Do Not Be A Change Agent
Some people are just not cut out for it. Or probably better put, we are not always the best person for the job. Recently the interior, public spaces in our condo building got a "refresh". New paint, carpet, lights, etc. When we were notified the changes were going to be made, the new look that these areas were going to take on were described as "fresh" and "contemporary". I was invited to take a peek at color samples and such but since I am not an interior designer, I opted to pass. Plus, I don't own a unit in the building (we rent) so I really didn't have a dog in the fight. The irony is that as the paint and carpet went in, it was apparent to my wife and I that the changes made were very familiar and hardly contemporary --or at least in the way we think of that style. Being a young couple, I feel we have a pretty good feel for what the going trends in design at least look like, even if I couldn't recreate it. The final result is a older dated look was replaced with another older dated look. Honestly, it doesn't bother us, but it gave me reason to pause and ponder something.
Why wasn't the place "updated" or why wasn't the transformation successful? Sometimes taking initiative and stepping up isn't enough. We see this everywhere in our communities. Change, for the sake of change, wont necessarily create a renewed energy. People wont suddenly look at their neighborhood differently. Over at Strong Towns they would even go so far as to tell you not to spend a dime unless you are really, really sure the result will be productive.
Don't be a change agent unless you are willing and knowledgeable enough to make the necessary changes. And that is perfectly fine if you are not that person. Make it your goal to find someone that is better suited for the task and put them in a position of power. Hand them the keys and let their creative juices drive you somewhere you never would have thought of or were too scared to go. I wont be naive and say that you should hire a bunch of young people. A lot of companies have successfully used that model but it isn't the only solution. The key is to be able to reflect upon your own strengths and weaknesses and be confident in them enough that you can see where you could use the help. Now go hire or promote someone who can help you make the changes you have always wanted to make but never could seem to put together.
Google Currents fix for adding Google Reader error
I am not usually one to write a "how-to" post but I was getting an error in Google Currents that I think a lot of people are having and I found a solution.
Problem: Select the + "add more" button, scroll to Google Reader on the left and select Google Reader. If you are getting the error message "An unknown error occurred when searching for editions.", then most likely you have an unnamed feed in your Google Reader.
To fix this, go to your Google Reader, open up your Subscriptions and find that unnamed or Untitled Subscription feed. You can either delete that feed or rename it.
Open up Google Currents and try it again. It should work for you just fine.
I posted the fix also on in the Help Center for Google Reader:
Happy reading!
Momentum Matters
When was the last time your broke ground on a project? One of the challenges that small towns face is they are often spending more time fixing leaks than pouring new sidewalks or sweeping streets. You can't ignore the leaks, but you can't afford to ignore the power of momentum in your community.
One piece of advice that I have given over and over is that if you haven't poured a sidewalk lately, go pour one. If you haven't trimmed a tree this season, go trim one. Citizens thrive on progress. It is part of what gives them hope. Small towns live and die by the energy you get from the people that live there. For those that have lived or still live in a small town, you know what I am talking about. Will our town 'survive'?
Just like after a hard fall, sometimes the best thing you can do is get up and walk it out. Make 2012 the year you don't stop walking. Pace yourself, and keep focused on moving forward one small step at a time.
Just saying
If anyone wanted to purchase SidCity.com for me for Christmas ($3,688), it would be the nicest gift I have ever received.Kidding aside...
Happy holidays my friends.
+ $1
Social giving is on the rise. I love seeing websites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo take off. There is another thing I love (well, mostly) -- Google. So in honor of the new +1 button, I am suggesting a new kind of +1. The kind of +1 that might do more to help bloggers and journalists. I was reading the GOOD article, How $5 Changed The Way I Read The Internet, and was again encouraged to hear about another micro-giving movement, Five Dollar Friday. The concept is pretty cool. The idea is simple, give $5 every Friday to someone who creates content you liked. Jon Schwarz of A Tiny Revolution has outlined the idea here.
The key is it needs to show you if people in your circles have given and how many total have given. Just like +1's do right now. Just a thought. I know there are start-ups like Flattr that want to own this space, and are doing a great job of pushing more people to open up their wallets to reward content creators, but I think that a seamless integration into Google+ (your Google Profile) and Google Wallet would have far more wide-spread participation. Google is probably already thinking about how to make Google Wallet more social using Google+, so I doubt that the above example is a new idea to the engineers at Google. However, I feel it is important to voice my support for bringing these great products into the fray of social, micro giving --and the sooner the better. I am ready to starting sending little thank yous to the awesome writers I read using the tools I love.
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