Most times of the year in Michigan - huddling up  is usually  a means of staying warm. In a business setting however, that might pose an HR issue so huddle up, but not in the traditional sense.  Using a daily face to face huddle can be an effective way to stay in contact with your team, monitor progress, call and analyze plays, and keep the ball moving forward, Huddles can be 10 minutes or 30 minutes, the point is to keep them brief, but meaningful.

The huddle should be more than just task management, it should also be an opportunity to brainstorm, reward, and collaborate.  They need not be limited to your own immediate team either.  I've used a combination of weekly, bi-weekly, even monthly huddles with executives and other directors to keep a finger on the pulse of the rest of the organization and their priorities.  

Have some fun with your huddles - give them code names, have everyone stand up instead of sitting down, go outside (weather permitting of course), have guests join from time to time - mix it up. One of my peers and I called our weekly huddles our PIAG (poop in a group).  Agendas are optional, but when you are first starting it may be helpful to build a brief simple agenda until the rest of the huddlers get the rhythm. 

5 tips for effective huddles:

1. Set a time and stick to it
   
2. Know what your goal is to be effective
   
3. Be brief 
   
4. Manage tangents
5. Keep track of requests, ideas, action items to stay on track

Here is a great idea from the folks at Content Marketing - who compiled this from Kelly Services. Take one topic and share it up 20 ways! To help get you started here are twenty ideas for placement for each topic you might consider:

1. Write a white paper
2. Add something to your website
3. Twitter
4. Pinterest
5. Use pictures and post to flickr/instagram
6. Facebook
7. Email
8. Your blog
9. Guest blog (swap stories)
   
10. Newsletter article
11. Print media - news agency, reporter, trade mag, chamber newsletter, client newsletter, business partner's newsletter
12. Create a presentation
13. SlideShare your preso
14. Postcard or other mailer - make it lumpy
15. Check with TalkRadio stations - get an interview
16. Video
17. LInkedIn
18. eBook
19. Present to local business groups at their meetings - Economics Club, ITMA, Chamber Events, Rotary, etc.
20. Hold an event

If you like this content - Tweet this by clicking here: 
Content Idea #3: Take every story idea and produce 20+ pieces of content via @toddwheatland @JoePulizzi 

Yes Virginia, there really is a Santa Claus. When Francis P. Church answered the letter he told a truth that challenged the intelligence of the intelligent, yet soothed the souls of every parent who is terrified by the same question. Perhaps my favorite line from the editorial is:  "Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world." Francis P. Church, The New York Sun, 1897. The editorial was famous. It not only expounded on truth, love and even faith, but also helped the world to understand why Santa Claus was important. And that is the real truth and motivation.  Believing in something is better than the alternative. And believing in something bigger than ourselves is a surefire way to engage and connect. 

Just because you build the ball field, website, lemonade stand - you name it - doesn't mean THEY will come.  GoogleAds are not the only way to get the word out, open for business does not mean the cash register sings with the jingle of cash. People, customers, want to share a value, belief or a great experience. Having an open for business sign with no plan for sharing the true meaning of what you do, sell, or make and WHY it is connection worthy - is just a bunch of letters on another sign and more noise vying for the attention of our over connected society. For a great example of brutal honesty, stand for something transparency...check out Peldi Guilizzoni , CEO, of Balsamiq Mockups. According to Jason Cohen in his Business Insider article,  Guilizzoni is frighteningly honest and it paid off.  Why? Because he had values and a vision.  He also has a great product, but the product doesn't sell unless people know about it. Some of the greatest products in history went the way of the Dodo before anyone even knew they were available.  The difference is in the passion, vision and values of the creator.  All it takes is one person to ignite a movement, (pssst...pass it on). One becomes two, then two becomes four - well you know the rest of the story. 

If you want to start something great - have a great story and an unshakable, unstoppable understanding of why you are doing it. Share it with like minded people who will share it with their value chain. The real key here is being honest. Honest about your goals, your values and what is really driving your passion for what ever you are doing. Honest passion is more contagious then H1N1 when it comes to word of mouth marketing.