Zappos (Spanish: Zapatos: Shoes) the online shoe company has a nice set of core values. In this time of global economic meltdowns and Malthusian information famines, it’s nice, (almost quaint) to see a set of core values that guide this organization.

From their website

1. Deliver WOW through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Have Fun and a Little Weirdnes
4. Be Adventurous, Creative and Open-Minded
5. Pursue Growth and Learning
6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
8. Do More with Less
9. Be Passionate and Determined
10. Be Humble

An excellent list – I especially like the “little weirdness” part. I reckon every day would be a bit David Lynch-ian around the water cooler. In a time of great cynicism, and surviving office workers portrayed as automatons in TV’s The Office, it’s nice to see this jaunty throwback to the dot com era and business school aphorisms.

While “yammer” has yet to take off here, Zappos staff are encouraged to twitter. Cool.

A rare week of few committee and management meetings has me thinking of ways of improving meeting effectiveness. As a CIO I am responsible for operations and projects that require considerable planning and consensus to succeed. This all translates to meetings. Lots of meetings. Ugh.

An article in the Gray Lady outlines some ways to improve the effectiveness of meetings include setting clear objectives on the purpose of the meeting. Agendas, minutes, actions should be mandatory. It’s amazing how many meetings I attend without those basics.

It is also important to think about the opportunity costs of the meeting. A large meeting with 20-40 people costs literally thousands of dollars an hour, for example. Keep those committees as small as collegially possible. And keep them short.

This saves time for the more important things in life, like food!

The Best Maple Syrup Balsamic Vinegar Salad!