There is so much more information around us these days. It can be difficult to stay in the loop and on top of everything that's going on. It wasn't very long ago that you could get almost everything you needed by reading the morning paper and a handful of books. Now with the Internet, blogs, social media and self publishing the amount of information is mind blowing. So how do you stay on top of it all? In Tim Ferriss' book The 4-Hour Workweek he recommends a "low information diet." If you're reading this post you're either like me and don't agree with this strategy, or you just haven't read the book yet (which is kind of the point of this post). Personally I think it's really important to stay current. Knowing what's happening around you can help you better plan for the future, and it almost always gives you something to talk about. Isn't it nice to have some context and an opinion on a current event when someone brings it up rather than having to ask what they're talking about? I've heard it said before that "Leaders are Readers." There's a lot of truth in this statement. Business books can be a great place to make a connection. Just like having knowledge about a current event, having read the same book as someone else can make for a really interesting conversation. You can also add a lot of value for someone by recommending or buying a particular book for someone who you know the information would be useful to. I know, I know. We're all so busy. Now we're supposed to fit even more reading into our already hectic schedules? And that's exactly what I really wanted to talk about. I've always tried to read at least 1-2 books a month, but over the last few years I've not had the personal time to get that done. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with having 2 little girls. So, I've cheated! I started by borrowing a variety of audiobooks from friends and the library... Then I found Audible.com and my life has changed! I wish I'd known about this a long time ago, which is exactly why I wanted to share it with you. Now every minute I spend behind my windshield is productive. I just go to Audible.com, pick out a couple of books I'm interested in (I almost always have a healthy "wish list" to pick from), and download the books to my iPod. With this strategy I'm actually getting through more books than I did several years ago, before the kids, when I could find time to sit down and read a book. Often it's more interesting as well. Many of these audiobooks are read by their authors which gives you the tonality and inflection that can never be fully conveyed in the written word. One other resource I JUST learned about on Sunday thanks to good 'ol Skymall is getAbstract. This is another subscription service that provides executive summaries of over 5,000 books! The summaries are available as either 5 page .pdf documents, or .mp3 files. How cool is that? The ideal information setup is probably some combination of the above services. Currently I primarily use Audible, but for the books that I find I really enjoy I often will also buy a regular paper book. Now I'm considering the addition of getAbstract to help me choose which books to invest in without wasting time and money on the duds. [Full Disclosure: All of the links above are affiliate links, and if you choose to use any of these services I will receive a small commission. However, I would make these same recommendations with or without the cash incentive. Besides, most of the earnings will likely just fund my own business book habits] How do YOU stay in the loop? Happy Networking! Scott Ingram NetworkInAustin.com

I've noticed lately that too may people are missing out on the opportunities that a good e-mail signature provides. Setting up an e-mail signature that automatically pops up every time you send a message is really easy and only takes a few minutes to create if you don't already have one. The advantages are numerous. Here are just a few examples of why you want to make sure you always include your own e-mail signature, and be sure it includes your contact information. 1) If someone is going to e-mail a virtual introduction about you they can just cut and paste your signature. Save them the trouble of having to look-up your contact details and retype them. 2) When your e-mail is received on someone's Blackberry or iPhone it's now just one click to call you. 3) If your e-mail is forwarded to someone else they easily click on the links you've provided to learn more about you and your company. 4) It lets your friends know where else they can find you. Would they have otherwise known you were on Twitter? Are you effectively using your own e-mail signature? I'm not suggesting it's perfect, but here's what you'll find at the bottom of each one of my e-mail messages: Happy Networking! -Scott Scott Ingram Founder & CEO Direct: 512-646-2701 Mobile: 512-689-5595 scott@networkinaustin.com www.NetworkInAustin.com Business Networking in Austin Blog Twitter: @ScottIngram & @NetworkInAustin Contact Me:

I very seriously hope I'm not proven wrong, but it appears this Swine Flu thing has been blown way out of proportion. In fact I'm trying to distill the marketing lesson from this whole episode since as near as I can tell "Swine Flu" just has way better branding than any other previous flu. I was amazed to learn that 30,000 - 36,000 Americans die from season flu each year. This is a good reminder though. A few years ago a wrote a similar post: Networking in the Cold and Flu Season (Sick of Networking?) There was a really useful and rather amusing video I referenced in that post from the Centers for Disease Control: Why Don't We Do It In Our Sleeves? I hadn't heard about this at the time, but more recently have heard that this is what they're teaching our kids in school. Good stuff. Hopefully you do it in your sleeves, otherwise you should watch the video. Personally I think the real lesson this time around is this: If you're not feeling well and think you have some type of cold or flu... Stay Home!!! It's a hard thing to do as we're all crazy busy and have too much to get done, but it's the right thing to do. Not only will you keep others from sharing in your disease, but you'll probably recover faster given the opportunity to rest. Oh, and a very special thanks to Oscar Davila (@KeepAustinWierd) for throwing together this image for me. It's not what I was thinking when I put the request out to my Twitter friends, but his revised headshot is even funnier than what I had in mind. Thanks Oscar! Happy Networking! -Scott Ingram NetworkInAustin.com

Jason Stoddard wrote an incredible response to my "Brain Picking is Rude" post that he's agreed to allow me to share as a Guest Blog Post. This is lengthy, but well worth taking the time to read it especially if you liked my original post: *** Great catalyst to conversation, Scott. This subject is especially close to home with me. As an entrepreneur and advertising and marketing professional specializing in core creative, concept development, strategy planning, and execution there is not a day that goes by that I am not directly or indirectly asked by another for a brain-picking session (over lunch, of course.) I am nothing more than my ideas, and in this, my ideas are my product. Whether it is my Mother calling me about constituent-facing communication for her for-benefit, or a passing stranger indirectly asking me to identify choke-points in their marketing programs off the cuff at a happy hour or mixer, the presumptuous nature of the engagement is generally the same. Michelle Greer and I enjoyed a "conversation" on this very topic over gchat on the heels of her  Austin-American Statesman Texas Social Media award. Michelle receives more "brain-picking opportunities" than most because of the nature of her professional service and her willingness to serve others. Though Michelle's challenges vary slightly from mine, there are like variables. Most of us are compelled to share and pay it forward, but unless we do so on our terms, we ultimately devalue our positioning and standing in the marketplace of ideas.   Scott correctly identified the three major challenges individuals and organizations experience when informally engaging or being engaged others: reciprocity in idea diffusion, monetizing time management with organization, and encoding and decoding of concepts, values and general communication. Though I am currently working through my own personal solution, here are the solutions I've established to date: Resolution: It is absolutely essential that the "pickee" set the expectation, process and methodology for exchange the very minute the "picker" attempts to engage. Establishing an expectation is essentially setting the protocols of the engagement. If said expectation (read: protocol(s)) is disagreeable to the "picker", the "picker" has the opportunity to voluntarily disengage; whereas if said expectation (read: protocol(s)) is agreeable, they have voluntarily chosen to engage on the "pickee's" terms. 1) Reciprocity, Idea Diffusion Do a quick search on a "for benefit organizations' blogs". Many of these blogs/web sites contain a "wish list" established by the executive director of the organization to further embolden the organization's tangible, albeit them ancillary, goals and objectives. Not unlike these "for benefit" organizations, individuals that are often queried or asked for a brain-picking session would do well to establish their own "wish list" so that when asked for an engagement (read: brain picking session) the "pickee" can direct the "picker"to the list and establish early-on that in order to maintain a reciprocal relationship of honor, respect and value, there IS something of very little monetary value that the "picker" can do, or procure in order to respect the time, energy and value of the "pickee." The onus is then on the "picker" to follow-thru, post-engagement should they choose to engage in the first place. In the event the "picker" does not follow through, the "pickee" should physically and/or mentally note that the "pickee" is probably not a good match for future engagement. 2) Monetizing time management with organization We've all heard the cliche "time is money" and it is cliche because it is true. Streamline your in-person meetings, and in doing so, you'll be closer to both effective communication and monetizing the investment of time. Enclosed below is a pre-meeting survey. It is nothing earth shattering, but  based on my resolution and belief that it is the "pickee's" responsibility to set the expectation, I usually include said survey when I am asked to meet with anyone, including my Mom. Is it too formal? Maybe. But at the same time, in a market that is often laid back to a fault (Austin), it sets the expectation that if you want to meet with me, I am going to do everything I can to make sure we get things done--indirectly communicating that "getting things done" is my top priority. *** Please let me know the following (in advance) so that we maximize our time together. meeting time: place: expected length of meeting? Is the meeting related to [picker's business], [pickee's and picker's mutual interest], [pickee's personal interest] and/or all/both? top level motivation to meet with me, specifically: top level expectation to meet with me, specifically: Have you met with anyone else for the same reasons? If so, did it fall-short, meet or exceed your expectation? What did you learn? What three things do you hope to garner from this meeting (please be very granular)? 1. 2. 3. Of these three things, what is immediately actionable? Would it be beneficial to develop a brief "first thought, best thought" action plan before closing our in-person collaboration? do any of the action items require additional resources (people, finance, time, assets, collateral, etc.)? If so, identify and explain as best you can. Looking forward to collaborating. [Salutation], *** By way of anecdote: someone recently requested a lunch and responded to this survey with "The time it takes to complete this survey would be better served just talking about it over lunch." I responded, "The pre-meeting is more important than the meeting itself as it gives us the chance to get to the core of the matter. I want to assist you the best way I know how. This is a first step to that end. Please complete the survey." The same person cancelled the lunch meeting later the same day. I gained no less than 1.5 hours in my week and garnered a closer understanding of the person making the request: they did not voluntarily commit to the protocol/expectation I set, so chances are we were not a good match for exchange/collaboration. Additionally, it should be noted that the head can endure no more than the ass can support. In other words, a typical lunch is an hour, and of this hour, you should spend no more than 30 minutes discussing the impetus to meet in the first place. Based on the response to the survey, you can usually determine if 30 minutes is enough time to accomplish the objective of the in-person. The balance of the time should be spent enjoying the meal, enjoying the company, discovering other points of mutual interest, and allowing your mind and body to decompress and reflect; afterall, immediately after lunch is the second-best of time of day to maximize productivity, second only to early morning (or late evening for you night owls).  If more time is warranted, pre-schedule that time before the initial meeting for a second and possibly a third meeting. Again, the onus is on the "pickee" to set and reset the expectation. You'll find the initial get-together a good indicator of the balance of time needed to satisfy the motivations and expectations of both parties. Engage accordingly. 3) Encoding and Decoding of concepts, values and general communication. Goethe said "...reading any translation is like viewing a tapestry from behind." In college, Dr.Cheatam (the then Dean of the Dept. of Communications at Texas State) taught me that all communication is nothing more than encoding and decoding; the closer the respective people are to like terms and definitions, the more effective the exchange. Do you remember playing a game of "grapevine" as a kid? Your experience with the game is not unlike any communication--as statements of fact go through multiple exchanges and iterations, there is a greater probability the communication (idea diffusion) will be compromised. And even in a one-to-one conversation there is a very good chance communication can and will be misinterpreted. For this reason, regardless of the communication medium, it is a best practice to consistently ask the person you're communicating with "do I understand you correctly, when you say...?" Diversity of perspective is valuable, but it should be conceded that in all expressive and receptive communication, the same diversity can be a liability because respective people come from their own culture, history, bias, profession, trade, nomenclature, priority, value system, style, etc. when engaging other people. If social life (and subsequently idea diffusion) is all about understanding and being understood, you'll find you're better able to distill any conversation down to a very precise premise and actionable plan if you consistently define both the protocols of the engagement and the language employed to diffuse those ideas into dynamic  action. I hope this is helpful. Should you have questions, concerns, need clarification or simply wish to say hello and extend the conversation, don't hesitate to reach out. Towards understanding and being understood, Jason Stoddard Stagira, Inc., Founder mobile:         512.925.0921 email:          stoddard.jason@gmail.com on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbstoddard on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jasonstoddard