You've been trying for months to convince your boss, Will Florence, to start blogging. You've told him that top executives in many industries now use blogging as a way to connect with customers and other stakeholders without going through the filters and barriers of formal corporate communications. He was just about convinced-until he read the blog by Bob Lutz, the co-chair and design chief of General Motors.
"Look at this!" he calls from his office. "Bob Lutz is one of the most respected executives in the world, and all these people are criticizing him on his own blog. Sure, a lot of the responses are positive, but quite a few are openly hostile, disagreeing with GM strategy, criticizing the products, criticizing the subjects he chooses for his blog-you name it. If blogging is all about opening yourself up to criticism from every bystander with a keyboard, no way am I going to start a blog."
Your task: Write an e-mail message to Florence (w_florence@sprenco.com), persuading him that the freewheeling nature of blog communication is its key advantage, not a disadvantage at all. While they may not always agree with what he has to say, automotive enthusiasts and car buyers respect Lutz for communicating in his own words-and for giving them the opportunity to respond. For background information, read some of the postings from Lutz and other GM executives at fastlane .gmblogs.com.30