Speaking of useful iPhone apps...want to try one?

A management coach and I would like your input on a concept. Here's a scenario and suggested answers. Email your answer and I'll respond with the scoring. But also let me know what you think of the concept of learning about or assessing your mastery of workplace challenges in bite-size formats.

Scenario:
You take your coaching role very seriously and you have told your remote employees that your door is always open. Dawn has taken you up on that and is calling frequently complaining about her team mate Shirley. You try to help her to take appropriate actions. But the calls are becoming more frequent and the issues seem more and more petty. What do you do? Choose one option below:


a. Continue to listen and help her through each situation – both Dawn and Shirley are critical to the team.
b. Offer to mention something to Shirley next time you speak to her.
c. Tell Dawn that she has to stop calling you – that these calls are taking time away from getting the work done
d. When you see it’s her calling, let it go to voicemail.

Email your answer to modza [at] odzaconsults.com. Thanks! And good luck!

What if everyone created an iPhone app?

What's that you say? They already have? No...there are only 35,000 (and counting) -- that's far from everyone...

Seriously, there are a lot, but the business section of the app store is less full, and since the iPhone has already made and is continuing serious inroads into the business world still (for the moment) dominated by Blackberry, now is a good time to get in. Read all about it:

• Gizmodo app store chart: Compares the different app stores of the leading handhelds. A little out of date, since the Palm Pre store is not yet fully leaked, but useful nonetheless.


• Flurry blog: iPhone analytics. Haven't used 'em yet, but seems essential, and the blog has some useful findings.


• Forbes: Making Money from iPhone apps: This is where I read about Flurry!

Social media: If you measure it, does it work?

Not more than a handful of years after social media started exploding, the advertising industry is trying to catch up (while the big, truly "social" but not specific networks themselves try to justify their high multiples). But measurement, and consistent measurement in particular, is a start:
IAB Doc Seeks to Nail Down Social Media's ROI - MarketingVOX

The key question that sparks innovation

“In science, the most exciting expression isn’t ‘Eureka!’ It’s ‘Huh?’” said Michael Hawley. (From Slipstream in the New York Times: "Intuition + Money: An Aha Moment" By JOHN MARKOFF, Published: October 11, 2008 (Registration required)

Do you need to know the cause of your problem before you attempt to solve it?

The presidential and vice-presidential debates to date have raised this issue (Palin on global warming; Obama vs. McCain on Iraq war, etc.), but I'm actually referring to the all-too-slowly improving web efforts of newspapers, in the face of their declining print circulation and advertising revenue.

Paul Farhi kicked off this round with a "Don't blame the journalism" piece in American Journalism Review, in which he blamed factors beyond the control of journalists, asserting that journalism is alive and well. Not quite, riposted Jeff Jarvis, BuzzMachine. In fact, "It is our fault", says Jeff.

So back to our original question: can newspapers (and journalists) realistically expect to fix their problems if they haven't acknowledged the cause?

Slightly off-topic, but a reminder: coffee is good for you!

Look for a photo of my new (okay, "refreshed") superautomatic espresso machine later today or tomorrow, but in the mean time, read this NY Times roundup of the latest research showing the health benefits of coffee!

My interests span: helping spread sustainability practices for profit using my interactive, social network, news, marketing and analytic abilities; editing/writing about science for the general public; statistical analysis, especially of intangibles such as quality of customer experience; evangelizing innovation approaches within companies; project management and 'getting things done.'

Goal-focused, with “peripheral vision”
Sponge for knowledge and trends, thought leader in online news and communication, revenue and business strategies
Rare balance of creative, analytic, strategic, sales, project management and presentation skills
Project management success across multiple departments
Consultative, ego-free approach to team or client management.
I’m passionate about technology, customers, reading and writing -- in all media -- and fighting global warming.

Specialties:

technology commercialization via patent licensing, spinoff company formation; public relations; online community/social network-building; online advertising strategy and sales; metrics analysis; survey design; customer soothing and service; disruptive innovation strategies; Excel spreadsheets, deep familiarity with value and constraints of Web tools: HTML, Photoshop, MySQL, PHP, JavaScript, content management and ad management systems.

Online strategy and execution for organizations: client needs analysis, core business analysis, shifting the core, customer base profile surveys and focus groups, directed brainstorming and 'Blue Ocean Strategy' development. Private-label social networks, advertising sales strategy, e-commerce, online marketing, cross-media integrated marketing and branding, survey design and interpretation, project management. Assessing profit opportunities in reducing carbon footprint and/or marketing products and services that combat global warming: