Seth chose to honor his long-time hero, Zig Ziglar, by creating a unique book offer, a four-pack of his timeless goal setting planner called The Performance Planner. By the way I get no compensation by clicking on the link I just shared. Unfortunately as I live in Illinois I can’t receive any Amazon Advantage Member benefits. Oh well. This is just something that should be shared.

Seth was sharing with our team on Tuesday of this week that Zig had suffered a fall a couple of years ago and, as a result, can no longer write. So Seth got together with Zig’s son to update and re-release this invaluable set of tools for success.

I have met thousands of people in my life, usually a thousand new people a year through the work I do. But, I pause to recognize the gift that we are given to have someone like Seth out there leading the way for many others. If you don’t take this time to really listen and learn what he has to share with you and those who matter to you then you are truly missing out on an opportunity of a lifetime.

Related articles

• Seth Godin gave a talk to the Independent Book Publishers. He… (bombtune.com)
• Social Media Innovation: No Idling! Free E-Book (networldingblog.com)
• Watching an interview with Seth Godin (serve4impact.com)
• Andrew Carnegie and Seth Godin’s Poke the Box (networldingblog.com)
• All Marketers are Liars: Seth Godin – 2/5 (talkingtails.wordpress.com)
• Seth Godin Goes the Distance with His Next Book and The Domino Project (networldingblog.com)
• He Just “Gets It!”… the wisdom of Seth Godin (rpmmarketing.wordpress.com)

Where finance and capital management reigned supreme in the latter half of the 20^th century, I see increasing evidence for strategic sourcing and supply chain management ascending in importance in the corporate hierarchy, with finance and capital management becoming more and more of a support or enabling  function.

It’s my contention that both supply chain and general management need to view the supply chain function in entirely new ways.

Supply chain logistics have traditionally been used as a cost-cutting mechanism; now logistics are increasingly being used as growth drivers to open up new markets, especially emerging markets, as more companies seek to capture new revenue opportunities.  Overall, the objectives of supply chain management in the 21^st century have become more strategic and complex.

I see four major trends driving most of this increasing complexity today:

• Information technology – especially GPS and location-based sensor applications.
• Need for enhanced security and resiliency against both natural and man-made calamities.
• On-shoring – or what some are calling RE-shoring.
• Convergence of supply chain management with strategic innovation sourcing.

Continuing advances in information technology, including the declassification and commercial use of precision GPS technologies, has enabled all kinds of tracking and position-based capabilities especially in the last five years.  Concurrent advances in sensor systems enable environmental and contamination detection capabilities. Taken together, companies can now know exactly where and what the status of inbound supplies, components and equipment are.

This is important, because we’ve also seen tremendous increases in the need to ensure the integrity of shipping containers and logistics chains in the face of unprecedented terrorist threats and natural disasters.  An emerging concept of the resilient corporation– able to cope well with unplanned supply disruptions – is beginning to overtake just-in-time and lean manufacturing methods as the desired objective of 21^st century supply chain management.

One of the more welcome trends I’m seeing is a significant increase in the number of companies and manufacturing facilities being repatriated, or on-shoredback into the US from China and Mexico.  GE, Caterpillar, NCR, and Wham-O are among scores of name-brand companies reversing their 40-year bias towards outsourcing and starting to bring significant levels of production back home.

In China, double-digit annual increases in labor costs and rising standards of living have eroded much of the cost advantage that China enjoyed a decade ago.   The costs of transportation are soaring in the face of global shipping container shortages and imbalances, upwardly spiraling fuel costs and enhanced security measures.  Studies that I’ve read forecast that net labor costs in China and the US will actually converge by 2015.

Companies that have off-shored most of their manufacturing and supply operations away from their demand locations are increasingly finding that it hurts their ability to meet many aspects of customer expectations – especially in key areas such as rapid response and delivery times and efficiently fulfilling customer demands for customized products.

Finally, I’m seeing a true convergence of supply chain management with strategic innovation sourcing.  When companies get it right, their supply chains can become invaluable assets generating enormous strategic and competitive advantage.  More and more companies are looking to their supplier networks and finding key sources of strategic innovation and product development partners – as well as added resiliency to endure unexpected disruptions.

More than anything, I’m advising my clients to “detect the unexpected” – to enhance their capabilities to monitor internal and external indicators of change as a means of identifying potential disruptions in advance.

Resilient organizations seek out potentially disturbing information and test it against current assumptions, management approaches and mental models.  They work diligently to detect the unexpected so they can respond quickly to exploit opportunities and prevent costly interruptions to their operations when actual disruptive events occur.

In these times of great uncertainty and unpredictability, it is critically important that companies use small-scale experiments to field test new ideas before they are deployed more broadly. Successful companies continuously invest in market research, strategy refinement, product development, and ongoing operations and service improvements. They invest in small experiments and new product trials that carry low costs of failure.

These companies foster a culture of continuous innovation and ingenuity to solve problems and adapt to market challenges.  A side benefit is that employees who believe they can influence events that affect their work and lives are more likely to be engaged, committed, and act in positive ways associated with resilience.

My closing advice is to turn today’s more complex supply chain management dynamics into a winning scenario for you and your company.  Seek out challenges and convert them into opportunities.

Bear in mind the classical adage, “Fortune favors the bold.”

Guest Blogger, Peter Balbus - Check out his LinkedIn Profile!

Related Articles

• Collaborative Supply Chain (globalcargomanager.wordpress.com)
• What is Supply Chain Risk Management, Exactly? Stepping Back to Address the Challenge (spendmatters.com)
• Supply Chain Design Conference Draws International Audience (prweb.com)
• >Supply Risk Management (vijaykumarsblog.wordpress.com)

In Networlding I make it even more simple for building a network by taking that network down to ten people and referring to it as a your “Power-of-Ten” Circle. Sociologists (which I am one) refer to this circle as your “primary circle.” So to bring your Power-of-Ten Circle to life think of Oprah and her circle. Who would be in that circle or alliance network? How about:

1. Suzie Orman - financial sage and the author of nine books, including her latest, Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan
2. Nate Berkus – Nate Berkus is a featured design expert for The Oprah Winfrey Show and a regular contributor to the pages of O at Home.
3. Lisa Kogan – 40 something columnist for Oprah’s magazine.
4. Dr. Maya Angelou - hailed as a remarkable Renaissance woman, a beloved poet and best-selling author, Dr. Angelou has the unique ability to captivate listeners through the vigor and sheer beauty of her lyrics and words.
5. Dr. Katz – nationally renowned authority on nutrition and chronic disease prevention and columnist—is here to help you digest it all. O, The Oprah Magazine
6. Adam Glassman – the creative director of O, The Oprah Magazine tells you what your best friends won’t. Adam fields questions from readers on everything from age-appropriate clothing to how to be comfortable and still look great during a long airplane flight.
7. Martha Beck – life coach and O, The Oprah Magazine columnist Martha Beck has the blueprint to stress-free living.
8. Bob Greene - Bob Greene is an exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer specializing in fitness, metabolism and weight loss.
9. Dr. Oz - Dr. Oz is the health expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show. He is chief medical consultant to Discovery Communications and has hosted several shows, including Second Opinion with Dr. Oz and Life Line.
10. John St. Augustine - He is the author of Living an Uncommon Life: Essential Lessons from 21 Extraordinary People and a sought-after speaker on human potential and purpose. Now, John’s hosting his own show on Oprah Radio, interviewing some of the world’s most influential thinkers, leaders and experts on personal empowerment. (Networlding Note: John was connected to Oprah through someone from Networlding and that is how he made the great connection. He is one of my favorite people and the best talk show host. I met John years ago when I was on his radio show after writing Angels in the Workplace).

Of course there are others, but realistically there is still the phenomenon that exists in the science of networks called “The Law of the Few” which essentially states that it will be the few people you know that will really make the difference in your life. Gladwell refers to people as “sales people,” “mavens” and “connectors.” In Networlding I say that people can have all three abilities. When they do I call them “Networlders.” Also, note that I believe people can also learn and build these skills. Of course some people won’t be as good as others but then they can always surround themselves with a Power-of-Ten Network or Networld as Oprah has.

Playing out this real power network even further by folding into it the element of values-based networking, you don’t have to wonder too much whether the above ten people in Oprah’s network have similar and complimentary values which is what I have found is needed to leverage a successful network. From what I know of the above ten they are all true leaders and create additional value by being part of Oprah’s network and vice versa.

So now ask yourself who should be in your Power-of-Ten Circle? Want to start a circle yourself? Email us at info@networlding.com and we’ll help you get started.

With our new book coming out soon, “50 Ways to Better Social Media” comes the following tip:

Tip 35: Know Thyself: The First of the Five Golden Rules of Social Networking

Have you ever heard that ancient Greek saying, “Know thyself”?  Some have attributed this aphorism to Socrates, and others to Pythagoras, but whoever wrote these words, they must have struck a chord with humanity, because it’s still getting tossed around a thousand years later.

This is the first golden rule of social networking. Know yourself. Take time to really get to know what matters to you right now – not to anyone else and not what used to or someday might matter.

One way you can do this is to start each morning by writing down the things that matter most to you. Each day for seven days in a row, write them down on a clean, white, blank piece of paper. At the end of your writing session, tuck the piece of paper for that day away in a drawer. Don’t go back and look at the other pages you wrote for the day or for days before. Even if you just rewrite what you’ve already written, write something each and every day.

After your seven-day writing session, on the eighth day, take a look at what you have written. You should feel very different from the first day you started writing. You should have a much stronger conviction about what matters most to you. Whatever is most important for you now, at this moment, you’ll know.

That’s where you will begin with your social networking. After taking more than 5,000 people through the Networlding process myself and getting feedback from my licensees and many others who have gone through Networlding, I know that you can find your voice, your heart, and your compass for moving forward. That passion that you have for something that is uniquely yours will emerge and pull you forward to another level of performance. For me that passion was to make a positive difference in people’s lives. What’s your passion?

If your job depends on making business decisions based on analysis of unstructured data, you probably thought immediately of SAS, the leader in business analytics. And once you connect with this company in one way or another–by visiting their web site or blogs, talking with them by phone or reading one of the many articles written about their award-winning corporate culture, the company and its employees will stand out in your memory.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing David B. Thomas, SAS’s new social media manager. I was connected to Dave by Steve Polilli (a cool 6 degrees story) when I put up a blog post a week or so ago on the organization. Within 3 minutes I received an email from Steve thanking me for showcasing the company’s socially responsible initiatives and asking if I would be interested in interviewing Dave. Of course I said yes and below you can find answers to several questions I had as to their online user experience. I hope you enjoy it as much as I had fun interviewing Dave.

What three things would you want people to have done to optimize their user experience on your site(s)?

First, take a look at our blogs at blogs.sas.com and see the collection of thought leaders we have writing about the big issues in healthcare, banking and risk, performance management, business intelligence and business analytics, and more.

Second, take a look at our customer success stories and videos and see how companies and organizations partner with SAS. No matter what industry or field someone is in, they will probably see a company with similar goals and challenges who has used SAS software to accomplish their goals.

Third, visit not only www.sas.com but some of our affiliated sites, like http://support.sas.com and www.sascommunity.org , a collaborative online community of SAS users worldwide. You’ll get an immediate understanding of how much our users love and value our software. They are our best brand ambassadors.

Let’s focus on the your users. What do they look like?

You’ll find SAS users and evangelists at all levels of an organization. They could be a CMO talking about how SAS software helps them meet their marketing goals, a CFO talking about how SAS helps them make money in a difficult economy or a CIO, IS or IT manager, a statistician or analyst or a programmer talking about how SAS software helps the people on their team get their jobs done faster or more efficiently.

What brought you to this position?

I’ve been in marketing communications in the technology industry for about 13 years, and a professional communicator for the past 20. I started with SAS in May 2007 in the corporate public relations group, supporting our overall corporate message and working with journalists who wanted to know more about our corporate culture and the company as a whole. If people don’t know anything else about SAS they know we are a great place to work.

We’ve been listed on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in America since the list began. We had onsite daycare beginning in 1981, for instance. We have an onsite health care center providing primary medical care free of charge to employees and covered dependents. We also have a 66,000 square-foot recreation and fitness center, miles of walking trails, onsite massage therapy and yoga, personal trainers and more.
Jim Goodnight, our founder, started the company in 1976. He has always said that if you treat employees as though they make a difference, they will make a difference. That philosophy permeates everything we do.
How does having a great workplace translate to growing a successful business? There is a feeling of dedication to the customer I have not seen anywhere else. It is a very positive working environment. People come in and write better software and treat customers better as a result.

What’s one thing you would like to see happen going forward?

I would like to see SAS employees contributing more than they already do in the many places on the web where the people are talking about SAS. I would like our employees to get involved in the conversation and provide insight and support. Some are doing that now. I would like to see it become even more widespread. Our employees are so passionate about the company and the software, and so knowledgeable, that the more they get out and communicate the more people we can reach and assist and impress.

What are you doing to get people more involved?

We’re working on a company-wide communications plan to let people know how they can – and should – be communicating in Web 2.0 and social media channels. We’ll be sharing our guidelines and recommendations and then encouraging them to get out and communicate.
If there is one thing–the 20% that a company can do to yield an 80% return to create a great online user experience, what would that be? Make sure you have great content and make it easy for people to get. It doesn’t do you any good to have a great white paper on your web site if no one can find it. Have a presence in the places on the web where your customers and prospects are already interacting.
__________

To me, the bottom line with SAS is that because they have taken time and have accomplished developing great people they created a wealth of human and social capital and now are mobilizing that capital, encouraging further investment through online communities and dynamic conversations. Stay tuned for Dave’s new external blog.

Part I: The Best of the Best

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that social networking (otherwise known as Web 2.0) has revolutionized the way every industry thinks about their marketing and advertising.  People who are buying are buying online—and from companies they have formed a connection with through their social networks. Thousands of networking sites have cropped up hoping to be the next MySpace or Facebook, luring people by the millions to build profiles and create virtual communities that are ripe for savvy marketers to infiltrate.

One of the most interesting things about these different communities is how each of them has its own unique environment that is almost tangible.  In the same way that real life locations have their own ambiance, so do these cyber hangouts.  Spending a few minutes on these sites, you’ll see huge differences in demographics, communication styles, professionalism, and usability.  The key then, is not simply putting in time building a network, but building a network on a site that is going to be most receptive to your marketing style and/or product.

In this four-part series, I’ll discuss some of the ways to identify the best social networks, and give you the readers the opportunity to vote on the overall BEST social networking sites from your perspective.  I’ve entitled it “Going for the Gold:  The Best of Social Marketing Online.”  Inspired by the Olympics, where only the best compete and the best of the best gets the gold, we will bestow our own “Gold Medal” on the overall best social networking site.  Naturally, since there are so many excellent sites out there to choose from, we’ll have a “Silver” and “Bronze” category, too.   Join me tomorrow for Part II:  “Choose Wisely.”

To this end his focus is on such things as "developing cheaper renewable energy, commercializing plug-in vehicles, increasing capital to small business in the developing world and predicting and preventing emerging threats such as environmental conditions and climate change" as Brilliant offered in Carter’s article. This is a wonderful set of goals.

However, the question I have is how can we achieve these goals faster with better results? I offer the concept of Networlding as an approach. First, let me preface my thoughts by saying that the Networlding methodology which we sell to the for-profit world is free to the non-profit world. Any non-profit professional wants to have our e-guidebook and e-booklet can email us (www.networlding.com) to get a copy. We also have consultants who are willing to help with initiatives that want to use the methodology.

To this end some of the key pieces would look like this:

• the creation of an action plan that is grounded in values; we recommend the four values that have been used with great success by my friend and colleague, Susan Davis which are: "making a difference, integrity, collaboration and innovation." We have found these values accelerate the success of any group initiative.
• the development of a leadership team that mentors in small, manageable groups other small groups of "leaders-in-waiting."
• constant, incremental support and facilitation of small groups working together for a common goal while also getting support from one another to achieve individual goals.
• sharing the best practices back to all the participants.
• and finally, "doing well by doing good." As Carter commented, "Many corporations have learned that investing in philanthropy attracts concerned investors and talented employees, builds brand loyalty, burnishes reputations and helps create a healthier and more prosperous economy for all of us." Why is it so simple for some to get and others its a foreign language?

Of course there is much more detail in the methodology and non-profits such as Brilliant is running would benefit from the many learnings we have had throughout the last couple of decades by the growing members of The Networlding Partner Alliance. So, if I only could work with Larry Brilliant . . . .

When you want to make a difference in the world, it helps to have a collective group who can make change happen faster.  Now you have the chance to participate in the Networlding Socially Responsible Group on Linked In…and become the change you want to see in the world.

You are invited to join our first Tele-Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday, May 28 (5:00 p.m. PST/8:00 p.m. EST, 7:00 p.m. Central) where you will have the opportunity to hear two of the world’s great givers, along with me, facilitate a Networlding Make a Difference initiative.

I, Charles Gay and Gary Goldstein are ready to inspire you to support your desire to make a difference  Their organization, HUB (Humanity Unites Brilliance – www.HubHub.org) was established to empower donors and teams who support the issues facing developing nations. Charles and Gary have been involved in global compassion work throughout their lives, concurrent with developing their vast professional credits in the music and film industries, respectively.  HUB is for-profit, and its vision is to use personal empowerment training as an economic engine, generating sustainable humanitarian funding.  It uses tools like micro-loans, education, food, water and environmental training to give developing nations the essentials to end the cycle of poverty. 

Their invitation to you is to consider what you or your organization can offer to make a difference in the world…and to make the commitment to becoming the change you want to see in the world.  You have the opportunity to make the commitment of your time, energy or economic contributions via the Networlding blog www.networldingblog.com and adding your comments after the blog entry containing this invitation.  Let Gary, Charlie and I know how you intend to make a difference – and then let them teach you how to fulfill that intention through personal empowerment and effective networking.

Charles (Visioning Founder of HUB) has been a powerhouse of US film production since his arrival in the US in 2002 from the UK, where he was already leading hugely successful concert promotions for musical artists like Pink Floyd and Pavarotti.  He went on to work with many of the biggest names in film and to co-found Promenade Pictures, a US film production and distribution company.  He has been involved as Executive Director with the Mineseeker Foundation and the Sole of Africa Campaign in Mozambique. 

Gary (a Founding ArcAngel of HUB) is currently President of The Goldstein Company and has produced or co-produced such critically acclaimed films as Pretty Woman, Under Seige and The Mothman Prophecies.  He continues to produce, speak and write extensively, both to make a contribution to on-going excellence in film and to make a difference in humanitarian issues.  He has served as a member of the steering committee for the Entertainment Industry Foundation and, through that foundation, has also contributed to the improvement of public education in Los Angeles. 

As the Founder and President of Networlding as well as an author, speaker and consultant I train people and organizations to use technology and social networking tools to increase their bottom lines and professional successes while keeping true to the values of sustainability and social responsibility.  I was moved to host this event as part of my own desire to impact global issues. This will also be a good chance to form a much stronger community for our LinkedIn Socially Responsible Professionals Group.

The Tele-Town Hall access is limited to the first 1000 callers, and we’re expecting capacity crowds, so make sure email us at teletownhall@networlding.com today to reserve your seat and we’ll also send you details to access the call. Thanks!

Remember, Wednesday, May 28th – 5:00 p.m. Pacific, 6:00 p.m. Central and 7:00 p.m. Eastern – Take an hour to make a difference!

Imagine combining YouTube, MySpace, Miramax, CBS, MovieLink and NBC.com into one integrated media network. We’ve done it with Dolce.

From feature films, documentaries, television series & specials and music properties to user-generated video, social networking and multi-media properties, Dolce is the most comprehensive media network for Italian, Italian-American and Italophile content.

Made in Italy," "Made in North America" or "Made by You," Dolce delivers it online, on television, in stores, on the phone and in theaters, worldwide.

For all updates and to find out your local listing for the Dolce channel and to know more about our programming and to be put on our mailing list please visit us at www.DolceChannel.com.