DISQUS

I like the Google docs for collaboration and planning. It is a very simple concept that you have to try - instead of attaching a document and emailing it around (Making lots of copies and stuffing your colleague's in boxes) you instead attach people's e-mail to the document.

It is a new paradigm and will take a while for it to get noticed and adopted to those higher-up the food chain.

For example I just created my first one a few days ago to organize a series of Digital Journalism Seminars in Chicago.

-- http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddz9stgx_2gpf3...

I invited 17 editors and educators to volunteer to help design the program and I could add or drop more at any time and control their editing privileges.

Previously I would have used my blog, e-mail and a forum thread to do this and it would have taken longer and required more work to track revisions. This is a great tool.

Yep, Jim is right. It can be done. What is glossed over here is understanding that it can take a while to learn these techniques - particularly if you are a journalist (like me) where selling yourself is not part of the culture.

I suppose it has to be done the right way - the right way for me was actually an accident. I formed a non-profit company three years ago, founded a social network that put other's people needs to connect ahead of my own and the result is that the people in that network got to know me better. And it raised my profile in the industry world wide. I have only been away from the cubicle for two years, but I have already had to add extra pages in my passport because of all the media clients I have gained overseas. For me - focusing on others first has allowed me to carve out an independent life that is more rewarding than any other career I have had. Maybe that is a focus that will help others, too.