NOTE from Phil: What follows is a guest post from Nilofer Merchant, author of The New How. I thought you’d enjoy this insightful article.

It’s been more than a year since we stood at the precipice of economic meltdown and my alarm bells are ringing because we haven’t really changed how we do business. The cliff is still there, and if we don’t find better ways to drive meaningful value, many more of us will be going over the edge next time. Possibly in the double-dip scenario many economists are talking about today.

After the first anniversary of the fall of Lehman Brothers, big acquisitions are back. Cisco bought Tandberg to beef up their video collaboration push. Intel bought Wind River to go into the embedded space. And Adobe bought Omniture to monetize and measure content. But most mergers miss their predicted goals.

So why do companies keep doing them to grow?

I am convinced that every company has untapped capacity for growth and success within its own four walls. But we are so busy playing a game I call ‘Corporate Dodgeball’ that we fail to drive great unifying ideas and success through our organizations.

We need to stop – Actually, I mean to say: YOU need to stop.

Unless we change the HOW of what got us into trouble, we won’t just end up back at the cliff edge again, we’ll dive straight over it. It’s time to figure out what and HOW we need to change.

THE MISTAKE WE’RE MAKING

We act like victims of the economy, but in many ways we are doing this to ourselves. We play corporate dodgeball instead of galvanizing our groups to own success. We are looking external to our companies when by the very way we work to set direction and innovate, we are limiting our company growth and success.

YOU’VE PLAYED IT TOO

Have you ever stared at a crack in the ceiling rather than taking on some issue you knew about? Perhaps you told yourself “everyone already knows,” or ”they won’t listen” if you raised an issue? Have you ever tucked away relevant data, or sugar coated issues, as information got messaged up the chain of command?

We duck the inherent tensions in business. We avoid conflict and aim for group harmony. Do the issues go away? No. And when they bubble back up? Yep, more dodgeball. That leaves a gap in the organization. If it doesn’t get fixed, revenues fall, and whose paycheck suffers? Yours. Mine. Everyone’s. Corporate dodgeball doesn’t build better products or invent the future. It creates mediocrity and prevents companies from achieving their goals.

STOP. STOP NOW.

So we leave our potential on the table, and don’t do our best to win in the marketplace. We may get lucky once in a while, but we don’t have the ability to win markets repeatedly.

Now Imagine if…. Everyone in an organization owned the company direction and we were all aligned to make success happen. You would stop wasting time, money, incredible opportunities and move forward effectively.

HOW TO DO IT

1. Change the Norm of “I tell, You Do” to “We think, each do”

Company success is not someone else’s responsibility. It is ours. So we each need to know what matters and why.

We must share – in detail – why decisions are made so that everyone knows how to make their part work with it. If you don’t know, ask. Your responsibility is to know where, how and WHY you fit in to any project. We need to know enough to see if things don’t exactly tie out. When we know the nuances of decisions, we can adjust our aim, as needed, while staying aligned with our broader crew. We tune our work to the bigger goal and succeed. Which is the point of business, isn’t it?

2. Stop Playing Corporate Dodgeball and deal with issues upfront.

We MUST iron out interdependencies and risks between silos, projects, and features. Don’t run from a discussion with different points of view; it is a necessary part of the process of creating something new. By addressing tensions, we (a) discover viable options, and (b) gain shared clarity of what matters and why.

Dealing with issues is a “pay me now or pay me later” situation. The tension is in there; learn to deal with it early cuz it’s cheaper than failures down the road.

3. No longer task, insist on ‘take’.

We need to move from a “Here’s your Task” to a “Do you Take” approach. Do you take responsibility, take ownership, and take accountability? It’s vital that people sign up willingly to what they will do, and are not coerced. This avoids the “no one told me, I never agreed to this” dialog that happens when people don’t buy into their tasks.

We must each go from being a voiceless individual contributor without responsibility, to become a co-creator of the future. Co-creators advocate, champion, and lobby for the best ideas to help the company win. Being co-creators doesn’t mean I do your job, or you do mine. Instead, we watch each other’s backs as we design our future of success, but then each of us owns the part we own.

It’s not about title, it’s about attitude. Get one that works.

REINVENTION FROM THE INSIDE-OUT IS POSSIBLE.

I work with some great companies in Silicon Valley. Businesses that win consistently hold the characteristics I’ve named. So when I see the business community struggling with dodgeball-as-usual, I want to shake them up, to make them address our new reality. I’ve written a manifesto on this topic of the new rules of business.

The future will not be created. The future will be co-created— by all of us, and if we don’t change the way we’re playing this game of business, we deserve what we get. How we play the game matters. Dodgeball doesn’t work. We need a New How for how business sets direction and creates better business outcomes.

About the author: Nilofer Merchant, CEO, strategist and author, is a leading authority on creating business strategy to achieve success. She has honed her unique, collaborative approach to solving tough problems while working with and for companies like Adobe, Apple, Nokia, Symantec, HP and others. She is the author of the book, The New How: Creating Business Solutions through Collaborative Strategy (O’Reilly). It is available on wherever books are sold.

Flickr photo credit to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielslaughter/3416051533/

Boy the Internet is one powerful machine. I didn’t realize just HOW powerful until I saw this video. Stats, stats and more stats, all that will make you stand up and say WOW!

JESS3 / The State of The Internet from Jesse Thomas on Vimeo.

Can you believe that back in 1995, Newsweek thought the Internet would fail? Wow!

Of course, now folks say the same thing about social media. Social media is just a trend. Stats, composed of real humans, say otherwise.

Watch the video again. Check out the stats. Then tell me social media is just a fad, a phase, or something that’s going away.

It’s not going to be exactly the same though. Some services may go away. Some more shine more brightly.

But make no mistake: social media, things that are easy to create, easy to share, easy to understand, will not go away. We have the power, as consumers, as publishers, as people who have a real voice. Why would we give that back to a company?

I attended the memorial service Saturday for an inspiring man, my former co-worker and mentor Chris.

Though I worked with Chris over 10 years ago, and only directly for 14 months, his impact on my life was a lasting one. Judging from the standing room only crowd at the service, it’s apparent to me he impacted many others in the same way.

I wanted to share the lessons I learned in order to keep Chris’s legacy alive and to offer a window into amazing man’s life.

Engage people where they are at

Share your stories

Ask about and Listen to other’s stories

You can’t control whether your life is an epic novel or a short story. Make every day count.

Look for the best in others

Know where you’re going

Have a realistic understanding of who you are

Live life full out and with no regrets

Always keep the faith

Thanks for sharing your life’s purpose with me Chris. I’m a better man and a better person for having met you. Thoughts of you will never be far from my heart.

Recently I did a presentation for Social Media Breakfast Milwaukee. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to share my PowerPoint slides as we had no wall to project things on. I promised everyone they’d get the slides, so here they are. If you’re a registered user at http://slideshare.net, you can download them in PDF format. I protect my slides in PDF as I use some images I pay for and you’ll need to pay for them too in order to use them.

Now it’s your turn:

• Are you using Twitter for your brand?
• What are your best tips?
• What questions do you have?

Please leave your questions in the comments below, and I’ll try to answer them, or I’ll have someone smarter than me try to answer them.

Today I’m delighted to share Tanmay Vora with you, someone who is amazingly insightful that I was introduced to you by our mutual friend Rajesh Setty, and someone I am now proud to cal my friend. Tanmay wrote a nifty book on QA, quality and leadership called #QUALITYtweet. I devoured it when I got it, and I needed to know more about the man behind the book.

Phil: What’s your background?

Tanmay: I am a software quality management professional based out of India. I have been working in IT for over 12 years and have worked in diverse areas like software development, methodologies, quality management, software testing and process improvement initiatives. I specialize in pragmatic process implementation, building independent software testing teams from scratch and exploring importance of leadership in the quality equation. I speak and consult on Software Quality Assurance and host QAspire Blog. I tweet as @tnvora

Phil: Why did you write #QUALITYtweet?

Tanmay: We are living in a world where attention span of people is getting shorter and shorter. On top of that, most books on Quality tend to focus too much on heavyweight processes and models. I wanted to offer lightweight and practical insights on building quality culture through effective leadership, people and processes.

Phil: Who do you think can benefit most from #QUALITYtweet?

Tanmay: #QUALITYtweet is a useful collection of ideas for

• Business Owners (because if there is not commitment from the top, a quality culture never evolves).
• Quality Managers (because they are the ones who implement quality improvement strategies and drive change in the organizations).
• Project Managers and Leaders (because they manage people who deliver products and services).
• Team members (because unless they don’t do their job right the first time, quality is difficult to attain).

Phil: That sounds like a LOT of the people who read my blog. Outstanding!

Phil: As you know, my mantra is Make It Great!, and I believe everyone needs a mantra. What’s your personal mantra?

Tanmay: My personal mantra is – Spreading Happiness Through Quality, Excellence and Leadership.

I strongly believe that quality is not just ‘conformance to requirements’ or ‘degree of excellence’. Quality is happiness. Happiness of people who produce, people who lead them, internal customers, stakeholders and the end-customers who use the products/services.

Phil: I know you are a lifelong learner, so I’m curious…What are you reading these days?

Tanmay: I recently read “The Leadership Test” by Timothy R. Clark, a fantastic book that can kick start some soul-searching and self-assessment for aspiring leaders. (NOTE from Phil: This is on my list to read soon too)

I am re-reading Nicholas Bate’s book “Instant MBA” which is an excellent resource for accessing fantastic MBA thinking without going to management school.

Mike Friesen has written a book titled “Expected End” which is a brilliant book on building great organization culture. The basic premise of the book is “Culture drives Results”.

Phil: Is there anything else you’d like to share with the folks who read Make it Great!?

Tanmay: I would like to share a few selected tweets from my book #QUALITYtweet that emphasizes importance of leadership in the quality equation:

“How NOT to deliver total quality: focus on quality of product without focusing on quality of relationship and communication.”

“People work for a leader who works for their people.”

“QUALITY = HARD + SOFT.

Hard = data, statistics, and information.

Soft = human attitudes, beliefs, and motivations.”

Phil: Fantastic stuff Tanmay! Thanks for making time for my readers.

In case you missed them, here are the ways to learn more from Tanmay:

• #QUALITYtweet – A nifty little book about quality
• Follow Tanmay Vora on Twitter
• Read the QAspire blog

Today is the first day of my 100 day countdown. I started it off right with a great speech about how to leverage Twitter for your brand (PowerPoint deck coming soon) to the Social Media Breakfast – Milwaukee chapter. It’s funny to me that someone I work with showed up to learn how to use Twitter, even though we can’t “officially” use it at my day job. I also think it’s funny that on the first day of the 100 days of my day job that I’ve got 2 speaking engagements (in 2 different cities) so I have the day off. My second engagement is my Make a PLAN and Make it Great! speech that folks have really connected with. Simple stuff is best for me…and my audience.

Here’s a few random thoughts about what is in my head right now:

It’s finally hitting me that I have 100 days left. I’m both surprised and glad by this. I wasn’t sure if it would ever hit me. It’s becoming real, and I’m enjoying the discomfort and the unfamiliarity of it all.

Folks are finding out I’m leaving and wishing me well. Even people who would never dream of breaking out and doing their own things are being incredibly supportive, including many folks on Facebook, Twitter, and on my Last 100 Days Introduction post in the comments section. Thank you!

I’m more productive when I can focus on things. I always prided myself on being a great multi-tasker, that could do a lot of things at once. I realize that has contributed greatly to my inability to finish things I start. I had another weekday off this week, and I got a new product almost done. I’m going to take another day and complete it. And of course, as I’m writing this, my phone is going off, Twitter is going crazy, and I got distracted. So the writing is best when it’s quiet and I can focus. MUST. FOCUS. MORE!

People will be even more important to me as I make the leap. Jumping into my own thing means I won’t have the structure of coffee breaks and lunch to hang with people. I’ll need to be intentional and schedule times to connect with people. I need to focus on serving others needs even more, and make sure I create opportunities for folks to hear my message. I’m doing zero traditional advertising, and though I may get a landline for phone interviews, I have no intention of listing that number. People will make the difference in my life AND my business.

Coffee is better in a porcelain mug. Today is the first day in a LONG time I didn’t get a cup of coffee in a travel mug. It slowed me down…a lot…to drink it in a porcelain mug. No grab and go, just slow and sip. I like that.

I still am drawn to “check in” to work. I looked at my Blackberry. I logged into webmail. I want to know what’s going on, and if I can help. My team is fine without me now, they’ll be fine without me in 100 days. I need to resist the urge.

Tune in tomorrow for more in the journey toward my last 100 days.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10413717@N08/3192905722/

After 5 years of working a full-time job PLUS moonlighting on the side, I’m finally taking the plunge!

I’m leaving corporate America on May 31st, 2010, to do my own thing full-time. My own thing with the Make It Great Institute is 3 things:

• Professional speaking & training seminars
• Consulting/coaching/training with small/medium-sized business
• Writing

I thought it might be helpful for me (and hopefully for you) to write about what I’m doing to exit my day job as gracefully as possible, and to get out there what’s going on in my head as I transition into doing my own thing all the time.

Here are a few notes as we start the journey, and maybe for you to keep in mind if you’re planning your escape:

I am not independently wealthy – I’ve saved up some money in my 401(k), but I have very little cash in the bank to offer me a cushion to fall back on. I also don’t play the lottery so that won’t help me. And parentally, my dad is a retired dairy farmer, and my mom cuts the cheese for a living.

I don’t have 100 engagements lined up – I have a few speaking engagements lined up, and a few possible consulting gigs, and a few products that are nearly done that I’ll be sharing with you soon. I have a marketing plan that I’ll be implementing, and some clients that are interested in working with me.

I’m not afraid of failure – Truly failure is not something that scares me. If I lose everything, oh well. I know in my heart I’m going to be successful at this adventure.

I am a little nervous – I’ve never worked on my own before. I don’t know what it will be like to not have a clock to punch, a steady paycheck  to count on, or to pay for my own health insurance. This makes me a little nervous, but not a lot. I’m very intrinsically motivated, and I don’t expect this will be a huge adjustment, but this will be an adjustment nonetheless.

I need your help – I need you to help me stay on track, stay motivated and keep doing things that move me forward and not get distracted by all the crap out there. I also would love your help if you know anyone who wants to hire me to be their personal/business social media coach/strategist.

I will be selling my services and a few products here on the site – If that offends you, I’m sorry. I need to feed myself just like you do, and this will be the place I do much of that. I’ll do it in a tasteful way, I promise. And not all the time. Not to worry.

By the way, when you read this, it will be only 102 days until I leave corporate America. May 31st is Memorial Day, and my firm is closed, though they’ll be paying me until then. I’m going to post again tomorrow to give you a little bit more of my back story.

I appreciate your attention VERY much, and I’ll try to write every weekday so you know what I’m thinking and hopefully it will help you decide if making the leap is worth it for you.

My buddy (and fellow Milwaukeean) Todd Sattersten wrote the most helpful little manifesto I’ve ever read, called How to Read a Business Book. With the number of books I read a year, I am printing this out and keeping it in my bag so I remember how to do this right (because I have been doing it all wrong).

His tips on how to read a business book are quite simple:

• Spend more time choosing books to avoid reading the wrong books.
• Search for the promise the author makes.
• The end can be a great place to start.
• Read as much for others as yourself.
• More books read means more understanding gained.
• You only need one good idea.

Download How to Read a Business Book right now.

Want a book recommendation to get you started using this? Start with the book Todd co-wrote, the 100 Best Business Books of All-Time.

I was talking with my good buddy Terry Starbucker this week about the upcoming SOBCon conference, and reminiscing back to the first event, with this year’s event being the 4th annual event. The photo in this article is from that very first conference.

What I love about SOBCon is the Big C Community attendees immediately become part of, and that they continue to be part of, once they attend one event.

It’s an amazing thing to me, this Big C Community. There aren’t a lot of places like this in my life. I’ve been part of a lot of organizations, and few have fulfilled my need to be part of this.

What’s a Big C Community?

A Big C Community is one in which a shared sense of purpose pumps through everyone in the organization, whether it’s a formal organization or an annual conference folks look forward to attending every year.

Why do Big C Communities matter? LOTS of reasons, but none more important than the 4 I’ll share below.

4 Cs of a vibrant Big C Community:

Collaboration – Members of a Big C Community work together, sharing their ideas, their talents, their passions, their love, with other members of the community.

Connection – Members of a Big C Community have a sense of connection and feel it even when they are far apart. Social media helps keep this connection piece of Big C Communities going long after the physical connection is over.

Consistency – Members of a Big C Community expect consistent display of the shared values from those who lead the community.

Communication – When you’re part of a Big C Community, you expect frequent communication from the leaders of the community and from others who are part of the community. You don’t expect to hear from someone only when it’s time for the next conference, but you expect to hear from others in the community all year round.

And to answer Rich Hand’s question, serving customers in social media does remain the same as serving customers offline: Customers don’t want to be treated like customers. They want to feel part of something bigger, and they want, no they CRAVE, to be part of a Big C Community.

I’m planning to go to 2 conferences that are Big C Communities to me: HDI2010 and SOBCon. Will I see you at either event?

To say Marshall Goldsmith is someone I admire and respect is an understatement. The Marshall Goldsmith Library is one of my favorite spots for management inspiration and where I go when I run into a difficult issue I’ve never seen before. I’ve read nearly all of Marshall’s articles and books, listened to many of his seminars and podcasts, and generally considered Marshall a super mentor that I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting in person.

Here’s a little more about Marshall, from his bio:

Marshall Goldsmith is America’s preeminent executive coach. He is among a select few consultants who have been asked to work with more than sixty CEOs. His clients have included many of the world’s leading corporations. Goldsmith has helped to implement leadership development processes that have impacted more than one million people around the world.

He has a Ph.D. from UCLA and is on the faculty of the executive education programs for Dartmouth College and the University of Michigan. The American Management Association recently named him as one of fifty great thinkers and business leaders of the past eighty years. Read more in his new book, MOJO: How to Get It, How to Keep It, How to Get It Back if You Lose It.

So recently when I was asked to be on the #MOJOtweet book tour, to share his latest book with you, I jumped at the chance. And I wasn’t disappointed in the output of the book.

#MOJOtweet is packed with 140 insightful nuggets around all the key questions you need to know to get your #MOJOtweet:

• What is Mojo?
• Mojo Vital Ingredients
• Mojo Paradox
• Mojo Building Blocks
• Mojo Killers
• Mojo Tool Kit

Some of  the insights are questions, like this one:

The million-dollar question: “What is the one quality that differentiates truly successful people from everyone else?”

And some are tips, like this one:

To change your Mojo, you may need to either create a new identity for yourself or rediscover an identity that you have lost.

It’s a quick read, and if you’re feeling like you’ve got no Mojo, or got no idea what Mojo is, this book will help you get the basics…FAST!

More resources from Marshall Goldsmith:

• Pick up a copy of #MOJOtweet
• Visit the Marshall Goldsmith Library
• See what people are saying about Marshall Goldsmith on Twitter