My friend Michael Libbie emailed me today and asked if I’d be a guest on the Hwy 6 Radio show tomorrow morning. The scheduled guest couldn’t make it in, so I’m getting the call. Show starts at 7:00 am, I’ll be on during the last 30 minutes.

Why a Blog Coach on a rural lifestyle show in Iowa? Hey, Blogging Like a Farmer is motto around here.

I’m getting to be a regular on WOW 98.3 FM after I guested on Jim Goodman’s Iowa Business Hour on Wednesday.

"Deciders Suffer Alone; Nondeciders Make Everyone Else Suffer" – Wall Street Journal, 11/8/05

I was recently reminded of this article and found the spirit of the headline holding some truth. But isn’t indecision actually a decision?

Eleven years ago next month, we decided to bring Lucy into our family. We made multiple visits to the SPCA before deciding. There were two small dogs that Cindy liked equally well. Both had come from the same home. Yet, at the end of each trip, Cindy was undecided.

On our final visit, we agreed if Cindy couldn’t decide, I would make the call. Knowing a decision would be made (and that I had always preferred bigger dogs), Cindy decided Lucy was part of our family.

As we were getting ready to leave, a family came in asking for both of the small terrier pups. Luckily for us, Cindy had made a decision. If she hadn’t, we wouldn’t have Lucy. Indecision is a decision.

Good call, Cindy. I now prefer small dogs. It’s unlikely we’ll ever find another like Lucy.

Last year, I attended the John Stoddard Rally Against Cancer for the first time. My good friends Coral and Kim Johnson host the event and wow, do they throw a party!

This year, in addition to an unforgettable dinner and both a silent and live auction, former NFL quarterback Craig Morton will be the guest speaker. Plus, there’s always a surprise or two.

Brooke Johnson gives some history of the event and how her family became involved.

Great fun, great cause. There’s still time to register and I hope to see you there.

In hotels, Dialing 8 was calling long distance. In baseball, Dialing 8 is a home run. In blogging, Dialing 8 is a set of posts from a blogger that I find lasting long and being strong – the cornerstones.

Manage to Change by Ann Michael

1. Manage to Change Manifesto
2. Manage to Change
3. Two Perspectives That Gets Us Nowhere
4. Why Cook?
5. Blending or Balance?
6. My Way is the Only Way
7. Strategy Minus Execution = Philosophy
8. Blogging and Me!

There are also two series Ann wrote that are key:

• The Change Resistors: Outline – Thirteen solid posts that I’d pay for if it were a White Paper. For now, it’s free.
• Solopreneurs: Business Development Relationships – Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

I’ve had the privilege of speaking to Ann. Her energy and enthusiasm offline is addictive! I’m thankful she’s sharing her voice with us.

More Manage to Change: RSS Feed | Ann’s MyBlogLog Community | LinkedIn Profile

It was just a few months ago I wrote I was Married to Panera. It’s not because of the Wi-Fi, I bring my own.

Everyone looked forward to gatherings and workshops at Panera U. It had become a cult classic and the environment for business meetings was great as we gathered and worked. Word spread far and wide, from Connecticut to New Mexico and points in between.

When we hold workshops at 6:30 AM, I’m sure the crowd of a dozen or more makes a profitable hour. Often, the workshop breaks up and folks have conveniently setup meetings with others, adding to the tally.

Several weeks ago, I shared with the franchise owner and marketing director how to read feeds when I found this story. They shrugged it off and said if people didn’t like it, they could go to Starbucks. Ouch!

A little over a week ago, my friend and customer Doug Mitchell had a bit of a challenge with "my" Panera. It hurt seeing two parties I love have an out and I alerted the folks at Panera with an email, saying in part:

"…since we share a dilemma, what are we going to do about this?  If my customers – our customers – continue to complain to me about your restaurant, I’ll have little alternative but to find a different place to convene."

No response. Not to Doug. Not to me. What am I to do? That’s easy for me. I’m growing to fond Starbucks, Amici’s, Caribou, Bella Beans, Java G’s, The Village Bean, Friedrichs…but I’m a relationship nut and don’t break them easily. Suggestions anyone?

All I was hoping for was a response to Doug. Instead, all we got was this:

Photo on Flickr by avantard

In hotels, Dialing 8 was calling long distance. In baseball, Dialing 8 is a home run. In blogging, Dialing 8 is a set of posts from a blogger that I find lasting long and being strong – the cornerstones.

Tell Ten Friends by Jordan Behan

1. Relationship Marketing in a New Media World
2. Let the Community Do The Marketing
3. An Entry Level Guide to Video Blogging
4. SEO 2.0 or Social Media Optimization
5. Give Them a Reason
6. Give Meaning Changing Charity for the Better
7. Why American Idol is so Popular
8. Great Web Copy Series – Part 4: Blog! (See all seven parts)

I didn’t include any of the posts from Jordan’s archives on Blogger, but there’s some good stuff  over there, too.

More Tell Ten Friends: RSS Feed | Squidoo Lens | MyBlogLog Community | CafePress

A few projects I’m going to try to tackle (or get started) by the end of the year:

1. Redesign: With over half of the traffic coming from search engines, comments, and links to particular posts – I know the home page isn’t as important as it once was. Yet, there is an expectation when someone visits for the first time – especially if they aren’t familiar with blogs. I’ve been looking at Meryl’s Notes and may emulate something along those lines.
2. Business Blogging Map: I’d like to put together an image map like those cartoon renderings of a town – like the ones a small town would often issue each year. One building would have a sign for Hotel and point to a list of hotels and inns that blog. Another would list the restaurants and coffee houses that blog. That sort of thing.
3. Book: My publisher reminded me that the Congratulations, It’s a Blog post would work for books too. Message delivered. Manuscript forthcoming.
4. OPML Files: I’d really like to put each section of my blogroll into a single feed. Same goes with the MyBlogLog communities I’ve joined. Maybe I should outsource this piece.
5. Audio Casts: My buddy Brett Rogers planted a seed of an idea. An audio version of each post – maybe a larger file at the end of the week. Not really a podcast, just something available for a download-and-commute.

In hotels, Dialing 8 was calling long distance. In baseball, Dialing 8 is a home run. In blogging, Dialing 8 is a set of posts from a blogger that I find lasting long and being strong – the cornerstones.

Make it Great! by Phil Gerbyshak, R.G.

1. How to be a Relationship Geek
2. Why Make it Great?
3. The Power of Positivity
4. A Positive Attitude – A CURE for What Ails You
5. All You Need is Love
6. Be an Extreme Leader
7. It’s All My Fault
8. The Power of Networking

And a few that just missed the cut:

• Planting the Seeds of Greatness
• Want to Achieve Breakthrough Goals?
• 10 TTB for MIG
• Share the Light

I’ve yet to meet Phil in person or talk to him on the phone. We’ve sent hugs to and from via mutual friends. I do know this: I can, without hesitation, call Phil Gerbyshak my friend. How’s that for the power and benefits of blogging?

Here’s Phil with some of his friends (courtesy of FilmLoop):

Phil Gerbyshak – I Love You! Keep Dialing 8 and Making it Great!

Previously: David Armano | Kami Huyse

I’d love to share with you the videos and viral (?) campaign started by the Greater Des Moines Partnership – but they won’t let me don’t make it easy.

I’d love to be able to embed the videos and sticky notes right into this post or sidebar so you could get a glimpse of the city I call home – but they won’t let me. don’t make it easy.

All I can do is send the traffic to the GDMP site. So please, visit the GDMP site to see the Fun Video Clips or E-Postcards and share them on your site – if you can.

Disclosure: I’m a member of this organization. I’m fond of the group of people I’ve worked with on different projects. Who is making the decisions on this un-viral campaign?

Make it easy for users to spread your story. The destination is Des Moines, not the GDMP.

I did find this on YouTube:

Rosa Say has cooked up a fantastic brew of Leadership Soup with Hō‘ike‘ike 2006—A Collection of Bloggers’ Bests on Management and Leadership.

Yesterday, I had a short article pointing to this great collection – but lost it with a hasty mouse click. Opportunity lost or opportunity found?

Without a doubt – opportunity found. It gave me a chance to take time and read each post included in this treasure of loving leadership and magical management.

I’ll be sharing a few nuggets from these posts over the next few days, here’s an appetizer:

David Zinger - Concentration: The Art of Loving: "To lead is to lose sight of oneself as we unite with our people and our target."

Daniel Oestreich – On the Capability to Lead: "The stumbling block around adequacy is the assumption that confidence is about force rather than practice."

George Ambler – The Leader as an Artist: "Just as it takes an artist to teach art, it requires a leader to teach and coach others to become leaders."

Verna Wilder – Modern Day Philosophy: "It isn’t so much what we think about as how we think about it, how we explore our thoughts with others, how we open our minds to learn and accept and change our own philosophies."

EM Sky – Motivation & Rewards-You Can’t Buy Trust: "It’s important to remember that not trusting people often has more to do with us than it does with them."

If that’s not enough, you can visit the celebration at Hō‘ike‘ike 2006. Still hungry? Check out Hō‘ike‘ike 2005.

Which post from the last year embodies this spirit of Leadership and Management?