Life In The Weeds

Who knows you

Everyone has heard the old adage, "It's not what you know, it's who you know". Well, today, in the networked world, the old line needs to be amended: "It's not who you know, it's who knows you". 

And, being accepted as a friend on Facebook, or accepted for connection on LinkedIn or followed on Twitter seldom counts.

So, how should "friends" be measured? Two ways. Who would I go out of my way for? Who would go out of their way for me?

The way you build that group is by going out of your way for someone else (first). 

Networking isn't about how many, but who.

O.D.O.o.O.D.B. 

(TY: Seth Godin)

Void Where Prohibited

"Void Where Prohibited". Isn't that like saying, "Illegal Where Illegal"?

Did someone really go to law school so he could create these kind of rules, I'm sure meant to keep us from doing irreparable harm to ourselves.

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

The quality of excuses

I read once that no one ever compliments you on the quality of your excuses.

Excuses might buy a little time (maybe) but excuses never move you closer to the prize or lift the impression others have of you.

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

Does your work have meaning

Ever read Chris Brogan, he is generally regarded as an uber social media expert (who speaks in layman's language).

Here's how he explains his craft - which I think is incredibly cool and shows that he has assigned real meaning to his work.

"I help people understand how these tools (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) let us be human at a distance, and/or humans extended".

Be human at a distance; Humans extended - now that has meaning.

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

My annoying big brother

My brother Kevin is 5 years older than I. When we were 8 and 13 years old, he made me a dollar bet. I won and when I triumphantly proclaimed to Kevin that he owned me a dollar, he said the following. I didn't say dollar, I said "doll hair". 

Now, even when you're eight and you know you're getting screwed - again - by your older brother, you can recognize creative genius. 

41 years later and I have not forgetten the "doll hair" screwing. 

O.D.O.o.O.D.B. 

Never Confuse Effort with Results

My father, Mark T. Concannon Sr. (1913-1997) used this line often and, as near as I can tell, he coined the quote (although there are many variants). I love the pithiness of his quote.

He told me: "Effort is not the same as results. Many people give great effort and try their best but don't get it done. Trying is not good enough. The only thing that counts is generating a meaningful result and you can never, ever, confuse the two". 

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

When the page is blank

"Where the hell were you when the page was blank?"

That's a line from one of my business mentors, Jack Crosby. Jack is a great guy and full of wisdom, distilled in ways that capture your attention and stay with you forever. 

I was a young know-it-all sales guy who was just promoted to the head office. I had to prepare a plan for a new initiative that Jack wanted to implement. I worked hard on it and then one Monday I pitched the plan to Jack and his key lieutenants. I didn't get very far before everyone started commenting ... why this, why that, why not more of this and less of that, and so on. I was on my heels. 

Jack stopped the session and intoned, "Where the hell were you geniuses when the page was blank?"

Creating something from nothing is hard work - sometimes very hard. While bad or incomplete work can never be excused, the person assigned to create something valuable from a blank slate deserves a certain amount of respect (especially on the first draft).

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.