What We're Reading Now

8 March 2011

Rachel joined Twitter yesterday. Here are five things she's read so far. (Sometimes good stuff happens with fewer words.)

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You could say that I've been a bit of a latecomer to the social media landscape. It probably mimics real life a bit - I ease in and get to know a group a bit before diving into the action myself. That said, there's a time for pretty much everything and yesterday it was time for Twitter.

Now most of the reading we write about here takes the form of books, with a periodic article or website or video thrown in for variety (and brevity). But there's a fair bit of my reading that happens in bursts and flashes . . . a scan of the headlines, a Google search for a quick answer, the introductory blurb that comes before the heart of the matter. So I wondered: what would I read during my first day with a Twitter feed?

As it turns out, a lot. Five of my more memorable tidbits:

1. Local school superintendent Pam Moran got me thinking this morning with a few words about Deming and management's "Five Deadly Diseases." There's a lot of chatter these days about the pitfalls of managing human performance; it's nice to remember that this conversation and the resulting tug-of-war has been going on for decades. (@pammoran)

2. The folks at Harvard Business Review earned my first retweet with a link to a post about the perils of all-employee meetings. I found myself nodding to every word I read - all-hands meetings are good (nod) and leaders need to be authentic (nod) and employees mostly just wish leaders would communicate more (nod). (@HarvardBiz)

3. If you've read some of my previous posts, you know that reading about food is one way to attract my attention. That said, I remember the link from the James Beard Foundation to a recipe for a chocolate-caramel tart with fleur de sel. Yes, the link is now bookmarked for future reference. (@beardfoundation)

4. One thing I remember sticks out for its real-life application even more than its content. My friend Ginger was the first to notice my chirping on Twitter and welcome me aboard. Whether we're gathered in a room or in the cloud, the person-to-person connection matters and I'm always well-served to remember that. (@gingergermani)

5. Last but not least (and perhaps most representative of the genre) are the memorable fewer-than-140-characters from my inspiration for most things social media related, Marijean. She let me (and all of her followers) know that when she picked up her first Relay Foods order, it included a bonus of Gearharts chocolates. Now that's worth remembering! (@Marijean)

All in all, not too bad for my first 24 hours, especially when I consider all the other snippets that graced my consciousness for a moment or two. What did you learn on Twitter today?

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