A thing I miss

Several otherwise unrelated things - the US primaries, upheavals some months ago in the Danish political world, some friendly teasing of a (now ex-) colleague as well as a general wish to procrastinate over a cup of coffee after lunch - made me re-read the ChangeThis manifesto.

And right in there, it says:

"We're unique in our ability to consider thoughtful arguments and change long-held beliefs. This flexibility is at the core of our democratic ideals. All too often, though, we're led to change our minds on the basis of charisma, not facts. People are so easily influenced by a charismatic leader, the kind of person we'd be eager to befriend, to have dinner with, to follow. We choose someone based on his personality and then do whatever he tells us to do.

It seems easier that way, and we all do it. We do it for the right boss or the right mate or the right political leader. We go to war or create a new product or move to Jonestown."

Isn't that - on average - frighteningly true? Didn't we use to have at least some voices who stood up and said: "Could you please explain that? Again? So that we all really understand?" Some more of the wee boys in 'The Emperor's New Clothes'?

I miss them. I miss some with the audacity to stand up and say "Hey, we won't let you get away with a soundbite. We want to know what you want/are there for/plan/think...!"

I want the ones asked to give answers. I'd actually not mind at all if they were to show doubt or a need to consider. I want us all to take time to read, ask and listen.

I wholeheartedly like and support the ChangeThis cause. But somehow I (cynically?) also think that despite the intentions, they'll end up preaching to the exisiting choir. Because the ones - the very many ones - that need to change are so far out of the habit of taking time to read, ask and listen that they wouldn't know the existence of ChangeThis.

So how do we get someone with bandwidth and credibility and - hell, yes, - charisma enough to make people drop just following the (very same) charisma and restart reading, thinking, asking and listening?

Now I've asked and you've read. Is that a beginning?

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http://changethis.com/

(cross-posted with some delays from H2G2 Journal Entry)

The art of direct mail

There’s probably both science and art in writing good direct E-mail newsletters.

I do not claim perfection in any way in this discipline – but over time, I guess we all see examples both on excellence and, ermm, not quite so excellent.

In the latter category, I received one today from a leading Scandinavian airline.

This issue of the newsletter - which I receive because I have signed up via my membership of the frequent flyer programme – has as the subject line: “Become a member and get 2.500 extra points”

Huh? Become a member? Sent out to, I assume, the full member list? What percentage of current members might say “OK, this issue is not relevant for me” and discard it directly?

I’d probably say that such a message should go to a filtered list where all the already-signed up members were filtered out. And then tailor an issue with relevant news for members to them. After all, that’s what databases are supposed to allow you to do in marketing. Or?

The sender and reply-to addresses are also worth a study. The newsletter is sent from an “info-(airline)@fly(airline).com” E-mail address. And then, below the sender address, in a nice box, it says: Please respond to “no-reply@fly(airline).com".

Reply to “no-reply”? Would you? Or would you be confused? I am…

He looks tired!

I love this one:

It’s from a ChangeThis manifesto by Jessica Hagy who masters the art of capturing many of life’s - maybe especially work life’s – schizmas.

I’m quite happy, by the way, that I do not do 7 am meetings. Except with the family around the kitchen table for breakfast.

Go see the rest of it here – it’s well worth it!

House building in three easy steps

1. Park truck, attach house to crane, push orange button to start lifting

2. Lift and swing house over hedge

(Note that truck already backed out – the road was probably not closed more than 30 minutes. That’s bad enough between 7:30 and 8 without advance notice, though – the road is a cul-de-sac)

3. Lower onto foundations

OK – these three steps will have to be repeated. As I drove off to work I saw two more big flatbed trucks with the remainder of the house. One with the first (second if you like) floor and one with – ermmm – other bits and pieces.

Photographic details: Exposure 1.28 seconds with the camera on the window sill (hence the decent sharpness and motion blur on the house), f3.2, no flash. It’s actually interesting how much stuff is written into the EXIF data of digital images…