Saturday, March 07, 2009
Failing One of the Audiences
It was a session for new employees. The manager who was giving the orientation had been with the organization for years. He centered his entire talk around the subject of job security, benefits, and retirement.
That appealed to part of his audience,but turned off another portion. Why? Because the latter was more attuned to challenge and opportunity than to security. The more he stressed the secure, almost boring, nature of the workplace, the more he lost them.
He'd fallen prey to a common mistake of speakers: assuming the audience shares his interests when their constant question is "What's in it for me?"
By failing to consider their diverse backgrounds and goals, he destroyed the effectiveness of his presentation.
He did, however, achieve one aim. Years later, the employees who had been alienated would still remember his words.
That appealed to part of his audience,but turned off another portion. Why? Because the latter was more attuned to challenge and opportunity than to security. The more he stressed the secure, almost boring, nature of the workplace, the more he lost them.
He'd fallen prey to a common mistake of speakers: assuming the audience shares his interests when their constant question is "What's in it for me?"
By failing to consider their diverse backgrounds and goals, he destroyed the effectiveness of his presentation.
He did, however, achieve one aim. Years later, the employees who had been alienated would still remember his words.
Accepting Violence?
I am not much of a Freudian, but I think that good old Sigmund was on to something when he suggested that small slips of the tongue could sometimes reveal the way people think. For example, when British police spokesmen talk to the press about murders, they often use words like “senseless” or “pointless” to describe them. This suggests that they think some murders are sensible or reasonable; and when they proceed to pay tribute to the victim’s endearing qualities, they appear to imply that less endearing people may be killed without the law’s going to equivalent lengths to find the killers.
Read the rest of Theodore Dalrymple here.
Read the rest of Theodore Dalrymple here.
The Secretarial Interview
Ricky Gervais, as the cringe-inducing boss David Brent in the British version of "The Office," interviews two candidates for the position of secretary.
Quote of the Day
He spoke with a certain what-is-it in his voice, and I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled.
- P.G. Wodehouse
- P.G. Wodehouse
Friday, March 06, 2009
The Branding
Phoenix just blew $160,000 on a new "branding" slogan.
The result? "Arizona's Urban Heart."
We were branded all right.
E.J. Montini, a columnist for The Arizona Republic, accords appropriate mockery to the brand and notes some examples from other parts of the country.
The best, of course, are the humorous ones thought up by creative observers who, unfortunately, were not paid $160,000 for their suggestions.
My favorite is by Dave Barry:
Miami: Maybe You Won't Get Shot.
The result? "Arizona's Urban Heart."
We were branded all right.
E.J. Montini, a columnist for The Arizona Republic, accords appropriate mockery to the brand and notes some examples from other parts of the country.
The best, of course, are the humorous ones thought up by creative observers who, unfortunately, were not paid $160,000 for their suggestions.
My favorite is by Dave Barry:
Miami: Maybe You Won't Get Shot.
Leading from Optimism
Writing at the Harvard Business School's Working Knowledge site, James Heskett discusses "How frank or deceptive should leaders be?" An excerpt:
Jim Collins emphasizes the importance of organizations facing "the brutal facts" about causes of mediocre performance. On the other hand, there may be reasons why good leaders have to have an optimistic bias. As one CEO put it in a meeting last week, "I can't lead from a position of pessimism."
Jim Collins emphasizes the importance of organizations facing "the brutal facts" about causes of mediocre performance. On the other hand, there may be reasons why good leaders have to have an optimistic bias. As one CEO put it in a meeting last week, "I can't lead from a position of pessimism."
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