• For your external communications, add a “share this” link to every article or page.
• For internal communication, add a rating-and-comment feature to every page.

In addition, I suggest:

• Listen and observe what’s happening outside about your brand or category.
• Experiment on your personal time — not affiliated with your company.
• Participate in existing venues where relevant conversation is happening about your company or category (i.e., commenting on blogs, or representing your brand in forums).
• Experiment behind your firewall. Shel recommends ratings for internal documents, but you can go further and be safe. There are several conservative companies that have developed active and sizable social-media efforts within their walled gardens. P&G and IBM are two that come to mind.
• Most importantly, companies should start by surveying their employees to understand how — professionally or personally — they’re already active and engaged in social media. In all likelihood, there’s significant activity under the radar.

What sort of non-threatening, baby steps has your organization taken into the realm of social media?

The Etiquette Of Seeking Advice

I love helping college students and recent graduates, including from my alma mater, Syracuse University. I receive a good number of calls from there and elsewhere and I enjoy responding. However, I’m periodically aggravated by email from students who request “general tips to succeed.”

I’m not talking about help for any specific question or objective where I can offer unique value. I’m referring to thoughtless, generic requests for tips to make it in their careers. This tells me either you have no focus, you’ve not done your homework, or both. Even worse, it suggests you might not care.

So here’s a tip: I’m happy to help and offer my advice and expertise - I’m honored you would even regard me in such high esteem. Such interactions can offer equal value to both sides. However, if you’re swimming in the shallow end and looking for general perspective, then you should first invest in research and background.

If you like my perspective, you might read some of my Spin columns or personal essays on my blog. I have my own unique way of viewing the world. I may not be right, but I share my perspectives openly and accept feedback. Importantly, there are infinite resources on the Web and in libraries featuring people smarter than me. The point is, don’t waste an opportunity to fully tap willing expertise and interaction by failing to first tap readily available information.

If you really believe I have some unique insight, and you’d like to probe my brain on a particular topic, then please do seek me out. I love focused discussions with specific intent. I love investing time with people who’ve thought long and hard about a topic or problem. I love it when you’ve at least attempted a point of view. That is when engagement becomes meaningful. That is when I’m motivated to interact and help. Intellect matters.

Now, this really has nothing to do about me, nor college students. It’s about how most people like to be approached and respected when asked for advice. You should treat others’ time, expertise and generosity as if these assets were sacred - because, in fact, they are.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a college student, a newbie, an intermediate or an expert. When seeking advice from others, you should always prepare and manage the exchange as if it’s the highest art. That’s the proper etiquette of seeking advice and, when followed, will result in superior meaning and value.

1. Guardian For Kids: primary_______ and backup_______
2. Executor Of Will: primary_______ and backup_______
3. Trustee Of Assets Until Transferred To Kids: primary_______ and backup_______

These are tough decisions. There’s absolutely no easy answer to any of them. If you’ve been through this process, I’d deeply appreciate any thoughtful advice or considerations.

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse recently told Forbes that “his number one priority is improving customer service.” I’m not sure that’s true. Miraculously, I’ve been a Sprint wireless customer since March 2000. My wife and I upgraded our phones this past Saturday amidst a promise on Sprint’s Web site for overnight product delivery. Sprint wasted no time in charging my credit card and failing to fully disclose rebate information (and I have the credit card notification and customer-service chat transcript to prove it). My wife’s phone arrived 48 hours later, but mine didn’t. After scouring Sprint’s order confirmation email, I found an order status link. I clicked and it took me to a page asking me for my order confirmation number, which I eventually found. After entering all the information, the Web site told me my product is on backorder and I can call an 800 number during business hours to cancel if I so please. Why couldn’t I be informed of back-order status before all the order hassle and waiting? Why couldn’t I be informed about the blunder once it did happen? Why did I have to go search for an answer after being let down on a promise? I’ve been loyal for nine years straight. Don’t I deserve better?

Why is customer-service fullfilment so difficult for big companies? I’d be willing to pay a 10% price/product premium for any company that can respect my time and sanity by delivering on promises and crossing the finish line with superior customer service. Good customer service creates fans, and fans create profitability. Don’t more companies want to be profitable?

Seth Godin’s having similar issues with Verizon today.

Here’s a tip: I’m happy to help and be generous with my time — seriously, I’m honored because it’s a gift to be sought after as such. However, if you’re looking for broad, philosophical advice on how to make it, then you should start by reading some of my many essays right here on this blog. I have my own unique way of viewing the world; I may not be right, but I share my perspectives openly. Importantly, there’s infinite resources on the Web and in libraries and book stores from numerous people smarter than me.

If you believe I have some unique insight, or you’d like to probe my brain on a particular topic, then please DO seek me out. I love focused discussions with specific goals. I love investing time with people who’ve thought long and hard about a topic or problem, and THEN seek me out to engage.

But this tip is applicable to more than college students seeking advice from jaded working people like me. It’s applicable to anyone tapping into the intellectual curiosity and generosity of others.

Bottom line: Take the time to prepare yourself. Ask smart questions.