Few people would dispute the bias of Fox News. Others would claim CNN and MSNBC have their own biases.

The rise of cable news puts the equal-time rule of the Communication Act of 1934 in an interesting light. The rule says radio and television broadcast stations must provide an equivalent opportunity to any opposing political candidates who request it.

The rule also allows for several exceptions, including a bona fide news interview, scheduled newscast, or an on-the-spot news event. Those exceptions pretty much define every cable news channel in existence.

Should we as consumers be concerned about bias in cable news?

On one hand, we have to recognize that cable news outlets serve a public interest and should be held to high standards. On the other hand, we have to respect their needs to serve shareholders’ interests, which means picking a target audience that will drive the most revenue.

So, hold on to your remote because there is no season like election season for cable news.

Thankfully, we have a choice our forefathers did not in 1934: the Internet.

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Henry Ford once said that people could have any color car they wanted as long it was black.

The car industry has evolved greatly since Mr. Ford’s days. Buyers now have a number of options: color, interiors, electronics, etc.

We have yet to reach a time when auto manufacturers engineer a car from concept to production for just one person.

This example illustrates our evolution from mass production to mass customization to personalization. A vast majority of businesses fall into the first two categories. A group of intrepid businesses –- especially service and ecommerce companies -– are taking the next step toward true personalization, a.k.a. a market of one.

Amazon.com is at the tip of personalization spear. Back in 2000, founder Jeff Bezos said, "If we want to have 20 million customers, then we want to have 20 million 'stores' ... . Our mission is to be the Earth's most customer-centric company.” Today, the site recognizes returning customers; makes recommendations based on the customer’s purchase history and items similar to ones they are perusing; and encourages two-way dialogue through customer reviews. It’s not an accident that Amazon.com has a high customer-satisfaction rating.

Here are three criteria to help determine whether and how far an organization should pursue personalization.

Is personalization a viable strategy for your company? Most companies segment by markets and customize products to those markets. Personalization demands a one-to-one approach that requires a further investment of time and resources.

Do you have adequate customer data? A personalization program requires higher level of details and an ability to analyze the impact of customer relations on behaviors.

Are you willing to involve the entire organization? Everyone must own a personalized approach to customer relations – not just marketing, not just sales, not just customer service. The goal is relevant, two-way dialogue centered on the customer’s needs. Everyone has to have access to customer information to make this goal achievable.

The Peppers & Rodgers Group are leading scholars and thinkers on personalization. Read more about their work at www.1to1media.com.

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Next time you have a writing assignment, try writing at an 8th-grade reading level. Achieving this reading level almost guarantees your writing will be clear and concise. The reader will thank you immensely. FYI, this paragraph is about an 8th-grade level on Flesch-Kincaid reading scale.

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Networking is essential to business. Until recently, most networking happened face to face outside the office.

This rise of social media – Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace – has introduced new opportunities and challenges for business. Many companies have blocked access to these sites and other social media sites believing they have little if any business value. At the same time, it’s impossible to ignore the impact of social media on modern communications.

Can employees really build a network via social media that will lead to increased sales or new leads? And if they can, should you encourage them to use social networking sites at work?

Here are some questions to ask yourself when determining whether social networking has a place in your office:

• Can social networking help accomplish organizational goals? If your employees are charged with getting new leads, social networks are another way to connect with potential clients. They can also reach consumers directly and target messages by geographic location, age, or interests. If employee engagement is a top priority, an internal network could be a part of the overall strategy.
• Are there other benefits? Besides developing new business contacts, you can also use social networks to find more information on potential job candidates. In addition, you can monitor what others are saying about your company or product and contribute to the discussion.
• Are you putting yourself at risk by allowing employees to interact online? What employees do or say online might come back to haunt your company. There’s also the risk that employees will spend time on social networking sites that won’t result in benefits for your company.
• How can I tell if employees who go online are actually networking? If you begin to allow use of social networking sites at work and see a drop in productivity, that’s a sign employees are not using them for business purposes. On the other hand, if activity remains steady or increases, it’s an indication the sites are another tool to accomplish goals. Just as you can’t always monitor your employees at networking events, you can’t be sure every minute spent on a Web site is strictly business.

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http://ocw.mit.edc

MIT’s Open Courseware project is Good Will Hunting without the janitor job. The website allows anyone to review materials, and sometimes lecture video, from 1,800 MIT courses. The cost: free. The subjects range from biology to economics to nuclear science. With each course, users can review the syllabus, lecture notes, class/individual project assignments, and additional readings.

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What Got You Here Won't Get You There
by Marshall Goldsmith

The difference between being very good and great is often a few degrees of change rather than a quantum leap.

Executive coach Marshall Goldsmith explores how subtle nuances make all the difference in the business world, especially transitioning from upper management to the executive level. These same nuances can impact relationships outside the workplace, such as in marriage or parenting.

Goldsmith is candid in outlining 20 interpersonal challenges that keep talented people from reaching the top. These behaviors, or "transactional flaws," lead to negative perceptions that can hold back any executive.

1. The need to win at all costs
2. Having to add our two cents to every discussion
3. Passing judgment
4. Making destructive comments
5. Overusing negative qualifiers: no, but, and however
6. The need to show people we’re smarter than they think we are
7. Speaking when angry
8. Negativity
9. Withholding information
10. Inability to give praise or recognition
11. Claiming credit that we don’t deserve
12. Making excuses
13. Clinging to the past
14. Playing favorites
15. Refusing to express regret
16. Not listening
17. Failing to express gratitude
18. Punishing the messenger
19. Passing the buck
20. Exalting failures as virtues because they’re who we are

Unfortunately, Goldsmith finds most high achievers are disillusioned into thinking that their success is attributed to these bad behaviors. Therefore, they resist change.

Goldsmith’s remedy for these behaviors is simple: stop doing them. His solution for making the necessary changes is to gather feedback from appropriate colleagues and cohorts, determine which behaviors to change, apologize, advertise, listen, thank, and follow up, and practice feed-forward.

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