This made me think: after four months, maybe it's time for a little strategic planning of my own here at the L&TM5K. Maybe it's time to take a second look at this blog's own mission statement, in view of how day-to-day operations have actually evolved in the "real world," if you want to call it that.
So here we go. Welcome, dear reader, to
the L&TM5K Strategic Planning Retreat!
Assessment: Existing Mission Statement
Quirky Observations -- D+. I guess I don't observe things in as quirky a fashion as I thought I did. Besides, who am I, Jerry Seinfeld? Recommendation: omit from mission statement.
Rants About Popular Music -- C-. Despite occasional concert write-ups, on the whole there has been a disappointing failure to use the blog as a mechanism to expose self to new music. Recommendation: increase musical content.
Thoughts on State and Local Politics -- F. Couldn't even muster up election recommendations. (Measure 49, hell yes! Measure 50, whatever!) Unanticipated non-local readership discourages coverage of local issues. Recommendation: omit from mission statement.
Commonplace Adventures -- B. Have incorporated personal adventures without becoming diaristic. Character of Mrs.5000 has proven popular. Recommendation: have better adventures.
Assessment: Unanticipated Content
Quizzes -- Has become bread and butter of blog. Consistently generates high readership levels, at modest cost of alienating less competitive friends, family members, and readers. Recommendation: Highlight in new mission statement.
The Reading List -- Brought in large numbers of readers who left clever and well-informed comments. Failure to follow through in a timely fashion has created credibility problem. Recommendation: Finish The Brothers Karamazov while we are all still among the quick, for crying out loud.
The Great Movies -- Popularity varies by movie. Still, it's a good incentive to continue a cool project. Recommendation: Include in new mission statement.Arty Stuff -- Seems popular enough with the Quiz crowd. Adds specious "cultured" aura to persona. Recommendation: Include in new mission statement.
College Football -- Basically reader poison. But it amuses me. Recommendation: Do not include in mission statement.
Boring Postcards -- Same as College Football, above.
Supplementary Consideration: Is it even worth the trouble?
Eh, of course not. But what the hell. Let's take it to January, and see how it's going.
Revised Mission Statement
The Life and Times of Michael5000 aims to be the internet's preeeminent
provider of difficult pop quizzes on arbitrary topics. It further seeks to
delight its community of creative, engaging, drop-dead sexy, and bracingly
intelligent readers with glib little posts about the creative arts and dork
culture generally, including but not limited to literature, film, the visual
arts, music, history, geography, and college football.
Good enough. Let's run it by legal, and head out for a beer.
Adjourned.
12 comments:
Keep fighting the good fight w/ college football discussions! Don't let the polls bias you!!
You were supposed to drop college football from the mission statement. Some strategic planning this is!
My company is doing a strategic planning thing, too. I'm supposed to give some input on Monday. Should be ... interesting.
Yeah, we just did Strategic Vision 2020... which goes something like "build more stuff, try to get the city to pay for them, oh yeah, take care of a couple patients too" Not that I'm bitter.
I'm impressed with how 'service oriented' your blog is. I just write about whatever the heck I want to, stealing blog topics with no remorse. ;)
PS - Go Ducks!
Go Dorks! (The Oregonian should write about us instead.)
I had no idea you were this self-reflective about the whole endeavor. I gotta get me one of these here "mission statements."
You can't seriously be considering throwing in the towel on this site. "Til January?" WTF kind of commitment is that?
rp
Ooooh, can you assess my blog!
Hey, are you in advertising?
@chuckdaddy: Well, yeah.....
@mydog: Dropping football was just a recommendation. It got voted down by the executive committee. Then they went down to Eugene and "threw down the noise" until they couldn't talk afterwards.
@rebel: For me, it's all about public service.
@fingers: You've got the Tribune, Asian Reporter, and New York Times on your side; shouldn't you leave something for the humble student athlete?
@Rex: It's true. Under my glib, happy-go-lucky, green-and-gold painted exterior, there is a sensitive soul continually searching for his place in the world.
In response to the question, WTF kind of commitment is "until January," the answer is a three-month commitment.
But who are we kidding. Blog comments are my new heroin. Not that heroin was my old heroin or anything. The point is, well, damn, I've lost my train of thought. It's late.
@Dr. Ken: I am so not in advertising it is not even funny. I am in refugee resettlement.
But assessing your blog sounds like a blast, actually.
Yay Ducks! This is looking to be a good year for them. Keep the college football in your blog, it makes you happy.
(and dude.... were the Beavers even *in* LA????? Three points?)
"It further seeks to delight its community of creative, engaging, drop-dead sexy, and bracingly intelligent readers with glib little posts about the creative arts and dork culture generally..."
Flattery will get you everywhere, M5K.
Quirky observations and thoughts on politics of a local nature were covered very nicely with the deer thing and the postcards.
I have a professional development day tomorrow. Man, you have this stuff down. At least I can listen and giggle a little at it all now.
Can't believe I missed this post - I have to agree with G: complimenting your readership in your mission statement? Golden. Cause I have to say myself, "hell yeah, I'm clever and engaging and dorky and sexy and creative and open-minded enough to tolerate the occasional college football post - this must be the blog for me!!"
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