Author: dwgshares

Love on San Pedro and other things I saw

 

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Cornerstone Theater Company present “Love on San Pedro” last night at the Los Angeles Mission. It was funny, intense and educational……thought-provoking. (My apologies for leaving a bit early). The acting and story were very well done I find myself both anticipatory and anxious about how it ended. If you have time and want to learn more about issues on Skid Row and beyond please go see it: http://cornerstonetheater.org

As a member of the LAMP BOD, I was proud to know that our members helped and participated in the show. Three cheers.

While we are leaving, we saw some other things that are images I can’t (and should not) shake. I often travel to that area of town during the day for business and to visit LAMP. But this was my first visit at night in some time.

I’m very amazed at the strength of the residents of Skid Row for their determination and won’t give up attitude.
I didn’t realize how many people, tents, and shopping carts there were.
I was speechless at how as we traveled the distance of only one block the environment transformed from residents trying to keep warm under their tarps to 20-somethings carrying designer bags in-between the stores.

Have we turned such a blind eye to other human beings? I don’t’ think so. But, I do wonder if we often try to avoid those images and experiences because the gravity and cultural messages are disturbing and perhaps overwhelming. We might wonder if there’s anything we can do to help…or if there is something within our own wheelhouse we can contribute. I think so.

If you are able to help, please consider helping LAMP at http://lampcommunity.org

You don’t need fancy clackers

Borrowed from our inspiration, Gil Cates’ use of a gong to announce successes and celebrations. The DWG team now ‘clacks’.

After shopping for an appropriate gong, I thought we might need to be more original when I came across two what we have been calling Clackers that we bought on our last China teaching trip. (It’s sort of a tambourine with balls on strings – so when you spin it – it drums).

Initially, we used it to make our team meetings more fun and to announce new projects or web site launches. It has evolved in a way that makes me smile. The guidelines for when to clack has diluted, it is now a team activity. People will clack when they have a celebration or a milestone and the entire team perks up their ears.

You don’t need a Clacker to Clack

A few months back, we had a meeting and no one brought a clacker….so we all just said “clacker, clacker, clacker”. We laughed and that is now part of our team ritual.

It’s important to celebrate the big moments for the organization….but it’s also important to celebrate the moments that are important to team members.

…clacker, clacker, clacker….

LaMae in LA Times

LaMae Weber is chief executive officer at San Fernando Valley-based Dream Warrior Group, and a software development company. She said that people interested in breaking into the field or making themselves more attractive to employers must have expertise in a variety of areas. “You really need to have experience in more than one discipline,” she said. “You need different skill sets. Someone who may have just worked on search engine optimization one day could be asked to take on a Web design project the next day and do some graphic arts project the day after that.” Read more

Lamp Community (The People Concern)

LaMae Weber Joins Board of Directors

It’s been some time since I had the pleasure to be of personal service to members of our community (since my time as ED of Family Services Alliance of Southeast Idaho). While my work often allows me to help by working with non-profits, I now have the honor of being a bit more ‘hands-on’.

I’m sure I’ll be speaking a lot about LAMP and the amazing work they do on Skid Row and beyond. But .. what attracted me was the Housing First model of the neediest and most underserved in Los Angeles including those with mental illness.

Thank you for having me LAMP – I look forward to being of service.

Binge TV Watching – How it can/should impact your web site?

Recently, I saw a discussion (CNN as I recall) regarding the changing habits of TV viewers and primarily how netflix has impacted those habits. (As an aside, Netflix shows us that major stumbles can be turned around.)

The discussion surrounded the recognition that many folks are now watching whole TV series in one sitting – i.e. binge TV. I am one of those viewers. They were using the ‘House of Cards’ as an example because Netflix launched the entire season on the same day.

But I do think there was an element lacking from this discussion. I don’t sit on the couch or lounge and watch 12 hours of TV. While I might find that a nice break, I don’t do that and don’t believe it’s typical. In reality, I am usually on my computer working and my iPad is running through the season next to me. My attention to each of the activities varies greatly – I often am rewinding because I realize I’ve missed 45 minutes.

But what do my and others viewing habits have to do with your web site? Same song – different verse.

It’s all about competition for the eyeballs. Can your web site stand up to a great TV series or movies online? How do you compete for the visitors eyeballs? What attracts their attention might be about design, information, the 3 second impact….but it also might be about when they are browsing?

Consider this….does it matter when someone is browsing your site?

Might someone during the workday be more apt to search sites without volume or flashy images that capture your eyes and others?
Might a Saturday afternoon movie watch need to get right to the information because their attention span is shorter?
Might someone eating dinner, using the iPad and talking with the family be looking for different content?

Might this depend on your business? Yup. These are things I think about every day — (even as I am web surfing).