If you want better communication, clarify the following:
- Who is the single person who has decision making authority for decision X
- Who should have input into that decision
- Who should be informed when the decision has been made
This sets everyone’s expectations for who needs to know what. It reduces endless forwarding of fyi material on the hopes someone might need it.
Scott Berkun, “How to stop overcommunication“, Jan 21, 2010
I know what measurements matter for WordPress.com, because they’re right there on the front page. Right now in the top left of “Freshly Pressed” it reads:
The best of 252,029 bloggers, 223,676 new posts, 327,799 comments, & 54,240,782 words today on WordPress.com.
Those numbers get me far more excited than page views and other “monetization” stats, because these right now front page stats reminds me blogging works.
These stats are about people expressing themselves (writing words) and connecting with other people (commenting).
These are the numbers I look to when I need inspiration.
“Yourself, plus two others. With only two, each person needs to be aware of all the details in case the other person needs to take a break / gets run over by a bus / whatever. With three, the load is spread a bit more easily.”
Boris Mann, thoughts on Passion and Frustration, October 5th, 2009
"Three lemurs eating" by Tambako the Jaguar. CC by-nd. Flickr Hosted.
From starting a company with Boris and Co’s Bootup Labs to being the area experts for your company, you want three of you.
3 is a magic number.
I’ve always just gone with having one backup, but reflecting on it now, I should have two backups in each area.
At first it seems like an incredible amount of redundancy, but someone’s own focuses and work doesn’t go away when they have to fill in for you. You need two backups, two people who can step in to carry your load — each carrying some of your load.
This extends beyond backing you up. This creates a mesh of collaboration,. Having different collaborators (back ups) in different areas leaves no weak links.
Disagreeing about something with your backup? With three there is always a moderator / negotiator / tie breaker.
Communicating
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common language
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empathy
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I’m going to try to regular write about the people that inspire me — if I don’t do it every month then hollar at me.
Google Summer of Code has wrapped up, and while I plan to write about my experience, and the awesome work of the WordPress participants, the greatest part of it for me was experiencing a little bit of what Leslie does.
The other day I was trying to figure out a problem I was having with Google’s awesome Gmail, and whether to let Google know about their problem, when I remembered that Google thinks I (and Flock) hate them.
I actually own a Google shirt and enjoy wearing it. I admire the people of Google.
A day late, but not a dollar short — its a free event… well, I donated $20; it was either that or get one of the pink shirts 
BarCamp Vancouver sessions are in full swing.
Generously hosted at Workspace — what an awesome environment!
Thank you to all of the organizers and participants!
Whatever you think about what the browser boy wonder has done since Netscape, you have to appreciate the communication, collaboration, and participation that he has been doing since the beginning of this month at blog.pmarca.com!
Linuxfest Northwest is an amazing, free, all ages Linux community annual event April 28 & 29 that I have never been to. I unfortunately will not be there again this year.
We really are the Internet.
“At its heart was a new kind of participation that has since developed into an emerging culture based on sharing.”