Thoughts about Tornado "Tourism"

Tornado Tourism Maps: Controversy in Joplin, Mo.

"Tornado Tourism." It's apparently the next phase of a natural-disaster, at least in Joplin, Mo.

The city's Convention & Visitors Bureau now has maps highlighting spots of special viewing interest from the horrific EF5 tornado of May 2011 that killed 161 people.

Local hotels are handing out the maps, too.

A spokesman says the maps are not meant to capitalize on the destruction, but to provide education.

Local residents disagree. Read the comments on the Facebook page of Joplin radio station Newstalk 1310.

And some 700 people to date have "liked" another Facebook page, Joplin Citizens Against Tornado Tours.

So the perception is that the maps are about tourism. Not education.

And this perception, real or not, is now the reality.

The other reality? There was nothing to like about the Joplin tornado. Watch this video, especially the end:



In crisis management training, I talk about the general stages of a disaster:

• Preparation / Training
• The event
• The aftermath
• The response
• Recovery
• Lessons learned / Training
• "Anniversary" coverage, (e.g., "It's been one year since... .")

In addition to the loss of life, the Joplin tornado caused more than a billion dollars in damage.

Eaten to the ground were entire neighborhoods.

A damage map from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is jaw-dropping.

And now the tragedy is the stuff of an apparent new phase in natural disasters: "Disaster tourism." Follow the map - see destruction.

There are lessons and memories from the Joplin tornado that should never be forgotten.

The community needs to recover, first.

Yes, the event should become a "living" source of education and awareness, too.

But people need to rebuild, and decide how best to honor memories through future generations.

And do so before tourist buses and “looky-loos” decide their own paths.

Supporting a long-term recovery featuring compassion, sensitivity and respect would seem to be a better role for the Convention & Visitors Bureau...than "education" maps about this tornado.

Healing a community should come before any appearance of promoting historic tragedy.

After all, as it says on the front-page of the Bureau's website: "Welcome to Joplin...We're Just Right."

Show us "right."

The Internet Goes "Dark"

Wikipedia, Google Join Historic Campaign against SOPA and PIPA

It's described as the largest online protest in history.

Websites went "dark" in a demonstration against separate anti-piracy bills moving through the U.S. Senate and House, respectively. The acronym for the House legislation is SOPA; the Senate's is PIPA.

The English version of web giant Wikipedia led the way.

According to comScore, 25-million people a day visit Wikipedia. This message greeted them:

Wikipedia Protests SOPA and PIPA

Wikipedia could still be accessed in French, Spanish, German, Russian and other languages.

Google went "dark," with a symbolic visual. A call-to-action appeared when I placed my cursor over it:

Google Goes "Dark"

Wordpress, one of my blogging tools, joined the online protest, censoring itself. Here is its home page:

WordPress Censors Itself

Flickr participated, too. The photo service asked me if I wanted to join the online, "awareness" campaign:

Flickr Campaign Message

Neither Facebook nor Twitter are involved in the massive campaign. Here are some engaged websites.

So far, my ability to use the Internet remains unaffected.

Still, it's an incredible show of Internet muscle, a huge digital-billboard-like campaign.

UPDATE NO. 1:
Congress indefinitely postponed anti-piracy legislation on Jan. 20, 2012. According to the Associated Press:

“The demise, at least for the time being, of the anti-piracy bills was a clear victory for Silicon Valley over Hollywood… .” Full story here.

"The Drive": 12 Leadership Lessons

Tips to Lead Your Team to Business Success

Twenty-five years ago, a young Denver Bronco quarterback named John Elway demonstrated a set of historic leadership lessons.

The lessons, now older than current Bronco phenom Tim Tebow, could help you as a CEO reach your business goals or provide a real-world example to your team. They stand the test of time.

Quarterback Elway guided his team on an improbable 98-yard drive to tie the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Championship Game with only seconds left to play. His team would go on to win the contest over the then-stunned Browns on a field goal in overtime.

Video documents the extraordinary event known as, "The Drive." Watch some great leadership:

Over 15 plays and 5 minutes and 2 seconds, "The Drive" featured:

• A clear vision
• An audacious goal
• An unequivocal deadline
• The right talent on the Denver bus
• Inspiration from the leader and from within the team
• Team members who understood their roles
• Clear communications
• Great tactical execution
• Stops, starts and learning along the way
• No quit
• Success
• Celebration

We've all been a member of a high-performing team.

Lessons from "The Drive" of 1987 can boost your team's performance today.

Weather Impacts Business, Too

Strong, winter winds greeted a purple Colorado sunrise today.

Gusts of 102 mph yesterday - equivalent to Category 2 hurricane-force winds - caused widespread property damage, airport delays and highway closures.

Another High Wind Watch is issued for New Year's Eve. Holiday traffic and interstate commerce will be impacted.

Closed highways, tree damage, shut-in consumers and power outages are likely. The economic impact to tourism and lost-retail sales will be in the millions.

When it comes to severe weather, think commerce ... your economy.

Weather means business.