I’ve been discovering all sorts of uses for feedback recently, but I’ve come across a neat idea of how to make even more use of recommendations too. Jason Alba, in his “I’m on LinkedIn – Now What” blog has pointed out that just leaving a recommendation lying statically on LinkedIn is rather wasteful of a precious resource. After all, someone has gone to the trouble of crafting an honest yet strongly supportive assessment of your abilities, the least you can do is celebrate it.

In his article Recommendations: So What???, he promotes the idea that you should share the recommendation outside of LinkedIn. His suggestion is to use the time-honoured publishing technique of quoting the most relevant snippet, rather than reproducing the whole statement as it was written. This of course means that you can choose the part of the recommendation which aligns most closely with the brand you wish to project.

“Arthur always ensures that the IT solution is the best possible one for the business”

As one reader commented, it may be a sensible precaution to ask the recommender’s permission before publishing their comment more widely. Although fair use means you could get away without their permission, it does seem wise to make sure you do not bite the hand that feeds you with glowing opinions. Also you can also ask the person if they mind the recommendation being overtly attributed to them. You might find it more powerful to say

David Bottomley, successful Change Consultant, found that Arthur always ensured that the IT solution was the best possible one for the business

I was pleased to hear that Executives Online has produced a new update to their Interim Management Report. I first came across this with the 2007 version, and I wrote about that in an old post Four top reasons why clients hire interim managers.

This new version gives both an update on how Interim Managers have been finding the recent market, and also a view of what clients want and expect from interims. I found this gave an interesting perspective on my own marketing strategy, both in terms of my own positioning and in clarifying problems I can help clients overcome.

Its easy to download, despite a short registration form, and the report is brief, yet clear and informative. I’m sure that if you’re an independent consultant like me, you’ll find it well worth a few minutes attention.

Here’s where you can find the Interim Management Trend Update and if you like that, you may be interested in their other Free Reports too.

I have realised a simple way to increase my own efficiency, as well as making myself feel stronger and more positive. Its easy to turn the dead time, during the day when I am carrying out menial chores, into informative and productive moments. My hands and my eyes may be busy, but my ears are redundant and my brain is barely ticking over, so I can focus on activities that use these spare parts, turning dead time into spare time.

There are many online publishers who produce podcasts on a whole variety of subjects, and its as easy as finding and downloading these onto a portable MP3 player or even onto a mobile phone. The only other thing you need is somewhere to take notes when you are stimulated by a practical idea or a useful thing you could do.

Simple home or office chores like filing and tidying can be great for shorter podcasts. Or if you have to drive somewhere you might have time to listen to something a little longer. Needless to say, rather than relying on pen and paper, or jotting on your organiser, you’ll find a voice recorder safer and more practical behind the wheel. Now rather than being a mundane waste of time, the weekly family sumermarket run is an excellent time to work through longer material.

One of my favourite sources at the moment, especially considering my current focus on developing my own consultancy practice, is RainToday.com. Although their main products are webcasts and in-depth articles via annual subscription, they do produce 10 minute audio digests of their regular interviews with authors and speakers with specific experience and insight that can help develop your techniques for marketing and selling professional services. Check out their feed at http://raintoday.libsyn.com/rss or see their main web site for other materials.