Recent Comments on the Electric Vehicle Revolution

This blog is a response to the following question posed by Lloyd S. Foight on LinkedIn: Will the Electric Vehicle Revolution really happen now, with the advent of the Chevrolet VOLT in 2010?

My response:

The industry is primed for a dynamic shift. Short-term hurdles in energy regulation could give the green light for other manufacturers to swiftly enter the market. Softening sediment on nuclear power could provide national infrastructure improvements for clean and affordable power, while a distributed battery storage system has the potential to advance smart-grid initiatives.

The reality, though, is that markets are fickle and change is slow; if the benefits don’t have immediate payback, the VOLT might become a car collector’s prize. For now, I’ll lease mine!

Your thoughts?

Until tomorrow…     -bag

Social Media Best Practices?

At an event last week I was a listening ear during a brief conversation regarding social media best practices. I didn’t give it much thought until I was processing things on my long drive home in the rain and I began to wonder if social media and best practices could really work together.

The speed in which social media is changing, growing, evolving, and replacing itself with newer and greater technology seems to disregard the essence of an overplayed concept: best practices. Best practices certainly have a place, but in my opinion it is a much more limited deployment than where we see the concept being applied in today’s business atmosphere. Best practices belong in a world of mature business practices that experience limited technological or other forms of change.

In a rapidly evolving environment, leaders have the opportunity to weigh risk and reward, while constantly driving their organization forward. Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh recently Tweeted “following ‘best practices’ is a great way to stifle innovation & ensure that your business is average and behind the times”. I couldn’t agree more. In the dynamic world of social media, average and behind the times isn’t where I’d want to be.

When it comes to social media; lead, don’t follow.

Until tomorrow… -bag