Month: December 2007

The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling

I just finished reading The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling, which Sacha had recommended to me in a conversation last week.

Many years ago, I’d realized that pure technical competence would only get a person so far — it was important to be able to talk with people and explain ideas. In other words, to be able to tell a story. And, every bit as importantly, to be able to listen to other people’s stories and help them tell them better. So I was very interested in reading what Steve Denning had to say on the subject.

I’m not sure I learned a lot that I didn’t already know — that’s not to say that the book wasn’t worthwhile, but there wasn’t much that surprised me. I was amused to read, yet again, the story of IBM’s embrace of the Internet (I was there, although not in the meetings in Armonk which were critical to making things happen — and that’s a valuable lesson: there’s no substitute for being in the room), but this time with a concentration on the role of persuasion and leadership (as contrasted with management).

I very much like the final chapter in the book, describing “interactive, Tolstoyan” leadership. I’ve worked for “Napoleonic” managers…and I haven’t enjoyed it. I’ve also worked for “Tolstoyan” managers, and it’s been a pleasure (and I’ve made stronger contributions in that environment, too).

I did not work through the exercises in the book (hey, I am on vacation!), so I’m sure I didn’t get the fullest benefit from reading it, but life is full of choices. And I can always go back to the book another day (though this copy has to go back to the library!).

Recommended.

Inbox Zero achieved!

I just got my Gmail inbox down to zero for the first time in nearly two years.

After Mom died, I left the last few notes she sent me in my inbox, even though they were just pointers to funny things on the web. But last month, I finally felt able to read and archive them. However, while they were in the inbox, I didn’t feel any pressure to keep it clear (there is a big difference between an empty inbox and one with even one item in it), and even after archiving them, it took quite a while for me to get around to processing everything.

Tonight, I took advantage of some free time and the new Remember The Milk plugin for GMail to get those last few items out of the inbox (and I actually took care of all but one!).

When I left work last Friday, that inbox was empty, too. I haven’t connected to work since then, so, as far as I know, it’s still empty.

If you can’t see the fnord email, it can’t eat you!

60 days — what a crock

My wife has an LLBean credit card. And, most months, the statement is accompanied by a sheet of “access checks”. She’s been trying to get them to stop sending then forever — without success. But now that BofA is behind the card (instead of MBNA), she tried again this afternoon.

Susan at the toll-free number tried to talk her out of it, claiming that their “zero liability policy” made sending the checks safe — but she reluctantly admitted that they could be “suppressed” but it would take 60 days.

Let’s see…they can authorize transactions in milliseconds, but it takes 60 days to stop sending something that the customer Absolutely Does Not Want? Tells you where their priorities are…

(If it weren’t for the free shipping from Bean, the card would have been shredded long ago on this issue — “zero liability” does not mean “zero hassle”)