2009/12/31

Using Google Wave for Task Management - [chrisbrogan.com]

Posted: 31 Dec 2009 01:30 AM PST

I’m getting more and more into Google Wave as a collaboration tool. I’m using it with Justin Levy for work stuff, with a whole host of people for my new business project, and I’m getting into the possibilities. I still have many wishes for it (post forthcoming). Today, I started using it for task management, shifting away from my use of “Things” on my Mac.

Here’s my reasoning:

We can only visit so many applications regularly as part of a flow. Right now, my current “go to” applications are: email, Google Reader, calendar, Facebook, Twitter, email marketing (Publicaster), Evernote, slowly Google Wave, and that’s about it.

In a business flow, they work something like this:

Mail and Twitter – communication / media making
Reader – monitoring and story gathering
Calendar – scheduling / appointments
Evernote – “storage” information (like my frequent flier card #’s)
Google Wave – project collaboration, like figuring out how things will work for events, etc.

Inside Wave, I started a wave to myself called “Threads.” In there, I have the status of Open, Waiting For, and Scratch Pad. I edit them as I have things come in. So, if someone needs something, I throw it in the “open” section until I get it done.

What’s missing are things like “deadlines,” but you know what? I don’t use deadlines, and if I have a deadline, I use the calendar. What’s also missing are some automated functions, like being able to “checkbox” closed a task. But I don’t care. I just delete.

The point, I guess, is that I’m using Google Wave as a task manager because it’s starting to fit into my flow. All my tools have to fit some kind of flow or I won’t use them.

Have you ever mapped your own flows?

And what do you think of the idea?

Shaun White and Target are Clever

Posted: 30 Dec 2009 01:30 PM PST

My kid has some new clothes from Target that bear the Shaun White brand (thanks to his Mom. He’d be naked if I had to clothes shop for him). I’m fascinated by the tag. There’s so much to it.

First, Shaun has put himself into a brand expansion by dressing 4 year olds in skateboarder clothes. Second, the art of the label is great and whimsical, and gives equal love to Shaun and Target, telling us that Shaun is involved, but Target did the heavy lifting. Third, and this is the coolest part: It’s a sticker!

So, the kid gets a shirt (pretty cool flannel-ish skateboarder buttondown). Dad stole the sticker. I can put it on my laptop or whatever. I can put it anywhere. It’s a “share” tool built into something typical like a tag for a shirt.

Yes, I realize that this is very low tech, but I see many things in this move:

Brand expansion for Shaun.
Partnering by Target.
Sharing by Shaun/Target.

These are all things I think 2010 will see more of, and this little example poses a microcosm of them all summed up. If you packaged your own marketing efforts so cleverly, social media or otherwise, what would you get for results? I’m thinking you’ll get a bagful of awesome.

What say you?