Laura's Winning Ideas

I was amused when LinkedIn announced their decision to add links from member profiles to websites and blogs. I�m sure LinkedIn executives carefully considered the decision, worried it might dilute their traffic. Previously there were no links to connect LinkedIn with the outside web. I can hear the corporate skeptics now. “What happens if the visitor, who clicks out to a member’s site, doesn’t return to LinkedIn? That would be dangerous to our success…or would it?”

Transparency is profitable

I know what they will learn in the next few months…. (Read on ...)

“Remember, anal-retentive is only hyphenated when used as a unit modifier.”

from Mary Wise’s presidency speech at Leadership Day eons ago
Posted to STC CIC SIG listserv by Kit Brown of Comgenesis, LLC

Burnout is a biologic reality, not a psychological weakness.

The brain works by creating pathways for specific projects, like your last proposal. Communication is passed between cells along these synaptic pathways by electrical charges. The gap between cells has a conducting property. Think of it as a gel that holds a charge, similar to a battery.

Synaptic pathways wear out

When the synaptic pathway is fired continuously, like your last proposal, the gel loses its charge after awhile. Communication slows and takes on static. By the time you notice a slowdown, burnout has already occurred.

The gel will re-charge, but it takes a day or several, and the pathway must be closed to most traffic.

An Ounce and 40 Minutes of Prevention

Breaks are the only way to prevent this problem from slowing down your progress and ditching your proposal’s winning edge.

Make sure everyone on your team takes breaks. Meal breaks should include REAL FOOD, not fast food and last at least 40 minutes each. Your body needs time to redistribute fluids back to the brain after getting your digestive track lubricated and working. A walk around the outside of the building, a break for a snack of fresh fruit, a few minutes of music, a 20 minute nap. The proposal must not be discussed, reviewed, thought of or otherwise intrude during breaks. It takes awhile to get used to breaking for dinner and talking about anything BUT the proposal, but you can do it!

ACTION NEEDED: Assign someone the responsiblity to be the break police until you get this new habit established. Each person can be responsbile for coming up with one surprise break activity each day/week: 20 jumping jacks, wrapping gifts, everyone singing a song together, etc. These short breaks help you re-charge, and may also convince the folks down the hall that proposal folks are a cult.

Snag-it software allows you to capture images from anywhere and save them in a variety of formats. It is indespensible when creating a proposal and you need a screen shot for illustration.

I don’t use Photoshop, and this $40 software gets me by in almost every instance.

The latest version just came out and has a nifty feature I’m itching to find a use for. You can capture a web page and THE LINKS WORK. Very cool.

Put it on your expense account if you don’t already have it. The upgrade is $20, less than a half tank of gas. The full license version is $40, though I can’t believe you don’t already have Snag-It.