Automagic #ftw

OK, what did I say – I may add some “syndication automagic stuff from there to here” … and here’s this blog, there’s the Google+ page of frogpond, administrated by a proxy G+ user named Martin Koser – who incidentally has a private G+-profile as well.

I’ve decided that it’s a good idea to share some links (and short snappy remarks) from the GReader inbox of the Google Apps user mk<at>frogpond.de into here – and channel them via Google+ (not at least because it’s easier and modern than to write an individual blog post every time). I expect this to be a faster and more efficient way to blog curate relevant content, but I am not sure if it’s a cool way to go … (please, tell me if it’s cool or cold ; ‘)

Now, there should be no flooding the blog with half-baked links (I guess you get enough of that from Twitter, huh?) … but some worthwhile and relevant stuff found on the web, ideally with additional comments and additional information. That’s the beauty of Daniel Treadwell’s google+blog plugin, you get the Google+ comments into the blog as well. So I will add some people again in the next 24 hours – this time from the G+ frogpond page – in addition to an earlier circling I’ve probably done with the all private account.

This bit of redundancy is the price one pays for G+ being not yet able to merge accounts – but I guess I can live with that. If all works well some interesting discussions can be sparked – happening in G+, yes – but their shine will be reflected and collected in here as well.

(syndicated G+ posts get tagged with via_googleplus, so it’s easy to spot them. And there’s always a link to the Google+ source, too)

 

Catching up on time …

[Pretty embarassing, but it’s the truth … and there’s learnings inside]

Imagine me, Monday morning, 10:30 am, pretty relaxed, next meeting in late afternoon (did I say I was relaxed?) … and so there’s my mobile ringing – I pick up the phone and a nice lady from Integrata offices Düsseldorf is asking if everything’s OK?

OK? Why, yes, I feel OK? Sure …

“And you’re on your way, are you?” she said “You’re booked for this wiki workshop today, there’s three people waiting for you …”

“No, it can’t be, it’s Tuesday and Wednesday, tomorrow we start”

“[…] people waiting […]”

So I check my Google apps calendar (that says Tuesday & Wednesday), then I check my emails (Monday & Tuesday, MONDAY & Tuesday …). Now you get the idea and the knack of the story. How to handle this situation, given that teleportation ain’t ready? Short discussion in various back offices and it’s decided to do the Tuesday workshop anyway, and try to put it all into one big day. Smart decision it turned out to be … learning opportunities en masse:

Some of my learnings:

– one can easily rearrange travel arrangements with Deutsche Bahn, it may cost you a bit, esp. the reservation fare is lost but you get back most of your money

– you can’t travel one day in advance with the prepaid ticket, it says “Valid starting date onward for one month” – in my case starting date was Tuesday, obviously.

– Hotel rearrangements are mostly easy, but better done online, not over the phone. Especially when and because your hotel office clerk may not speak German perfectly.

– bringing flowers for the nice ladies at the Integrata offices helps a bit when showing up a day late (and I caused them some confusion, worries and intensive activity for sure)

and not to forget

– double check everything on Sunday evening (checking the calendar is NOT enough)

– I can manage to do a two-day introductory wiki workshop in one extended day, given some prerequisites are given (1. few, smart and nice learners, 2. smallish breaks in between, 3. a nice little group that discusses what is necessary / holds value and greps the basic stuff very fast and 4. a nice little group of smart and nice people that are willing to pull through with you). In the end we succeeded with the day but it’s strenuous – the normal two-day setup is much easier on everybodys nerves.

– offering beer to the eager learners after the intensive day of learning and discussion is an obligation (and it’s a pleasure, too – see points 1. and 4. above)

Oh, and one last thing – by means of my sloppiness fate I’ve won a free day of web surfing, reading up on industry trends, wiki updating, email list geekery, system backups, wiki gardening, and at least some blogging.

(I have been too quiet in here due to a variety of work and other reasons, spending my time mostly on the + side of the webs – I won’t promise anything, but I may do some syndication automagic stuff from there to here. Let’s see how this will work out)

(Sh*t happens, they say. True story. First time it happened to me that severely in – let me see – close to six years of professional consulting and geeking)

(Oh and please, somebody spot the irony that my free day is on February 29th)

¹ Photo by mararie on Flickr

Happy New Year from Stormy Shores

Dear Friends, Partners and Customers and yes, oh my dear extended social network,

as we’re reaching the end of 2011 I wanted to thank you all for your business and your inspiration.

2011 was a busy year for me – more coaching and training gigs than in past years, and a constant stream of consulting projects. I am still focused on helping companies (and the people inside them) grapple with the implications and challenges of Enterprise 2.0. Now, Social business means challenges and tasks in helping with the integration of technologies and platforms, but also – and dare I say more importantly – social business needs efficient implementation work to reach its goals. Things like widespread adoption, continuous business process- integrated and day-to-day use don’t come as naturally as we might have expected in the past. So this has taken much focus in 2011 and I am excited to continue this journey in the new year.

So as I’m grateful for all the projects underway and finished, lessons learned and wonderful stuff experienced I thank you for all the past year. I look forward to working with you in 2012 and wish you, your teams and your families a very happy and healthy new year.

Martin _ frogpond

CC Image by Joe Kovacs, who has much nicer images of Basel than mine – the sky’s pretty much the same anyway 😉

+connections

We’re living in interesting times, huh? Stressful they are, but mostly rewarding …

written 5 minutes before hopping under the shower, then the car, then the commute, then the scheduled social circle of da day work meeting 😉

GSJam11 (and prototyping very quickly)

Today I am jamming at the local Global Service Jam event in Böblingen, and blogging on a freshly-cooked temporary prototype blog platform. If you’re curious check out the site superherofinance (on the road to a better world, sometimes rolling with The Superbus) – already with a mission statement page and an initial post on the prototyping process that’s currently on the roll …

Actually this sounds more like a business model innovation design post, huh? You’re right but the prototyping method is dear to my heart and pretty close to recent real life consulting engagements of mine …

Observations

Is it ironic that while I am blogging less in here (due to heaps of non-observable or -bloggable client work) I am also installing visitor-observing software? All-friendly open-source Piwik of course, and only because I am such a nosy inquiring type 😉