Successful Blog

Social Media Book List: How Reliable is your Product? and Stop Workplace Drama

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow of Key Business Partners, LLC

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors & writers to help them with their online book promotion and social media marketing. As part of my job I read a lot of books (I enjoy reading anyway!).

This week I will be highlighting two business books; ‘How Reliable is your Product’ by Mike Silverman and ‘Stop Workplace Drama’ by Marlene Chism.

The books I cover in the Social Media Book List Series will cover a range of topics such as social media, marketing, blogging, business, organization, career building, finance, networking, writing, self development, and inspiration.

‘How Reliable is your Product: 50 Ways to Improve Produce Reliability’

by Mike Silverman
How Reliable is your Product book

Product developers now have many tools–software and hardware–at their disposal for building reliability in from the get go. From the organizational point of view, what better way to design in reliability than to make designers themselves responsible for the reliability of their designs? As Mike Silverman explains in How Reliable is Your Product?, this is why the role of the reliability engineer is changing to one of mentor. He or she is now responsible for going out and finding the best testing tools and then training the designers on their use, so that designers factor and build in reliability at every stage of product design.

Mike has focused on reliability throughout his 25-year career, and has observed the position of reliability in the organization evolve. In this book, he condenses his expertise and experience into a volume of immense practical worth to the engineering and engineering management communities including designers, manufacturing engineers and reliability/quality engineers.

Among other things, Mike discusses how reliability fits, or should fit, within the product design cycle. He provides a high-level overview of reliability techniques available to engineers today. He lucidly discusses the design of experiments and the role of failure management. With case studies and narratives from personal experience, Mike discusses optimal ways to utilize different reliability techniques. He highlights common errors of judgment, missteps and sub-optimal decisions that are often made within organizations on the path to total reliability.

“’50 Ways to Improve Product Reliability’ is a great collection of ground-rules that are based upon experience. It describes a number of situations and presents practical examples of what engineers should do to be successful in the area of reliability. In a few examples it also indicates what should not be
done in order to avoid problems. The book is organized according to the phases of a project and a maturity matrix is presented as a means to measure progress. Many examples show proactive use of reliability tools for hardware and software. All are accompanied by concise case studies showing how to
apply tools and handle common situations. It is a must read for all engineers and managers who are involved with corporate-wide reliability improvement efforts.”
James McLinn, CRE, Fellow, ASQ

About Mike*:

Throughout his 25-year career, Mike Silverman has maintained a singular focus on reliability. He is Founder of and Managing Partner at Ops A La Carte, a reliability engineering consultancy that helps customers build end-to-end reliability into their products.

He owns and operates HALT and HASS Labs, a reliability laboratory in Northern California that has now tested over 500 products. A Certified Reliability Engineer with over a dozen technical papers under his belt, Mike is currently President of the Silicon Valley IEEE Reliability Society.

You can purchase a copy of ‘How Reliable is your Product’ online from the publisher site, Superstar Press. . *I did receive a digital copy of this book from the publisher to help in the promotion of the book.

Next, I would like to introduce you to a book coming out in February 2011 – ‘Stop the Workplace Drama’.

‘Stop Workplace Drama’

by Marlene Chism

“Stop Workplace Drama offers practical ideas to improve communication in the workplace to eliminate power struggles, backstabbing and office drama.”
-Michael Linenberger, author of Master your Workday Now!

“Stop Workplace Drama is filled with fresh strategies to help leader navigate change, reach their objectives and create a positive work climate-all at the same time!
-Jill Konrath, authof o SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

A few words I have to say about this book:

Right off the bat in the introduction, Marlene is great about engaging the reader to explain about what drama is and how most of us (even if we deny it) have drama in our lives. And even if it is personal, it does tend to creep into the workplace.

As Marlene states, “Drama is any obstacle to your peace and prosperity.” I say, you can get any more real and to the point than that, right?

She goes onto explain, the drama is the situation, your drama is how you react to it. Again, great precise explanations.

And throughout the book, she put the “mirror” up to the reader and allows each of us to see where we can shed the drama and bring ourselves to a more balanced and peaceful living through, telling yourself the truth, mastering your energy and release resistance.

About the Book*

Is your workplace riddled with gossip, power struggles, and confusion? Do you seek clarity in your management and cohesiveness in your team? Do you have a personal obstacle affecting your professional success?

If so, there is good news-help is on the way. Stop Workplace Drama offers down-to-earth, practical methods to help business owners, entrepreneurs, and private practice professionals maximize success, increase productivity, and improve teamwork and personal performance.

* Identify “drama” barriers and help your employees break free to experience higher personal effectiveness and increased productivity
* Each of the eight points is full of universal and practical principles any business leader, sales director or entrepreneur can put to use immediately
* Author Marlene Chism has shared her signature process with organizations such as McDonalds and NASA

When you’re in the thick of business competition, you and your team need to function freely without internal conflicts, confusions, or rivalries. Stop Workplace Drama ensures that your employees will be able to give their best to create a healthy, profitable workplace.

About Marlene*:

Marlene is a speaker, author and communication consultant who works with high level professionals who want to increase personal performance and break through the obstacles keeping them from living a life of passion and purpose. Marlene says, “Everyone has drama and drama manifests in various ways. Marlene’s signature process is known as “The Stop Your Drama” Methodology, a system to help companies and individuals align with purpose to achieve higher levels of success both personally and professionally.

You can purchase a copy of ‘Stop Workplace Drama’ on her website, Stop Workplace Drama or on Amazon.

I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them.

Social Media Book List: iPad Means Business and Content Rules

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow of Key Business Partners, LLC

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors & writers to help them with their book promotion and social media marketing. As part of my job I read a lot of books (I enjoy reading anyway!).

This week I will be highlighting two books; one author I am currently working with ‘iPad Means Business’ by Julio Ojeda-Zapata and one book on the business Amazon list ‘Content Rules’ by Ann Hadley and C.C. Chapman.

The books I cover in the Social Media Book List Series will cover a range of topics such as social media, marketing, blogging, business, organization, career building, finance, networking, writing, self development, and inspiration.

‘iPad Means Business: How Apple’s Tablet Computer is Changing the Work World’

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Julio Ojeda-Zapata

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“The most common question asked by potential iPad buyers: ‘Other than playing Angry Birds, what the hell can I do with this thing?’ Citing example after productive example, Julio Ojeda-Zapata capably
makes the case for the iPad as business tool.”
Christopher Breen, Macworld Columnist and Podcast Host

“If you think the iPad exists just to make its owners look cool, read this book. You’ll see the iPad in action within businesses of all kinds, and get ideas of how to use it in your business.”
Natali Morris, CNET TV Tech-news Anchor and CBS News Tech Contributor

iPad Means Business tells the stories of tablet-wielding workers, companies, students and teachers around the world. As a business book, it offers inspiration for anyone, at any level in business or education, who wants to become truly productive on the iPad.

As a how-to guide, “iPad Means Business” provides concrete advice on the best work-related apps, accessories and procedures, along with a road map to the best iPad resources. This is an essential starting point for workers wanting to get the most out of their iPads.

As a bonus, “iPad Means Business” offers the thoughts of several iPad experts. Readers will get glean wisdom from blogger and productivity advisor Patrick Rhone; technology and new-media consultant Scott Bourne; and technology marketer and former Apple executive Mike Evangelist.

This book is an essential read for anyone wanting to learn why the iPad Means Business.

Here is the table of contents to give you a glimpse of the helpful information about iPad:

Introduction: So You Want to Use an iPad for Work

Chapter 1: Apple’s tablet arrives and gets to work

Chapter 2: Individual Workers Embrace the Tablet

Chapter 3: Companies of All Sizes Deploy the iPad

Chapter 4: The iPad Finds a Place in the Classroom

Chapter 5: App Developers Exploit That Big Screen

Chapter 6: I Go on a Work Trip Taking Only the iPad

Epilogue: Apple Faces Rising Tablet Competition

Afterword: ‘An Embryonic Journey’ by Mike Evangelist

Appendix: Recommended Resources

About Julio*:

Julio Ojeda-Zapata covers consumer technology for the St. Paul, Minn.-based Pioneer Press newspaper, where he writes a weekly Tech Test Drive column and blogs about the latest tech trends. During a lifelong career in journalism, he has worked as an editor and earned many awards for his writing. He is the author of another Happy About book, Twitter Means Business, which documents how Twitter became a crucial business tool. He is a gadget junkie, an Apple addict, a social-media maven and total nerd.

A native of Quito, Ecuador, he spent the bulk of his childhood in San Juan, Puerto Rico and considers himself a “boricua.” He lives in St. Paul with his wife, son and Pepita, the world’s most-spoiled guinea pig. Learn more about Julio at ojezap.com.

You can purchase a copy of ‘iPad Means Business’ online from the publisher site, Happy About or on Amazon. *I did receive a digital copy of this book from the publisher to help in the promotion of the book.

Next, I would like to introduce you to a book on the business book list on Amazon and on my reading list: ‘Content Rules’.

‘Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (New Rules Social Media Series)’

by Ann Hadley and C.C. Chapman

“I should preface this review by saying I have been podcasting and creating content for the web for over five years now, and that I regularly help clients do the same. This said, I was expecting Content Rules to be a good book on the subject, but perhaps one of those that did not speak to me, because of my experience. I was wrong- Content Rules speaks to everyone- even seasoned content creators, by providing the metrics we may know around content creation, but haven’t yet articulated, and helps make the case for content for everyone from people getting their feet wet on the Web for the first time, to those who are looking to raise their game and up their level of engagement with others online.

Content Rules is compelling and honest from the introduction on. It is a book I can hand my clients, friends, teachers- almost anyone who wonders why people need to or bother creating content for the web- to help not only explain why compelling content is important, but how to create it. It helps people break down the barriers that often get in the way of creating compelling content, and instead gives them some parameters on how to make sure your authentic and compelling voice shine through. In addition, the examples and case studies in the book bring the rules to life, in a way that will help folks understand how to find their human voice, and why that is so important to success in contrast to another paragraph of over-polished, sanitized, personality-free “safe” messaging.

I’m really excited by Content Rules as a book I can enthusiastically pass on to friends, colleagues, clients and more. If it’s between a more generic book on social media or online marketing and this one, you need Content Rules because it will help you understand the fundamental approach you need to take regardless of the tool, platform, network or marketing plan- you need to concentrate on your Content first.”
Whitney Hoffman Amazon review 5 stars

About the Book*

Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman, business writers, speakers, and marketing thought leaders for clients such as The Coca-Cola Company, HBO, and Verizon Fios, show you how to leverage all of today’s tools to create content that truly speaks to your audience. They’ll show you how to:

* Understand why you are generating content—getting to the meat of your message in practical, commonsense language, and defining the goals of your content strategy

* Explore ways to integrate searchable words into your content without sounding forced (or sounding like “Frankenspeak”)

* Write in a way that powerfully communicates your service, product, or message across various Web mediums

* Create a publishing schedule that allows you to create different kinds and types of content at once

Offering examples of businesses using content effectively across a wide range of industries and fascinating explanations of how you might approach your own content strategy, Content Rules is the essential field guide to creating your story, finding the right balance of humor and humanity in your content, and building a portfolio of value that will keep delivering for the long haul.

About Ann*:

Ann Handley is the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs, a rich and trusted resource that helps businesses market their products and services smarter and better. Entrepreneurs, small-business owners and marketers in the world’s largest corporations make up its 361,000 subscribers, making it the largest in its category. (Does that sound like marketing-speak? It’s not; it’s just true.)

She is a 12-year veteran of creating and managing digital content to build relationships for organizations and individuals. Also, she’s a writer who blogs at her personal blog, A n n a r c h y, as well as American Express OPEN Forum, Mashable, and The Huffington Post.

Previously, Ann was the co-founder of ClickZ, one of the first sources of interactive marketing news and commentary.

She lives near Boston in a slightly creaky, comfortable house with 2 kids, 4 dogs, good coffee in the kitchen, decent wine in the cellar, a stack of New Yorkers by the bed, and an occasional field mouse in the laundry room.

About C.C.*:
C.C. Chapman was born in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire and is a modern day renaissance man. He is a passionate content creator, photographer, father and entrepreneur. His business experience has won awards and he has worked with a variety of clients including American Eagle Outfitters, HBO and The Coca-Cola Company.

C.C. is the Founder of Digital Dads, a site where a dad can be a guy and is the host of the popular Managing the Gray podcast. He lives outside of Boston with his wife, two awesome children and dog Roxie.
*courtesy of book website and Amazon

You can purchase a copy of ‘Content Rules’ on Amazon.

I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them.

Social Media Book List: The Ten Commandments for Effective Standards and 30 Days to Social Media Success

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow of Key Business Partners, LLC

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors & writers to help them with their book promotion and social media marketing. As part of my job I read a lot of books (I love to read anyway!).

This week I will be highlighting two books; one author I am currently working with ‘The Ten Commandments for Effective Standards’ by Karen Bartleson and one book on the business Amazon list ’30 Days to Social Media Success’ by Gail Martin.

The books I cover in the Social Media Book List Series will cover a range of topics such as social media, marketing, blogging, business, organization, career building, finance, networking, writing, self development, and inspiration.

‘Ten Commandments for Effective Standards: Practical Insights for creating Technical Standards’

by Karen Bartleson

Ten Commandments for Effective Standards book by Karen Bartleson

“Karen does an excellent job in illuminating the sometimes murky workings of standards groups. In espousing her ‘commandments,’ she identifies the often innocuous situations that have caused major
issues in the standards world and how to avoid those types of issues in the first place. This book should be required reading for anyone who will be participating in a standards organization, both inside and
outside the EDA world.”
Stan Krolikoski, Group Director, Cadence Design Systems; and Chair, IEEE Design Automation Standards Committee

“‘The Ten Commandments for Effective Standards’ is a great companion to the standards developer and for standards committee leadership. It is an even better companion to those who wait for and use standards, as it serves to remind adopters that there are many facets to standards development that need to be addressed to get to a completed standard. This helps explain why it often takes so much
time for some standards and why it is fast for others. If you follow the commandments you may have a smoother and quicker path to standards success. I expect standards developer conversations to begin to use more of the terms ‘The Ten Commandments for Effective Standards’ defines to usher further rapid development of business-relevant standards. As all good standards evolve, I look to Karen to be on the lookout for additional commandments that might be worthy to join the ten she has detailed here.”
Dennis B. Brophy, Director of Strategic Business Development, Mentor Graphics Corporation

A few points about technical standards Karen discusses in the book:

Standards can make markets grow. When a common interface is made available for use, competitors can develop new products around it. A standard can prevent a monopoly by giving more than one company the opportunity to create compatible products.

Tasks are simpler and less error prone when standards are used. Designing a computer chip is an enormous undertaking. Writing the description of the design in standard formats instead of rewriting it in a variety of them not only saves time but also prevents errors from being introduced during rewrites.

Standards can fuel innovation by providing a common starting point. Shared protocols for communicating data make the Internet phenomenal. Universal audio and video formats give rise to a myriad of music, games, and movies—and products that play them.

About the Book*:

Technical standards play an important role in business as well as everyday life. They provide opportunities for market growth and competition. They enable interoperability. They make customers happier. They bring order out of chaos. Existing technical standards are being updated constantly, and new ones are being produced in increasingly greater numbers.

But do you know what it takes to create an “effective” standard?

‘The Ten Commandments for Effective Standards,’ written by computer chip industry veteran Karen Bartleson and illustrated by corporate cartoonist Rick Jamison, will not only provide you with ideas for creating better standards, it will also provide you with a newfound understanding of standards and their importance, respect for the standardization process, and ways you can leverage others’ industry expertise to help you succeed in creating more effective technical standards.

Based upon twenty years of experience in the area of standards for electronic design automation and ideas drawn from other industry experts, ‘The Ten Commandments for Effective Standards’ provides you with a list of procedural imperatives about what works and what doesn’t work when developing effective technical standards.

This book will teach you how applying Bartleson’s commandments to day-to-day standards activities can help make your resulting standards more effective and easier to adopt. From the Golden Rule of effective standards — “cooperate on standards, compete on products” — which points to the essence of standardization, to the tenth commandment — “know that standards have technical and business aspects” — which declares the importance of a standard’s commercial implications, this book will provide you with a foundation for preparing for and performing in the technical standards arena.

Whether you are already involved in the process of creating technical standards or are interested in learning more about it, Bartleson’s ‘The Ten Commandments for Effective Standards’ is standard reading for anyone pursuing knowledge, excellence, and success in the field of technical standards.

About Karen*:
Karen Bartleson has three decades’ experience in the computer chip industry. She is known for her work in the area of standards for electronic design automation. Bartleson is also one the pioneers into social media in her industry, including Twitter. She is the author of The Standards Game, a blog focused on the standards arena.

Karen holds a BSEE from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, CA, and was the recipient of the Marie R. Pistilli Women in Design Automation Achievement Award in 2002. Her Twitter handle is @karenbartleson.

You can purchase a copy of ‘The Ten Commandments for Effective Standards’ online from the publisher site, Synopsis Press or on Amazon. *I did receive a digital copy of this book from the publisher to help in the promotion of the book.

Next, I would like to introduce you to a book on the business book list on Amazon and on my reading list: ’30 Days to Social Media Success’.

30 Days to Social Media Success

by Gail Martin

“Just about everywhere you turn these days, someone has a Facebook page, Twitter account, or LinkedIn profile – and they’re dying to use them to promote something to you; however, no matter how hard they try, not everyone is a skilled student of these invaluable tools of social media, and their lack of applied insight could actually end up working against them…

Throughout the pages of 30 Days To Social Media Success, bestselling author and marketing expert Gail Martin outlines a comprehensive strategy for the optimal use of social media. Highlighting the various similarities and differences between the online communities, Martin does a standout job of apprising the reader of the most effective ways to make social media work for their purposes. Chief among them: identifying from the outset precisely what your goals are for using the applications. By doing so, you provide yourself with the added advantage of knowing exactly how to use the tools to get just what you need out of them.

For the savvy business professional seeking to get a leg up in the increasingly competitive global marketplace, 30 Days To Social Media Success is an essential guide to considerably boosting your ongoing sales & marketing efforts. A must read.”
Dawn Jefferson
Apex Reviews

About the Book*
Small business owners and solo professionals know they’re supposed to use social media to increase sales, but how should they start?

Using a unique Rule of 30 approach, 30 Days to Social Media Success is the perfect resource for busy people who want quick results. Thirty short chapters (one for each day of the month) are packed with real-world tips and proven techniques you can use right away.

This book makes it easy to tap into the power of today’s hottest social media sites to:

# Get global impact out of press releases, articles, blog posts, and book reviews.

# Increase your personal and corporate visibility as the go-to expert in your industry.

# Build relationships with clients and connect with ideal prospects.

# Network around the world and around the clock with people who need what you have to offer.

Wondering how to use social media? Looking for a way to attract new clients without spending a fortune? 30 Days to Social Media Success is for you.

About Gail*:

Best-selling author Gail Martin is a marketing expert and international speaker, and the owner of DreamSpinner Communications. She’s the “Get Results Resource” for marketing that works, helping small and start-up businesses, consultants, coaches, authors, and solo professionals succeed through affordable publicity. Martin is also the author of The Thrifty Author’s Guide to Launching Your Book. Gail lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and can be visited online at www.GailMartinMarketing.com.

*courtesy of book website and Amazon

You can purchase a copy of ’30 Days to Social Media Success’ on Amazon.

I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them.

Social Media Book List: No Such Thing as Small Talk and The Innovation Playbook

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow of Key Business Partners, LLC

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors & writers to help them with their book promotion and social media marketing. As part of my job I read a lot of books (I love to read anyway!).

This week I will be highlighting two books; one author I am currently working with ‘No Such Thing as Small Talk: 7 Keys to Understanding German Business Culture’ by Melissa Lamson and one book on the business Amazon list ‘The Innovation Playbook’ by Nicholas J. Webb.

The books I cover in the Social Media Book List Series will cover a range of topics such as social media, marketing, blogging, business, organization, career building, finance, networking, writing, self development, and inspiration.

‘No Such Thing as Small Talk: 7 Keys to Understanding German Business Culture’

by Melissa Lamson

no_small_talkmid

“We see Melissa as a key resource for developing business relationships with German companies who want to establish a presence in Silicon Valley. The information in this book is crucial to helping joint venture partners and investors understand the German business mind. It’s a must-read.”
Alfredo Coppola, Director, Business Development, U.S. Market Access Center

“As a Chinese-American business leader at one of the largest global IT companies, I can truly attest to Melissa’s insight and knowledge about the German mindset and communication styles. I’ve read
numerous books about cross-cultural communication and this is a must-read for anyone working in a global business environment.”
Alice Leong, Global Vice President of Diversity, SAP

You may think, “German business book, what does that have to do with me in the United States?” Our world, especially business is becoming more global every day. Especially with the advancements and the never ending freight train that is social media, understanding how other business cultures work, could be extremely helpful to US businesses and entrepreneurs.

Just check out the Table of Contents on this book:

Chapter 1 – Big Talk, Myths & Status Symbols
Chapter 2 – Key #1: Seriousness Is a Virtue
Chapter 3 – Key #2: Be Reliable
Chapter 4 – Key #3: The Train Comes at 8:52 a.m.
Chapter 5 – Key #4: We Think the Opposite
Chapter 6 – Key #5: Email Builds Relationship
Chapter 7 – Key #6: “I need it yesterday” Doesn’t Motivate
Chapter 8 – Key #7: Directness Doesn’t Hurt
Chapter 9 – Stuff People Ask (FAQs)
Chapter 10 – Don’t Forget to Have Fun
Afterword
Appendices
Resources

Right there, you have some key points to learn about German business culture (and can possibly be something you may wish to use in your business.

About the Book*:

Many business leaders, when they begin to work overseas or interact professionally with teams abroad, are surprised by how much they thought they knew about the other culture, but how little it counts for on the ground. The reality is that communication is multi-dimensional, and simply knowing a foreign language doesn’t mean one automatically understands the culture that goes with it. Idiom, psychological factors and cultural nuance all come into play. To grasp a culture, and communicate meaningfully to it, you need familiarity with language, of course, but also with non-verbal communication, customs, perceived values, and concepts of time and space.

Melissa Lamson, with years of experience in creating and nurturing high-performing global teams, understands how “It’s not enough to know the language!” In her book, No Such Thing as Small Talk, she focuses on Germany, a major business partner for the United States, and the country in which she has lived and worked for over a decade.

Business leaders today expect to face cultural differences when they do business with, for example, China or Brazil. But with a Western, industrialized country like Germany, one that displays a business etiquette and work ethic similar to the United States, it is easy to overlook the differences simply because so much appears, on the surface, to be the same. The differences are not in your face but subtle. And these small, yet critical, differences are exactly what Melissa’s book will help you identify, respect and bridge.

Melissa succinctly presents what she calls seven keys, or principles, to unlocking the German business mind. Her principles, whether they relate to process, punctuality, discipline or email communication, are insightful, personal and compelling. Not only does she clearly lay out the differences, but she also offers a cultural perspective that is rich with personal narrative.

If you plan to be in any way professionally engaged with Germany–whether you wish to participate in trade fairs, carry out negotiations with partners or colleagues, discuss schedules or terms with customers, or even apply for a job in Germany–the appropriate cultural understanding, as this book describes, will create mutual trust and will quite likely be the key to your business success.

About Melissa*:

Back in the U.S. after ten years based in Europe, Melissa Lamson is a pioneer in the field of cross-cultural communication and global business development. She has run projects in more than thirty countries, working with Fortune Global 500 companies, governments, nonprofits, SMEs, foreign investors, and C-level executives across all industries.

In 2008, Melissa was nominated as one of 25 top female entrepreneurs in Europe and she was among the first female-owned businesses to receive an award from the German Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Melissa is regularly invited to speak on the topic of global business development and she guest lectures in executive MBA programs in Europe and the United States.

To find out how your company can benefit from Melissa’s expertise, visit www.lamsonconsulting.com

You can purchase a copy of ‘No Such Thing as Small Talk’ online on the publisher site, Happy About or on Amazon. *I did receive a digital copy of this book from the publisher to help in the promotion of the book.

Next, I would like to introduce you to a book on the business book list on Amazon and on my reading list: ‘The Innovation Playbook’.

The Innovation Playbook

by Nicholas J Webb

“As the CEO of a multi million dollar corporation that was a start-up, I have worn many hats over the last fifteen years. I found The Innovation Playbook Well worth the money and time to read.
Webb covered many points I had never learned or in some cases, simply forgotten . In these challenging economic times, his “value strata” and “conduits of connectivity” pages hit home for me.
I found it to be a easy read that was well thought out and written.
I recommend it for anyone trying to improve their business or department.”
-Robert Mather, Amazon review

About the Book*

A complete roadmap to a revolution in business excellence founded on innovation

Author and successful innovator Nicholas Webb believes we need a revolution in business excellence founded on innovation. In The Innovation Playbook, you will learn why innovations fail, the five rules of customer connectivity, the power of “real open” innovation and customer co-creation, the secret formula for reducing product and market risk, the magic of Future-casting, and so much more.

* Includes an abundance of anecdotes and examples of successful-and unsuccessful-innovation
* Shares the 56 ways in which innovations fail
* Learn the success secrets of “Innovation Superstars”
* Reduce innovation failure and build speed to market

Includes online training a ($150.00 value) that will help you put the theory into practice, The Innovation Playbook will prepare you to get your CIS Certification, as well as to implement a successful innovation culture in corporate life.

About Nicholas*:

Nicholas J. Webb is a successful inventor, entrepreneur, author and management consultant in the field of innovation and customer relationship management. He has served as the CEO of several successful technology firms including Myocure, Inc. a pioneer in refractive ophthalmic surgery. He is the founder of Nupak Medical, LLC a medical product-manufacturing firm. He has also served as a CEO with several other technology- related companies. He is a successful inventor having been awarded over 35 patents from the US Patent and Trademark Office. His technologies range from one of the world’s smallest medical implant to industrial and computer technologies. He currently serves as the CEO of Lassen Innovation, providing strategic innovation and management consulting services, and has attained certification as a Certified Management Consultant. His client list represents some of the best companies and research organizations in the world. He is a prolific book author; his most recent books include The Innovation Playbook-a revolution in business excellence and The Digital Media Innovation Playbook-creating a transformative customer experience (Wiley). Nicholas is a frequent speaker and workshop leader at vertical industry conferences as well as innovation, licensing and technology forums around the world. Nick combines his own personal experience of “having been there” with a proven strategy for increasing profits and market share through a combination of leading-edge innovation methods and general business best practices. He lives in Northern California with his wife of twenty years and his four children.
*courtesy of book website and Amazon

You can purchase a copy of ‘The Innovation Playbook’ on Amazon.

I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them.

Social Media & Blogging-Panel of Questions (Part 3)

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors to help manage their social media marketing & promotion. As part of my job I read a lot of books (and I love to read anyway!). I am here to offer a weekly post about one book author I am working with and one book I have put on my reading list.

I am mixing things up (again! – you can read part 1 and part 2) for my weekly blog post . I thought I would ask a few of the authors I have highlighted to offer their strategies and tips regarding blogging and social media.

Panel Discussion about Blogging and Social Media

Here are the authors offering their own insights and strategies regarding blogging and social media:
Kimberly Wiefling – Executive Editor of the Scrappy About Series, is a proven expert in enabling people to achieve what seems impossible, but is merely difficult. She is the author of one of the top project management books in the US,”Scrappy Project Management: The 12 Predictable and Avoidable Pitfalls Every Project Faces, a book growing in popularity around the world, and recently published in Japanese by Nikkei Business Press. And the newest in the Scrappy About series, Scrappy Women in Business.

She founded Wiefling Consulting, LLC, a global leadership and business management consulting firm, in 2001. She currently spends about half of her time working with high-potential leaders in Japanese companies as the Executive Director for ALC Education’s Global Management Consulting Group, an organization based in Tokyo, Japan. Her work includes facilitating leadership, communication, teamwork, innovation and execution excellence workshops to enable Japanese companies to solve global problems profitably.

Miranda Marquit is a blogger and freelance writer working from home. She has five years experience in the blogging and social media space, mainly providing content and support for corporate blogs. Miranda understands the importance of blogging and social media in online marketing and community building, and enjoys interacting and networking via the Internet.

In addition to professional blogging, Miranda is a freelance writer with a Journalism degree. Her work has appeared in national magazines and on news Web sites. She is also a columnist for her local newspaper. Miranda enjoys reading, music, travel, and the outdoors. Her favorite activities involve using her hobbies as a way to spend time with her husband and their six-year-old son. Miranda lives with her family in Logan, Utah. She is the co-author of Community 101: How to Grow an Online Community.

Karen Pierce Gonzalez
Since 2000, Karen Pierce Gonzalez Public Relations has provided public relations services for businesses, non-profits, art and culture organizations and individual professionals locally, regionally and nationally. Founder and president Karen Pierce Gonzalez has twenty-five years experience in the media having worked as a journalist for such media as the San Francisco Chronicle, Marin Independent Journal, and Point Reyes Light, newspapers as well a numerous local and national magazines, including North Bay Biz and Australian Trade Community Journal. She knows what makes the news and what does not.

Karen specializes in identifying newsworthy angles about her clients’ events and activities and obtaining news coverage from appropriate media outlets. She also helps clients maximize their advertising budgets by developing media sponsorships. She works with clients to utilize these sponsorships to generate the community support of businesses and other groups.

She earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in anthropology linguistics and in creative writing from Sonoma State University. A published fiction and non-fiction writer with numerous awards to her credit including a 2006 Pushcart Prize nomination, 2006 Editors’ Choice Farmhouse Magazine, 2005 National League of American Pen Women award for fiction, 2004 National League of American Pen Woman award for creative nonfiction, and 2002 California Writers award for nonfiction, she is also the author of “Family Folktales: Write Your Own Family Stories” and is CEO/Publisher of FolkHeart Press.

Here is what they have to say about blogging and social media:

How long have you been blogging?

KW: I started blogging in Sept. 2006 when I helped co-found the first university-affiliated blog on project management: http://svprojectmanagement.com/author/kwiefling And I started my own blog in January 2008 when I had a new year’s resolution to expand my business using the internet. I now also write for several other blogs once every 2 – 3 months: Career Shorts, Whole Life Well Being and Project Connections

MM: 5 years

KPG: Five years.

What subjects do you cover with your blog?
KW: Business leadership
Global business leadership
Project management
Program management
Well being
Breakthrough thinking
Personal and professional development

MM: Mostly personal finance

KPG: Folkheart Press covers folklore-related topics (folk art, food lore, folktales, folk festivals, etc.)

Why do you blog?
KW: I love to write, and I learn when I write. And I believe it makes me more well known, which increases my value to my clients and my agents.

MM: I enjoy writing. Plus, it’s my job — I’m a professional blogger!

KPG: It is a way to introduce others to the world of folklore and to Folkheart Press. In today’s cyberspace world, it is important to have a presence.

What is the one blogging tip you have to share with others?
KW: Write about topics about which you have personal knowledge and experience, and keep the tone conversational and authentic. Don’t write a newspaper article style blog!

MM: Write about something you enjoy.

KPG: Make the blogs fun and brief. No one expects to read a novel when they visit a blog.

How long have you been using social media (twitter, facebook, linkedin) for your business?

KW: About 3 years

MM: 4 years

KPG Five years.

When it comes to social media— do you prefer one platform over the others?( facebook, twitter or linked in)
KW: I use Twitter to update my personal and professional connections about my status. This pushes automatically to Facebook, Plaxo and LinkedIn.
I use Facebook Fan page for Scrappy Women in Business book, and updates push to a Twitter account that I have linked to that.

MM: I actually really like fwisp, a social media niche site devoted to finance. I do like using Facebook and Twitter, though.

KPG: Facebook

Why do you like one of the others?
KW: Twitter is quick and easy, and seems to be the micro-blogging platform of choice. I can also monitor mentions of my key words on Twitter using Social Oomph.
Facebook is “cool”. Linked In is more business serious, but that’s not my style. And Plaxo is not a player really.

MM: I like fwisp because it has good spam controls, and it offers a range of stories in the personal finance blogosphere. Finding good social media communities in your niche is, I think, important.

KPG: Facebook allows for website link images which adds value to the posting.

What is one social media tip you have to share with others?

KW: Keep in mind that your life isn’t nearly as interesting to other people as you might think. Choose what you share with that in mind lest you be one of the people we make fun of for tweeting “My cat rolled over.” or other trivia.

MM: Choose a few social media communities and focus on those. Don’t try to build a good account at every site or group ; you’ll never be able keep up with it all.

KPG: Be informative and don’t sell, sell, sell. It’s annoying.

Thanks ladies for these great, helpful tips and for sharing your strategies about blogging and social media.
And if you have tips and resources that help you, please add to the discussion.

Social Media Book List: #PRIVACYtweet & Share This!

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow of Key Business Partners, LLC

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors & writers to manage their book promotion and social media marketing. As part of my job I read a lot of books (I love to read anyway!).

This week I will be highlighting two books; one author I am currently working with ‘#PRIVACYtweet’ by Lori Ruff and one book on the social media Amazon list ‘Share This!’ by Deanna Zandt.

The books I discuss in the Social Media Book List Series will cover a range of topics such as social media, marketing, blogging, business, organization, career building, finance, networking, writing, self development, and inspiration.

‘#PRIVACYtweet:Addressing Privacy Concerns in the Day of Social Media’

by Lori Ruff

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“Whatever you believe about online privacy and its implications on your life and business, this book will help you better understand what you need to believe.”
Jay Deragon, @JDeragon, Coauthor The Virtual Handshake, The Emergence of The Relationship Economy, and http://www.relationship-economy.com, one of the top 150 blogs in the world

“Very relevant, entirely timely, proper perspective: all the elements you want when you’re going to learn.”
JoshuaABarnes, @joshuaatbarnes, Director of Information Technology, Socialmatica, Inc.

Here are a few of the tweets from the book:

#2 You can’t hide in The Cloud. If you’re going to participate in the online community, do it with deliberation & thought.

#13 Being online is like being a player on a professional football team. You know you’re being watched. Act like it.

#15 Business professionals need to be on LinkedIn and engaged. Share only what you would at your office.

#35 Bullying is not only alive and well; it is more common than you’d hope. Call out cyberbullying: help those attacked.

#48 Did your computer come with security software? Use it, keep it updated, run it on schedule. It will
help save your A$&.

#76 Each individual has sole responsibility for posts published in any form of online social media. Via @maltaee

About the Book*:

Concerns about privacy are not new. Since time immemorial, we humans have valued and guarded our privacy, often jealously or violently. It is therefore no surprise that privacy online is of such great concern in our connected world. Today, when we conduct so much of our life online–bank transactions, credit card payments, transmission of personal messages and images to friends and family–it is completely understandable that we should be concerned about the privacy of our communication and information.

Privacy concerns in the virtual world are often compounded by lack of information and awareness. Not all of us are completely clear on how we should guard our privacy on the Internet. Especially in the corporate world, privacy becomes a huge concern, since it is not only the individual employee who can be at risk, but co-workers and the corporate entity too. Can privacy be guaranteed? How can you raise employee awareness on privacy issues? These are just a few of the questions that Lori Ruff is so well-qualified to address.

In #PRIVACYtweet , Lori tells you–in the succinct and ever-popular tweet format–what exactly privacy on the Internet means to your organization. To cite just one example, she addresses the need for privacy issues to be part of a hiring firm’s requirements and why they must be in line with customer relations. You don’t have to be an Internet guru to perceive and benefit from her experience and wisdom. Using Lori’s book you can secure your privacy at the individual, group and corporate levels without paranoia. Read PrivacyTweet to clear the fear, so that you approach the Internet with caution, yet confidence.

About Lori*:
Lori Ruff, author of numerous books and famed speaker at conferences and training sessions, has taught technology and Internet courses since 1999 and helped thousands of people find success online. She is now living her life out loud in the social media world.

Dubbed The LinkedIn Diva, Lori is the 9th most connected woman on LinkedIn, with a full Facebook friends list and close to 50,000 followers on Twitter.

You can purchase a copy of ‘#PRIVACYtweet:Addressing Privacy Concerns in the Day of Social Media’ online on the publisher site, Happy About or on Amazon. *I did receive a copy of this book from the publisher to help in the promotion of the book

Next, I would like to introduce you to a book on the social media list on Amazon and on my reading list: ‘Share This! How you will change the world with Social Media’.

Share This! How you will change the world with Social Media

by Deanna Zandt

“If you are an activist or a concerned citizen and you are new to social media, start with Share This! Deanna Zandt has deep knowledge, broad experience, a knack for clear and simple explanation, a talent for storytelling, and a wonderfully engaging voice.”
–Howard Rheingold, author of Smart Mobs and lecturer, University of California Berkeley and Stanford University

About the Book*

Social networks can be so much more than a way to find your high school friends or learn what your favorite celebrity had for breakfast. They can be powerful tools for changing the world. With Share This! both regular folks of a progressive bent and committed activists can learn how to go beyond swapping movie reviews and vacation photos (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

At the moment the same kinds of people who dominate the dialog off-line are dominating it online, and things will never change if that doesn’t change. Progressives need to get on social networks and share their stories, join conversations, connect with others–and not just others exactly like themselves. It’s vital to reach out across all those ethnic/gender/preference/class/age lines that exist even within the progressive camp. As Deanna Zandt puts it, “creating a just society is sort of like the evolution of the species–if you have a bunch of the same DNA mixing together the species mutates poorly and eventually dies off.”

But there are definitely dos and don’ts. Zandt delves into exactly what people are and are not looking for in online exchanges. How to be a good guest. What to share. Why authenticity is more important than just about anything, including traditional notions of expertise or authority. She addresses some common fears, like worrying about giving too much about yourself away, blurring the lines between your professional and personal life, or getting buried under a steaming heap of information overload. And she offers detailed, nuts-and bolts “how to get started” advice for both individuals and organizations.

The Internet is upending hierarchies and freeing the flow of information in a way that makes the invention of the printing press seem like an historical footnote. Share This! shows how to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity to make marginalized voices heard and support real, fundamental change–and, incidentally, have some fun doing it.

About Deanna Zandt*:

Deanna Zandt is a media technologist and the author of Share This! How You Will Change the World with Social Networking (forthcoming: Berrett-Koehler, June 2010). She is a consultant to key progressive media organizations including AlterNet and Jim Hightower’s Hightower Lowdown, and hosts TechGrrl Tips on GRITtv with Laura Flanders. Zandt specializes in social media, and is a leading expert in women and technology. She works with groups to create and implement effective web strategies toward organizational goals of civic engagement and empowerment, and uses her background in linguistics, advertising, telecommunications and finance to complement her technical expertise. She has spoken at a number of conferences, including the National Conference on Media Reform, Bioneers, America’s Future Now (formerly “Take Back America,”) Women Action & The Media, and provides beginner and advanced workshops both online and in person.

In January 2009, Deanna was chosen as a fellow for the Progressive Women’s Voices program at the Women’s Media Center. She also serves as a technology advisor to a number of organizations, including Feministing, The Girls & Boys Projects and Women Action & The Media.

In addition to her technology work, Deanna writes and illustrates graphic stories and comics, and volunteers with dog rescue organization Rat Terrier ResQ.

*courtesy of book website and Amazon

You can purchase a copy of ‘Share This!’ on Amazon.

I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them.