According to a great article in the Wall Street Journal, businesses around the world are finding multiple uses for the tool Twitter.

“Doctors are using Twitter to update patients about office hours. Local groups such as the Los Angeles Fire Department are using it to share details about service calls with interested residents, occasionally with graphic descriptions of the victims’ conditions. And dozens of major companies, like computer maker Dell Inc., use Twitter to share deals and product news with people who sign up for the service.”

Get the full article here.

This article is just one of several from a top-notch series of articles from the Wall Street Journal for Monday, October 27, 2008:

Time to Leave the Laptop Behind

TV + Social Network=?

Mining for Gold: Sean Kelley discusses how Deutsche Asset Management sorts through the clutter of information to gain an edge

Pick up a copy of EDGE! A Leadership Story today

I don’t think it’s any secret that Obama is leading the charge. And…if he wins, my hat is off to him for running a great race and for making history and helping to usher in a new generation.

Now…on to John McCain. Senator McCain, if you are truly a maverick as you claim, then be a maverick and fire every person on your campaign who is in the circular firing squad. Then, get with your running mate, and set out by bus and on foot to get to the heart of America. This nonsense with the Republican campaign is hurtful to the party and especially to Governor Palin.

Two months ago, no one knew who Sarah Palin was. Now, approximately 95% of Americans know who she is and what she stands for. She has replaced Obama as the new rock star. My husband Mike and I drove back from Johnson City, TN yesterday from a golf tournament, and we got stuck in a horrible traffic jam in Asheville, NC, filled with thousands of people waiting in line, driving at a snail’s pace to hear Palin speak. With her rock star status have come the “gotchas” and the finger pointing and the nastiness that only comes out when someone is great. As a woman, I have to stand up for Governor Palin on a few issues. This is not a partisan post…this is a leadership post about what is missing from this campaign.

1) Contrary to what the media is saying (that Palin has now become a drag on McCain,) she brought new excitement and energy to McCain’s campaign during a time when his campaign was losing ground, and she created quite a stir, and now the Republican campaign is turning on her…no wonder she is going rogue. I would too if in that situation. What’s missing here? Strong leadership and an intolerance to submissive behavior.

2) About the wardrobe issue. When you are running for one of the highest offices in this nation, you have to look presidential. I recall a time when Senator Clinton was having a bad hair and make-up day, and suddenly she had a full makeover, both hair and make-up and wardrobe. The RNC paid for Palin’s wardrobe, and I don’t fault her for that. What’s missing here? Personal Responsibility on behalf of the RNC…they need to come out and back her big time on this issue. Instead, they are just letting her swim in shark filled waters.

3) I am embarrassed that our “fair and balanced” media has had a field day with her. They are going for ratings, and the Couric and Gibson interviews were chopped up, cut and pasted so that it brought out her shortcomings. Shame on you. I would really love to know the positive side that was left out…I guess the good stuff doesn’t get ratings. What’ s missing here? Fairness and honest reporting and what I think are weak responses back from the RNC.

4) If the Republicans are going to treat a candidate who did help them regain some ground like this, then it is no wonder the party is in such bad shape. What’s missing here is good old fashioned loyalty.

So…once again…McCain…if you are truly a maverick as you say then take a stand…fire the people on your campaign who are creating this situation, and end this campaign with pride for both you and Governor Palin. If you can’t do that, then you are not a maverick in the least.

With unemployment on the rise and a recession not looking like an eventuality, but in fact, more like a bed partner, businesses have got to make some decisions to survive and remain competitive. What is imperative in an environment such as this is that communication be more clear, more effective, and more to the heart than ever.  Why? Because this is an environment of fear, and in such a state, people need to feel a sense of confidence with the people they are choosing to do business with.  The takeaway here is three-fold:

1. Communication. In these times, do not isolate yourself. Isolation breeds fear and fear is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Over-Communicate.
2. Persuasive brevity.  Use as few words as possible to get your point across. People’s patience is focused on their own survival, so respect that!
3. Consistency.  Now more than ever, you need to ensure that your message is being demonstrated repeatedly. What is working for Barack Obama can work for you. Be consistent and repetitive.

In times of trouble, there are great opportunities for those who can see above the low hanging smog of crisis. Keep your head on, keep your head up, communicate, respect your audience’s position, and be consistent with your messaging. Do it through articles, blogging, email marketing, press releases, and individual phone calls and emails. If you need a serious partner to guide you through this communication process, give Writers of the Round Table a shout.  Words are our business.

Back in 2006, BzzAgent CEO, Dave Balter, was called a dick by Andy Sernovitz, the CEO of WOMMA. And…what did Balter do? He went and blogged about it.

A recent conversation in Harvard Business Review with Balter explains that he wants the public to see BzzAgent naked…he is a big believer in radical tansparency and in using his transparency to experiment with life and the public.

Now, some people might argue that this is a risky proposition and that this approach is only used to get PR. I on the other hand think it’s critical in this day and age to be completely transparent (I am even big on opening up your financial books just like our Presidential candidates have been asked to do this past year.) Here’s the thing…you may think that people don’t see you naked, but most of us are walking around like the emperor who had no clothes. Everyone knows about our warts and problems, and we are the only one not acknowledging it.  People talk and whisper about it behind our backs, so why not go ahead and be bold and state the obvious. Today’s consumer is savvy, and if you are trying to hide your truth…trust me…it will come out eventually.

So, for a bit of transparency today, I want to let you know about something that is really pissing me off this week…the presidential election.

1) I am pissed that John McCain is not showing his true colors…if he is angry and a hot head, I want to see that. I think we need to see John McCain’s anger a bit…I know the American public is asking to see some type of passion from him.

2) I am pissed that Barack Obama is spending so much money on his presidential campaign and then from the other side of his mouth, he is slamming the top 1% of income earners in the country (Obama himself is a wealthy man and became even wealthier with his book, and now he is going to be running a 30 minute ad before the World Series…that takes some bucks…and I actually like Obama, but I am not happy with his two-sided talk.) This just does not sound like it is in alignment with what we need to do in this country…stop spending so much damn money.

3) I am pissed that the media wants to give Joe Biden a “pass” on his recent comments about our potential impending international crisis if Obama is elected…what a ridiculous comment (as Bill O’Reilly would say…what a pinhead comment) to make at a time when we are riding such a bumpy road.

4) I am pissed that Sarah Palin is doing her best to come across as a “good ‘ole girl” and like a dumb blonde at times. She has to have some type of intelligence, or she would not have been able to turn a few things in Alaska around. She needs some help on this issue if she is going to come across as Presidential.

5) I have to throw something about Oprah in here, because as Kathy Griffin says “Oprah is one of the most powerful women in the county”, so let’s just get her into the mix…shall we? I am pissed that Oprah has said she would not have a presidential candidate on her regular show but that she is offering assistance to Obama for his 30 minute ad. Okay…so she’s Oprah, and she can do what she wants, but she seems to have her own “rules” and then walks around them to achieve her mission.

I know it’s easy for me to sit here and vent. I cannot begin to imagine what these people go through every day, but I am concerned about our next leader of this county. I am usually fully decided by this time, and I am just not…I’m worried.

So…I usually don’t speak up about such things, but I just have to be clear on my frustrations this week. All of the above is why I honestly cannot decide on who to vote for in two weeks. I suppose I’ll just flip a coin, because I will vote!

And…if you need to know…I am a registered Republican, and I am a moderate person. I rarely vote a straight ticket…I vote for issues and people who I think can do the best for our country, state and local community.

I have been reading The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, and I want to read you 3 paragraphs from the book on the topic of Immutable Laws. This is just a teeny tiny sliver of the great information in a book that I believe all business owners need given what is going on in our world today.

 

 Immutable Laws [6:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download