Read This First

I don’t like blogs. I feel the vast majority are wastes of space that do nothing more than stroke the ego of the blogger, spread half-truths/old wives tales/flat out lies, and perpetuate the misconception that everyone has something valuable to share. It’s like the old saying about opinions and a certain body part… you know, everyone has one and they all stink! This is a half-hearted effort (at best) to pierce the retched darkness of the great fetid cesspool that is the blogosphere and shine a light on those spots that prove my point. But I also hold out hope that during my aimless wanderings, I’ll stumble across some gleaming kernels that highlight the true promise of this unique human experiment. I’ve got my hip waders, flashlight and gas mask… Hope you’ve got yours!

Its not that I don’t appreciate the Internet as a fantastic resource for spreading knowledge and ideas… I do. Really! It’s just that I’ve got this sneaking suspicion that most people who blog are not fantastic resources for either knowledge or ideas. My gut tells me that a huge percentage of today’s blogs are nothing more than the uninformed ramblings of people unqualified to speak about the topics they cover. While they may feel that there is a need out there that could be met by the ‘valuable insight’ they’ve gleaned through some direct personal experience, they are in fact, likely not providing the world with any profound or informed insight nor helping anyone with anything important.

Ah, but therein lies my dilemma! If I don’t believe in blogs and truly feel that only those who are qualified or really have something to say should blog, then how can I blog? I must freely admit that by my very own standard, I should not be doing a blog on this topic. I also feel that I shouldn’t even do a blog on the topic of my own chosen profession, despite the fact that I’ve been in it for nearly 14 years and have grown to be quite successful at what I do (rising through the ranks at a great company, winning industry awards and the respect of a variety of clients and peers). While I am confident that I am qualified and highly capable of delivering constructive, informed and insightful consultation to my clients, I would not deign to proclaim to the world via a blog that I have any insight or idea that would warrant such a global platform. I can count on two hands the number of people within my own company whose insight and sheer creative genius outshines my own. Not that I don’t have from time to time a great idea, or that over my career I haven’t created or helped create some industry leading programs… its just that I understand my limitations. It’s like those many contestants on that popular game show… turning to the camera and stating “My name is xyz and I am not smarter than a fifth grader” in order to walk away with some cash. Without remuneration, I am comfortable proclaiming to the world that, in fact, there are many people out there smarter and more knowledgeable on any subject other than what goes on inside my head than I (although it wouldn’t surprise me that there is a psychiatrist or psychologist out there who could get close).

So why the blog? The answer is simple. I was pushed…