November 8, 2005

I gave such a lousy interview to Joan Mack today, and I am very disappointed. I was really looking forward to it. Joan was a major TV anchor here and she has developed a very successful interview show that is on public radio throughout the state. Somehow, I never got into the subject matter, because I was responding to general questions in a general way.

Just as we play better tennis when someone is hitting the ball harder than we are, so too we can easily roll back to easy answers to easy questions. But that's letting others drive the energy in the room...and that makes no sense at all.

After the mikes were off, I went on this riff about the challenges for women entrepreneurs which I wish had been recorded for the show. Because I could feel the passion and the facts flowing, as I made a case for changing the culture in this part of the world with respect to women in business.

I'm so interested to see the role models of women in business. Some of them are wonderfully successful AND wonderfully supportive to other women. Then there are those - WE know who THEY are - who figure they've made it on their own and every other woman is going to have to make it on their own as well.

That incredible selfishness is so shocking and saddening to me. What greater pleasure in the world is there beyond helping others? These tough mamas are really missing the true fun in life.

The Center for Women here is trying to break patterns by having entrepreneurs speak and then have multiple round-table discussions of topics related to the talks. Last night, Bob Siegel - the chairman and CEO of Lacoste USA - made a great presentation, and then 20+ tables of attendees engaged in individual discussion groups.

So smart, I thought, to get people participating. So much more effective than having Bob speak and then calling it a night.

This inclusion of interactivity is increasingly vital in effective communications.

The days of dishing it out are over.

The days of dialogue are now and forever.

Does YOUR marketing include and encourage a dialogue?

How could it do more??