Booher BanterBusiness Communication Consultant

This article grabbed my interest ("Former DMN employees sue paper, parent company", Dallas Business Journal, Jaime S. Jordan, Web Editor, October 25). Eighteen former Dallas Morning News employees are suing the paper and its parent company, Belo, alleging they were terminated because of their age—all of them were over 40.

The employees were told their positions were being eliminated, but later they learned those same positions were filled with younger workers. A Belo spokesman said, "We’re aware of the complaint and we believe the complaint is without merit and intend to defend against it vigorously."

Supposedly, many of The News employees over 40 were labeled as unable to adapt to new technology or assume multiple job responsibilities, difficult to work with, and unlikely to accept changes as the paper attempts to morph into a self-proclaimed "Newspaper of the Future."

OK, "over 40 crowd"—give me the straight story. Are there older workers in your office that don’t know the difference between a strawberry and a Blackberry™? Is "podcasting" a fishing technique? Perhaps an MP3 is thought to be a rank within the Military Police, and a "blog" is something to burn to keep warm (put another blog on the fire)? Do some need to be reminded that Nokia isn’t Spanish for "I don’t have a key." Are there still those who go to your voice mail and hang up without speaking because they "can’t stand talkin’ to them darn machines"? As for Internet terms like Skype, Technorati, HTML, Java Applet, T1 lines, bandwidth, cookies, Ethernet, gigabyte, Linux, ping, proxy server, SEO…I won’t even go there—we don’t have time.

Shifting into the digital age requires an adjustment period for EVERYONE, but especially for older workers accustomed to doing things "the traditional way." But is their attachment to old habits grounds for termination, or could those employees be won over by excellent corporate communication and a quality training program? I suggest the latter.

As a person slightly over 40 myself (don’t ask), I have a learning curve to comprehend all the business and communication opportunities that computers and the Internet provide. And I’ve actually come to enjoy the new tools, as would many "mature" workers, if given the chance and the incentive to supplement their existing skills. Over-40 workers are our veterans, with some mileage and a fair amount of wisdom garnered along the way…don’t toss them aside because the Training Department is unable or unwilling to capture their imagination with the opportunity to explore new frontiers.

What’s been your work experience with the older—or younger—generation?

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Posted at 12:05pm in Personal Productivity | Permalink | Add Comment » |

In referring to mid-term elections, President Bush quipped that the Democrats may be "measuring the drapes" in Congress too soon.  Although only a brief phrase in an extended political speech, that’s the line that the media chose to play repeatedly over the airwaves. Why?  Metaphors pack a punch because they’re memorable, clever, sexy. 

Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com, used this analogy in a report to shareholders: 

“Long-term thinking is both a requirement and an outcome of true ownership.  Owners are different from tenants.  I know of a couple who rented out their house, and the family who moved in nailed their Christmas tree to the hardwood floors instead of using a tree stand.  Expedient, I suppose, and admittedly these were particularly bad tenants, but no owner would be so short-sighted. Similarly, many investors are effectively short-term tenants, turning their portfolios so quickly they are really just renting the stocks that they temporarily ‘own.’”

We talk about “prime real estate” in referring to the home page of a website or placement above the fold in a newspaper or product catalog.  Many Human Resource managers talk about “cafeteria” benefits to their employees.  With just one word, this analogy implies that employees have a “menu” of benefits to select from, that a “parent” has agreed to cover the “total” invoice up to a certain amount, that employees select according to “taste” or “preferences” from that menu. Such comparisons as these don’t exactly solicit an emotional response; they simply clarify a complex concept. 

Metaphors, on the other hand, imply a comparison and typically evoke an emotion and a mindset.  Both comparisons can be succinct, yet powerful ways to manage how people think about an idea or situation. 

If you wanted to make the point that someone was not fully engaged with their colleagues in a mission, you might use a war metaphor:

“John ducks into his cubicle as if it were a foxhole.  He needs to stick his head out occasionally and help the rest of us fight the war. Otherwise, the parent company is going to take over the entire department.”

If you wanted to talk about how indifference to quality customer service could destroy your business, you might put it in these terms:

“Our poor customer service has become a cancer eating away at our business.  I see customers walk in here and wait ten minutes before being greeted.  Then once we do help them locate what they need in the store, they have to wait again at check-out.  Then they wait again at the loading dock.  The longer a customer stays in our store, it’s like our cancer metastasizes rather than goes into remission.”

If you were making a point to your colleagues about the importance of living a balanced life, you might use a sports metaphor.

“Most of us would agree life has many dimensions or tracks, all important to our overall well-being:  mental, physical, spiritual.  But some of us are spending all our time on one track and ignoring the rest, thinking we’re going to find satisfaction and fulfillment along the way.  It’s not going to happen.  That’s like entering a triathlon and practicing only bicycling for the three months prior to the race.”

Author Malcolm Gladwell uses the metaphor of “contagious disease” in his bestseller The Tipping Point to describe how ideas gradually “catch on” and spread in the general population.  Metaphors and analogies, by their very selection, create a powerful way of thinking about an issue and often evoke a strong accompanying emotion that makes ideas memorable.

Have you ever used a metaphor to work magic in communicating a tough message?

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Posted at 1:03pm in General Communication | Permalink | Add Comment » |

An amazing phenomenon—something I’ve always suspected but never been able to prove—has just been documented.  Frank Warren began to pass out postcards asking people to mail him their deepest, darkest secrets—things they have never told anyone.  He invited them to do it anonymously, of course.  His purpose:  to relieve their guilt and to help them work through issues, to help them get on with their lives.   Results:  Months after his experiment ended, the cards still come pouring in to him at the rate of 100-200 a day.  The secrets include everything from sexual transgressions to messages such as these: "My grandmother was lonely, and I never wrote her or visited her before she died. I am so sorry."

Good Morning America interviewed author Frank Warren this morning about his book PostSecret and the follow-up, My Secret.  His website (http://postsecret.blogspot.com/) creates a safe place for readers to share such secrets and communicate their deepest feelings of guilt, hurt, bewilderment, disappointment, sadness.  In short, people long to feel understood, to connect with others about meaningful issues in their lives.

Why this longing to be understood, yet the fear to communicate openly and honestly about those longings?  Many people pay a therapist just to listen—the role friends used to play.  Today, many people use the Internet for the same purpose—anonymous listening.

Why do you think people feel better about telling the world via the Internet about intimate things rather than sharing on a personal level with family members and friends?  Is it the fear of a negative reaction? Guilt? Judgment?  Embarrassment? Time? Braggadocia about their exploits? Your opinions?

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Posted at 11:39am in General Communication | Permalink | Add Comment » |

You are probably seeing a high number of references to Cancer Awareness Month as you surf the ‘Net this month.  I also want to do my part in raising awareness and encouraging all women to schedule a checkup regularly.

My life has been touched by cancer, and the benefits of early detection far outweigh the trouble of going to the doctor’s office.  If you want to do some reading on the subject, check out The Parenting Weblog (http://www.parenting-weblog.com/50226711/october_is_national_breast_cancer_awareness_month.php) as well as http://pinkforoctober.org/.

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Posted at 2:30pm in General Communication | Permalink | Add Comment » |

Power plays occur often in meetings:  The head honcho strolls in late, keeping everyone waiting.  Or, she has the last word before a dramatic exit, leaving everyone scurrying to carry out the last command.  Have an argument at home, and the same dynamic happens. He grabs his coat and exits with a terse, "I’m going to Atlanta." Done. Gone. So there.

The same dynamic happens in email conversations when one writer stops responding.  The implication is rejection:  Done. Gone. I’ve more important things to do than email you about silly little matters like this.  Why don’t you get on with your life and leave me alone?

On the other hand, you can feel a little silly carrying on an email conversation like this:

"Our proposal to Universal is due on Friday.  Please let me know when you’ve submitted it."

—————-

"I sent it out last Tuesday."

—————-

"Good. I’m hoping they make a decision before I leave for vacation next week."

—————-

"Yes, me too."

—————-

"Please copy me on any further correspondence with their proposal team."

—————-

"Will do. Sure thing."

—————-

"Thank you."

—————-

"Welcome."

So, when do you blink?  What’s the fine line between an exchange like the one above (that seems to suggest that you have way too much time on your hands) and the situation of not responding, implying that you’re bored and beyond their point of interest? 

Here are three quick tips to handle such a dilemma: 

1. If the message is positive, assume all is well.  If the message context is negative, spend the extra few seconds to reply and spare an offense.   
2. Reduce the length of your response.  A single word or phrase response implies "So long, I’m signing off now."   
3. Repeat the action—yours or theirs.  You’re implying that either of you should "jump right on it" and have no further time to email.

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Posted at 12:30pm in Uncategorized | Permalink | Add Comment » |