Marc Ruben, M+R Strategic Services

In a packed room at the 2009 NTC in San Francisco, LeVar Burton loomed large. Well, not LeVar in the flesh, but rather his metaphorical presence, in the form of the famous adage from his "Reading Rainbow" TV series: "Don't take my word for it."

All those tried-and-true strategies you read about in case studies, blogs, and, yes, this venerable online publication? They may not work for your organization.

You've gotta test things for yourself.