American Express Open Forum: 8 Powerful Communication Lessons from the White House

Great article posted on OpenForum.com about how small businesses can utilize some of the tools the White House uses for communication (with examples). These are:

1. Multiple communication streams
2. Be Simple and Creative
3. Solicit Input
4. Use Photos and Video Liberally
5. Produce Lots of (Good) Segmented Content
6. Internal Cross Marketing
7. Nothing Beats Real-Time Information
8. Build Interactivity Into Everything You Do

Definitely worth reading for anyone that needs a communications plan for a business, entertainment career, or any other kind of professional or personal marketing.

The efficient Germans: Less Talk, More Action

I came across this post earlier today on American Express Open Forum that I thought was very interesting.

"...Americans view time as a currency in the workplace, as opposed to output. Meanwhile, Germans view results as the biggest indicator of results."

The redundancy of that second line aside, there are too many employers in the United States (*cough* Goldman Sachs *cough*) that are highly focused on face-time and think they are making up for it by assuming money is a better motivator than actually allowing their employees to see their families once in a while.

Columns like this one validate what I've always felt about people that routinely put in 10-, 12-, or 14-hour workdays, five-to-six days a week in the office: it's not a badge of honor as much as it's a mark of inefficiency. Get over yourself.