LTYM - Sources

Letters to a Young Manager

Sources, #444
LTYM > Strategy

Dear Sophie,

***

You asked me what I read to stay current with technology developments and directions. Let me remind you of the "who" to study rather than the "what" [1].

Having said that, there are a host of sources that I regularly consult. The daily news is first. Read both sides of the aisle: The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. I read the business and technology news. I sign up for the headlines as well. I like the regular "Bits" column in the NY Times, which is a free email. The daily bulletins from Quora and Flipboard are another source; these you can configure on your phone for your interest areas. I read occasional CIO Magazine posts, and follow Martha Heller. Probably the most interesting is the "Chart of the Day" from Business Insider. Of course, following a few authors you respect on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook is also good.

Professional associations are another recommendation. I'm a member of NetHope , The Center for Digital Strategies, and ISCRAM.

The point is, read! And look for alternative viewpoints.

***

Sincerely yours,
Ed

________________________

References...
[1] See "The Webcam and Being There," Story #49

Takeaways:

Develop a set of "goto" sources

Discussion Questions:

1) What do you read each day?
2) Which authors do you respect?
3) Which associations have you joined?

For Further Reading:

Gary Hamel interview, "Can't Innovate? It's Management's Fault (Really!)," CIO Magazine, October 12, 2007. Hamel makes the following call to action for CIO's: " If you're a CIO, you need to spend a lot of time out on the fringes of the Web because that's where the innovation's taking place. You need to spend a lot of time with people under 25 years old."