one another:

The Ballad of Johnny France - Esquire . "Esquire's archives are online, sometimes. This one's a doozy, by Richard Ben Kramer. 'Thus began a months-long search led by a rodeoman-turned-sheriff named Johnny France. And thus begins one of Cramer's great lost, riveting stories.'" (Alistair for Hugh).
What Is a 'Computer' Anymore? - The Atlantic . "It used to be a person who was good at math. Then it was a machine which did what we told it. Now, if the little numbered red circles that rule my life are any indicator, it tells us what to do." (Alistair for Mitch).
Bernie Takes on the Media - Scott Galindez - YouTube . "Donald Trump is leading the polls in the race for the big prize on the Republican side; crusty socialist Bernie Sanders is leading the polls for the Dems. The received wisdom is that neither of them can win, and that instead we are going to get a ... a ... a ... Clinton v Bush election (Ugh). You can see why these two unlikelies are doing well. They say what they think, and lots of people agree with them. You might think Tump is a bombastic jerk, and that Sanders is a crazy old commie - and you'd be right, more or less, on both counts. But, it's refreshing, if destined to be short-lived, to have the two leading voices saying things that no one, closer to the election, will dare say. Enjoy it while it lasts. Here's a grouchy Bernie Sanders responding to reporters questions. Feel the Bern." (Hugh for Alistair).
The Creative Apocalypse That Wasn't - The New York Times . "Digital has wreaked havoc on the business models of artistic production and distribution, but how has it impacted the actual artists? Are people really getting paid less to create art (music, books, movies, TV) than they used to? Steven Johnson does some impressive number crunching, and comes to the conclusion: things are OKer than you might have thought." (Hugh for Mitch).
You Really Don't Need To Work So Much - The New Yorker. "I don't care what Tim Wu has to say on the subject, I simply can't slow down. I have notebooks everywhere, and they are filled with ideas. Stuff for clients, for this blog, articles I want to write, projects I want Mirum to launch, book ideas taking fruition... and so much more. I'm drowning in work. Not by force. Not because if I don't, I can't make rent. Those realities still get me out of bed in the morning, but I'm much more driven by something inside (the work muse?) that is pushing - more than ever. It's not about unplugging. It's not about slowing down. I have much more inside of me that I want to share with the world, professionally. Is there something wrong with me? Are you like this? Is it possible that work actually serves no one's interest? Has work, simply, become make-work?" (Mitch for Alistair).
Silicon Valley Icon Wants to Hack His Way to the Presidency - Wall Street Journal . "Whether you agree with the politics of Lawrence Lessig or not is irrelevant. He has ideas about how we... the people... can once again gain some traction when it comes to our government. Some people think it is way too far gone. Lessig is up to make true reform. How? Simple, pull in his Silicon Valley culture and, literally, hack the system. Open it up. For real. Open government. Do you think it can work? It's hard not to be skeptical. Still, read this. Maybe this is America's real moment of hope?" (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on Twitter, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

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Is Technology Killing Work Life Balance?

Every Monday morning at 7:10 am, I am a guest contributor on CHOM 97.7 FM radio broadcasting out of Montreal (home base). It's not a long segment - about 5 to 10 minutes every week - about everything that is happening in the world of technology and digital media. The good folks at CHOM 97.7 FM are posting these segments weekly to SoundCloud, if you're interested in hearing more of me blathering away. I'm really excited about this opportunity, because this is the radio station that I grew up on listening to, and it really is a fun treat to be invited to the Mornings Rock with Terry and Heather B. morning show. The segment is called, CTRL ALT Delete with Mitch Joel.

This week we discussed:

Just Terry DiMonte this am.
Do you think that work/life balance is an issue in our ever-connected, always on world? How about this: WeWork has over $10 billion in market capitilization. The idea? They offer spaces for people to work and live. Yes, in the same building. There are lots of fancy services, it's still just a step-up from college dorm room living... and that's the point. If you want to be like Zuck, you can't just think like Zuck, apparently, you have to live like Zuck did, when he created Facebook... in his dorm.
Remember when people would buy music? Like, go to a record store or order it, and the music would come in some kind of vinyl or plastic format? Then, we started downloading stuff. Filling up hard drives, shifting it over to external hard drives and USB sticks. Then, we backed it up to the cloud. Now, we just stream whatever we like from the cloud. Streaming is music. Don't believe me? How many songs do you think we streamed in the first half of this year? If I told you it was over one trillion songs that streamed, would you believe me? Streaming is here... and it's just getting started.
App of the week: CreativeLive. #UpYourSkills.

Listen here...

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Your Live And Streaming Brand

Episode #475 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Mirum Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.

Joseph Jaffe is widely regarded as one of the top marketing bloggers (Jaffe Juice) and podcasters (both Jaffe Juice in audio and Jaffe Juice TV in video). He is the author of four excellent books (Life After The 30-Second Spot, Join The Conversation, Flip The Funnel and Z.E.R.O.) and his latest business venture is, Evol8tion. A long-time friend (and one of the main inspirations behind the Six Pixels of Separation blog and podcast), we've decided to hold semi-regular conversations, debates and back-and-forths that will dive a little deeper into the digital marketing and advertising landscape. This is our 34th conversation (or, as I like to affectionately call it, Across The Sound 34.20), and in this episode, we discuss how brands need to think about streaming and live opportunities in digital channels. Periscope up, anyone? Enjoy the conversation...

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation - The Mirum Podcast #475.

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Six Links Worthy Of Your Attention #269

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (BitCurrent, Year One Labs, GigaOM, Human 2.0, Solve For Interesting, the author of Complete Web Monitoring, Managing Bandwidth: Deploying QOS in Enterprise Networks and Lean Analytics), Hugh McGuire (PressBooks, LibriVox, iambik and co-author of Book: A Futurist's Manifesto) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person "must see".

Check out these six links that we're recommending to one another:

How I Gave Up Alternating Current - Mostly Harmless . "The founder of Soylent is at it again. I'm not sure I agree with all he's saying (disposable clothing?), but if nothing else, this is a glimpse at what life might be like after a resource crunch and restraints on energy consumption." (Alistair for Hugh).
Explaining graphic design to four-year-olds - Dean Vinod - Medium . "I spent a morning teaching four-year-olds about air, once. It seems pretty basic, but when you're four, it doesn't occur to you that air is a thing. So how would you get them thinking about design? Like this." (Alistair for Mitch).
The real reason American public transportation is such a disaster - Vox . "Interesting take on why US public transport tends to be so bad: it's seen not as a public good, but as welfare for the poor." (Hugh for Alistair).
Book Storage in Tiny Houses - Book Riot . "I love tiny houses. I love books." (Hugh for Mitch).
What is the best logo ever created? - Quora . "When you have a headline like that, it doesn't require much editorial to know why this is a super-important read. That being said, it's amazing how Quora has become one of the most important and powerful platforms online, if you ask me." (Mitch for Alistair).
Brian Eno Lists 20 Books for Rebuilding Civilization & 59 Books For Building Your Intellectual World - Open Culture . "A complete and utter rabbit hole of goodness, insight and learning from Brian Eno. You don't have to love his music, songwriting or production skills to appreciate the creative powerhouse that Eno is... and what he brings into the world. There is a ton of learning here." (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on Twitter, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

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bit north

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human 20

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j walter thompson

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If You Think You're Good At Telling Stories, Watch This...

Are you stuck? Staring at the blank screen (literally or proverbially)?

As a writer, there is nothing more important than having a framework, building an outline and understanding how it all ends, before you even write that first word. Brands struggle with storytelling, because so few of them understand the dynamics of what makes a story interesting and compelling to the viewer. It's like hopping into the car and driving off without knowing where you're going. With that, the people who create the content can sometimes be too close to it to know if there's anything substantive in it. They may have missed some key opportunities. It happens. This is why most writers work with an editor. But what, exactly, do editors do? Do they have a system? Is the system strong? Shawn Coyne is a book editor who has worked with Steven Pressfield (one of my personal faves... you have read, The War of Art, right?). He recently published a book called, The Story Grid, which is based on his system for editing books (and making the stories better). It's a process that he developed over the years... and it works.

How does the story grid work for you?

Just this week, Coyne published a mini-overview of The Story Grid to YouTube, and it's centred on how a decent story can become a great one. It's fascinating. In five different videos, this tutorial is less than 45 minutes and makes one of the most compelling cases for why brands needs to rethink how they set out to tell stories.

Here's The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne:

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The Four Outcomes Of Content

What is your content trying to do?

Why does your content exist? Who is it reaching? What business purpose does it solve? Is it any good? Does anyone care? If you weren't the publisher of your content, would it be the kind of stuff that you would be interested in? The list of questions is long, arduous and intimidating. We live in a world that marketers (like me) had hoped for (lots of people, creating lots of interesting content in lots of different media formats). Well, "be careful what you wish for," as the saying goes. Long before it became a reality, many writers (like me) discussed the idea that content anywhere and everywhere would create a rapid devaluing of it. Like advertising, content shifted from a model of scarcity to one of abundance. Content is media. Content is seen and pushed into the world as the marketer's be all/end all for true success in connecting with consumers.

Again, what is your content trying to do?

Brands are often thinking about the channels that the content will appear on, or what the actual content will be, without having a clear strategy and vision in place, as to what the net result of creating, producing and distributing all of this content is for. It's not a generalization. Look at any one of your many feeds. Study - with some depth - the type of content that brands are trying to pass off as valuable and authentic. Is it really doing that? How can brands CTRL ALT Delete their strategy around content? How can they better think about what matters most when it comes to content?

Think first about the outcome. Here are the ideal four outcomes of what brand content should do:

Impression. This form of content is created to simply create an impression. It's fast. It's passing. It's a distraction from whatever the consumer is doing. It breaks up their expected flow with something that grabs their attention. Paying to promote it is, typically, par for the course. I define this type of content as "the new banner ad." If you are producing content that is bought, sold and seen like a banner ad, admit it and work within those parameters.
Editorial. This blog post is editorial. Any form of content that is being used to tell a story that is not directly about the brand's products or services, but serves an editorial function. The outcome of this content is to provide the consumer with substance that they truly want to read, and are comfortable/happy with the idea that a brand created it and shared it. Editorial content is journalism. A real story that attempts to give facts over opinions, or opinions with multiple angles. The outcome of this content is that a consumer reaches their own conclusions about just how smart the brand is for creating this kind of content.
Transaction. Transactional content is used to encourage consumers to buy something. It's looking to push the consumer to a direct response. This could be the implementation of customer reviews, or it could be the development of YouTube videos that highlight the products features and benefits. It's hard for content to drive directly to response, but content can be created with the sole purpose of pushing to a transaction.
Revenue. Content so good, that consumers or publishers will pay for it. Writing books, publishing articles, selling reports and more. Selling content - in an of itself - doesn't just push a brand's notoriety, it can be an additional revenue stream. Yes, being paid for content is a much tougher business than it has ever been, but many still make a great living (and many businesses have built solid revenue lines) by creating content that people will actually pay for.

Don't mix them up. Create your content with the outcomes in mind.
 
I can't tell you how many times a brand has produced Impression-outcome content, and is then frustrated with its inability to increase sales. I've seen brands also attempt to sell glorified press releases as editorial content to a magazine, and then been frustrated when it gets rejected. Content is not a catch-all. Understanding what the outcome needs to be - from the start - is a sure-fire way to increase the content's success in the marketplace, and that happens long before anything is created or the platform that it's going to be distributed through is chosen.
 
Of course, there could be other content outcomes. Got some to share? 

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