Map App Wars

Monday, May 13, 2013

MapAppProduct reviews are not generally the fodder for time management newsletters. However, recent events accorded me an opportunity to test three popular map apps for my smartphone. The test focused on which app saved me the most time while trying to get to a new location in an unfamiliar city. (As a technical note, this test was conducted on an iPhone 5.)

The Contenders

1. Maps – Apple – Free. Apple introduced its map app in the iOS 6 release. Although the app included some interesting new features, like titling and the ability to “flyover” areas, it experienced some core mapping failures that many feel was the first crack in Apple’s post-Jobs armor.

2. Google Maps – Google – Free. Google’s map app is the mainstay for most mobile device users. Shortly after being relieved of its duties in the Apple pre-installed software lineup, Google released its latest version for iOS. The clean interface and feature-rich functionality immediately made it a top download for iDevice users everywhere.

3. MapQuest – MapQuest – Free. MapQuest long ago released its mobile app, which is a companion to its popular mapping web site. Of the three apps tested, MapQuest is largely focused on those seeking directions. The User Interface is the least attractive, but once the basic functionality is learned, it’s easy to use.

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Leadership Meets Productivity: The Macro View Versus The Micro View

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

imagesLeaders are fundamentally charged with getting things done. That’s the underlying principle of my seminar/book titled “The Waterfall Effect: Six Principles for Productive Leadership.” Thus, the ultimate objective for every leader is to be productive. Failure to do so results in the loss of leadership, formally (demotion) or informally (ineffectiveness).

Controlling the People – The Micro View

Many leaders, especially those in the professional services industries, view leadership as an exercise in micro-management. They constantly insert themselves into their team members’ every effort. They either redirect team effort by giving detailed, step-by-step instruction, or they usurp team effort by just doing the work themselves. This is an example of controlling the people.

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Commenting – Business Development for the Time-Challenged

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

CommentingBusiness development is a skill everyone must learn during a professional career. The challenge is finding ways to productively integrate business development activities into an already busy day. There is a simple method that accomplishes this goal very effectively – Commenting.

Expertise Marketing

Lawyers, like all professional service providers, deliver expertise as their service. Expertise is applying knowledge to facts and rendering advice. The beauty of what we do is that it changes with each new client and matter. The difficulty is its intangibility. Clients can’t see, touch or smell it.

Marketing an intangible is hard because of these difficulties. Referral work comes from existing clients who know of us and recommend us to others. But how can we reach new clients outside the referral channel? Traditional marketing techniques – advertising, sponsorships, etc. – are possibilities, but they can be very expensive.

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Employing the Hard Stop to Stay Productive

Friday, February 8, 2013

Time management is a non sequitur. Metaphysical arguments notwithstanding, time ticks inexorably forward second-by-second, minute-by-minute, and day-by-day. There’s nothing we can do about time’s forward march. However, we can control our actions as they relate to what “time management” really means – getting things done.

Insidious Logic

The people I talk with say there’s never enough time. Most feel they are constantly running behind schedule. There are many reasons for this. Our technology delivers endless demands for our attention. Globalization populates our worlds with more and more people. But one of the biggest culprits is letting scheduled events – meetings, telephone calls, web conferences, etc. – run past their pre-established end time.

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