Passenger Is Escorted Off Southwest Flight

United is getting renewed attention-and not in a good way. This week, a passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight was escorted off the plane. The situation is quite different: she is allergic to animals, and two dogs were on the flight. She complained but didn't provide documentation and refused to deplane.

Video shows a rough scene, with two police officers and passengers encouraging her to walk, and the woman saying that she can't.

Nothing about the incident appears on Southwest's otherwise active Twitter feed or its website. But the airline did submit statements to Business Insider:

"Our policy states that a Customer (without a medical certificate) may be denied boarding if they report a life-threatening allergic reaction and cannot travel safely with an animal onboard."

"Our Flight Crew made repeated attempts to explain the situation to the Customer, however, she refused to deplane and law enforcement became involved."

The airline later apologized:

"We are disheartened by the way this situation unfolded and the Customer's removal by local law enforcement officers. We publicly offer our apologies to this Customer for her experience, and we will be contacting her directly to address her concerns.

"Southwest Airlines was built on Customer Service, and it is always our goal for all Customers to have a positive experience."

Yet the woman is facing multiple charges, including disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, and resisting arrest.

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Discussion:

• How well did Southwest address the situation?
• As the woman is walking/being dragged down the aisle, she says, "I'm a professor." Does this help or hurt her case?

President Trump Criticized for Incorrect Country Name

In a speech during a lunch with African leaders, President Trump mentioned the African country "Nambia," but no such country exists. Critics took to Twitter and other social sites to slam the president for "inventing" or "making up" a country. The reference in this tweet to Covfefe is a word President Trump used in a tweet earlier this year without explanation; it was likely a typo.

Yet the president's facts were correct for Namibia, and rather than "inventing" a country, the president likely just mispronounced its name.

Critics also took issue with the president's characterization of Africa as a business opportunity: "I have so many friends going to your countries trying to get rich. I congratulate you, they're spending a lot of money."

Discussion:

• Are we too harsh? Should we overlook the mispronunciation, or should the president be more careful?
• What's your view of the president's saying Africa is a "tremendous business opportunity"?
• Should President Trump correct the mistake? How?
• How does humility factor into this situation-both the public's and President Trump's?

SoFi CEO's Resignation Letter

SoFi CEO Michael Cagney has stepped down after sexual harassment charges. This is a blow to tech start-ups, like Uber, that have been criticized for a "frat" culture. SoFi is short for Social Finance, Inc., and is the largest online lending company.

The evidence against Cagney is strong, including text messages and people who have seen Cagney flirting and holding hands with another employee. (Cagney is married with two children.) Employees also complain about Cagney bragging about his sexual prowess and about seeing supervisors and employees having sex in the office and in the parking lot. As a settlement, one employee was paid about $75,000 to leave SoFi.

Other lawsuits against the company include unfair labor practices (e.g., pay and breaks) and financial reporting issues. The company denies these claims.

In a message to employees, Cagney explained his reasons for leaving.

All,

It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing that I will step down as CEO of SoFi by the end of
this year.

SoFi has been an amazing journey. From the early days with five of us in a one-room office in 2011, to 1,200 employees spread across the country today, few firms have matched our success. We have had massive impact on our members lives, lending over $20 billion to our over 350,000 members, saving them over $1.8 billion in student loan interest and $500 million in credit-card interest, and helping them advance their careers and relationships.

That impact keeps growing. In the second quarter alone, we funded over $3.1 billion in loans, producing $134 million in revenue and $61.6 million in adjusted EBITDA. I could not be prouder of the company's we've built together.

Recently, though, the focus has shifted more toward litigation and me personally. The combination of HR-related litigation and negative press have become a distraction from the company's core mission.

I want SoFi to focus on helping members, hiring the best people, and growing our company in a way consistent with our values. That can't happen as well as it should if people are focused on me, which isn't fair to our members, investors, or you.

I will be fully dedicated to the business through year-end, and will work closely with the Board to find the best candidate to lead us forward.

SoFi has built an incredible team. While we've come a long way, we're still in the early innings of what we can and will accomplish. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to help get us to where we are today – and I look forward to seeing where all of you take SoFi in the coming years.

Thanks,

Mike

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Discussion:

• Who is responsible for organizational culture and for maintaining a workplace free of harassment?
• Assess Cagney's resignation letter. To what extent does he demonstrate humility and accountability? Where does the letter fall short?
• Also assess the writing style, tone, audience focus, and organization. What works well, and what could be improved?

Ikea's Diversity Ad

Ikea Canada is making a statement with a video set to "What a Wonderful World."

The spot starts with the song lyrics, "Seems to me, it's ain't the world that's so bad, but what we are doing to it." Then, a little girl looks out the window of a car as she narrates from the song what she sees-and we see images of different people. First up are two teenage girls exchanging corsages. Next, we see someone putting up solar panels, and then laundry drying outside.

An editor for Creativity-Online analyzes the approach. As the "Editor's Pick" states, Ikea is putting its mark on what the company deems important.

But in such a divisive political time, the ad is risky. Not everyone has the positive feelings Ikea is promoting when they see refugees or a woman breastfeeding.

Discussion:

• What do you think Ikea considered before producing this video? The company took some calculated risks.
• What's your view of the ad? Do you find it heartwarming, offensive, cheesy, or something else?

Talking About Climate Change: Too Soon?

EPA chief Scott Priutt says it's "insensitive" to talk about climate change as people are wrestling with hurricanes. The response follows a request from Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado the Friday before Hurricane Irma hit Florida:

"This is the time to talk about climate change. This is the time that the president and the EPA and whoever makes decisions needs to talk about climate change," said Regalado, who flew back to Miami from Argentina Friday morning to be in the city during the storm. "If this isn't climate change, I don't know what is. This is a truly, truly poster child for what is to come."

Pruitt said,

"To have any kind of focus on the cause and effect of the storm versus helping people, or actually facing the effect of the storm, is misplaced," and "To use time and effort to address it at this point is very, very insensitive to this people in Florida."

Pruitt has also said that he doesn't believe that carbon dioxide emissions is a major contributor to climate change. Scientists report changing "climate change" in their documentation to other words.

In a Los Angeles Times opinion article, "Harvey and Irma say this is the right time to discuss global warming," the reporter calls Pruitt's response "patently absurd." He compares the hurricanes to shootings, when it is the right time to talk about gun control.

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Discussion:

• What's your view? Should we discuss climate change as the hurricanes are happening? What are the arguments on both sides?
• How, if at all, might your opinion change if you or your family were victims of the hurricane?
• For leadership character, this could be an issue of accountability and compassion. How do you see these dimensions playing a role in the debate?

Uber's New CEO Is the Kalanick Opposite

Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber's new CEO, talks about his emotions, and he's getting big points in the media. An Inc. article applauds his vulnerability in saying to Expedia colleagues, "I have to tell you I am scared." His final email to staff continues:

I've been here at Expedia for so long that I've forgotten what life is like outside this place. But the times of greatest learning for me have been when I've been through big changes, or taken on new roles--you have to move out of your comfort zone and develop muscles that you didn't know you had.

Uber has been promoting Khosrowshahi's human side, a smart strategy to humanize the company after months of scandals under founder Travis Kalanick. In the board's email to employees, they started with the story of Khosrowshahi's immigration:

Team,

We are delighted to announce that Uber's Board has voted unanimously to appoint Dara Khosrowshahi to be our new CEO.

Dara came to America at nine years old when his family escaped Iran on the eve of the Iranian Revolution. He grew up in Tarrytown, N.Y., trained as an engineer at Brown, and spent many years at IAC serving as Chief Financial Officer and in various operational and strategic roles.

In 2005, he became CEO of Expedia, which he built into one of the world's leading travel and technology companies, now operating in more than 60 countries. He has four children and not surprisingly loves to travel, one of his favorite trips being to the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia where his wife Sydney said yes to marrying him.

We're really fortunate to gain a leader with Dara's experience, talent and vision. The Board and the Executive Leadership Team are confident that Dara is the best person to lead Uber into the future building world-class products, transforming cities, and adding value to the lives of drivers and riders around the world while continuously improving our culture and making Uber the best place to work.

Dara will be joining us tomorrow, August 30, for an All Hands. Add your questions for Dara here, and stay tuned for a calendar invite with more details. He'll also be meeting with employees around the world in smaller groups over the next few weeks, and spending time with drivers.

Please join us in welcoming Dara on what promises to be an exciting ride!

-Yasir, Garrett, Matt, Ryan, Arianna, Travis, Wan Ling & David

For his part, Khosrowshahi introduced himself to staff as a fighter and a "no-B.S." leader:

"First, I am going to be totally transparent with you. I am not going to B.S. you. The thing that I've found in life and in management is that the higher up you get in an organization, the less you really know about what's going on. Because people start holding back, and they are afraid to tell you what's going on. The only way that I've seen to combat that is to be absolutely honest with you and to be completely straight and authentic with you. Hopefully that will allow me to deserve the same right back from you. I'm not going to B.S. you and I will ask you not to B.S. me.

Second, I'm a fighter. I'll fight with you. I don't like war metaphors, it's kind of a male metaphor, but we're in a battle here and I think everybody knows it. Just know that I'm here, I made the decision, I am all in and I'm going to fight for you with everything in my body. I hope you'll join me in that battle.

And last, I will know that I've succeeded here if everybody in this room and who is watching all over the world knows they can contribute to the success of Uber in their own way. Everyone's different, everyone has their own skillsets-if you're numerative or have a higher EQ, if you're here in the US or in a global office, if you're a dev, if you're in marketing, if you're in PR, or ops or regardless of your gender or your beliefs-everyone is going to participate and contribute in their own way. And if everyone feels like they can and they can be themselves but they can also be Uber, then I know I've succeeded. That's my goal."

The line about "B.S." makes me wonder: what's the alternative? I have a similar reaction when people say, "I'll be honest with you." Why would I assume anything else?

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Discussion:

• How well do you think Khosrowshahi and how he's positioned will humanize the Uber brand? What else, if anything, can the company do at this point?
• To what extent do you agree with my skepticism about his promise for no "B.S."?
• To what extent do you agree with the Inc. writer's conclusion about Khosrowshahi's vulnerability?
• Khosrowshahi's last point in his talk with employees is about authenticity, being yourself at work. How do you think employees would react to his statement?

How Not to Apologize

The owner of a bar in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, has faced her critics but didn't handle the apology well. Former corporate tax attorney Becca Brennan wrote a press release encouraging people to visit her new bar and photograph the wall of bullet holes.

It was a bad joke: the holes weren't from bullets. Brennan played on previous violence in a gentrifying neighborhood. The NY Eater summarizes the issue:

Nostrand Avenue between Eastern Parkway and Atlantic is quickly gentrifying, and increasingly, bars and restaurants targeting young and primarily white new residents have opened. Summerhill may be the first business to capitalize on historic violence and poverty in Crown Heights as a point of the decor - making it an easy lightning rod for existing tensions.

Neighbors took offense, and some considered the promotion racist. Brennan issued an apology:

"I truly never meant it in that way, but I recognize that it was insensitive. I was excited to keep the wall as a shout out to the different businesses that occupied the space before us, but my intention was misinterpreted, and I'm sorry for that."

A month later, a town hall meeting was supposed to ease tensions but didn't. In response to criticism, Brennan said, "I'm sorry I have a sense of humor," and "I'm very sorry you were offended." These are classic mistakes in apology.

From her perspective, Brennan can't say anything right. She told reporters, "I mean, you see me try to talk, and nothing I say will ever be good enough." At the same time, she refuses to cover the damaged wall.

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Discussion:

• What makes a good apology, and how did Brennan's fall short?
• What would you suggest for Brennan to demonstrate vulnerability?
• Should she cover the damaged wall or stick to her plan, as she says, to "keep the integrity of an 100-year-old building"?
• At this point, how, if at all, can she improve relations with neighbors?

Air Canada CEO Gets Defensive

No one wants to face a reporter's tough questions, but it's best to handle them gracefully. Air Canada's CEO and president Calin Rovinescu got angry during an interview with a Globe and Mail reporter, and it didn't end well.

Rovinescu was asked about bumping a 10-year-old boy when a flight was overbooked, and he responded,

No. I'm not getting into specific customer dynamics with you, Trevor. And that's not what I expected this interview to be about, and I'm happy to end it here if that's-I'm not getting into discussions with respect to specific customer experiences.

The interviewer then asked Rovinescu about weather planning because of climate change, and he was a bit sarcastic, saying they can't do anything to control the weather. Things seem to get worse when the interviewer pushed him about an incident in July, when a plane almost collided with others on the taxiway:

Can you talk to me about pilot error? Just in terms of-

Trevor, I'm not sure I'm loving the direction of your interview here. I thought we were talking about a more generic dynamic around what the airline has achieved.

Instead, Rovinescu could have used the technique of "bridging," or transitioning from the interviewer's question to something more positive about the airline's safety record or plans for the future. He sounded defensive throughout, and the interviewer took advantage by asking tougher questions.

Rovinescu wanted to avoided seeming vulnerable-risking emotional exposure-which just made him more vulnerable and open to harm. A PR Daily article summarizes the issue well:

[Rovinescu] reacted to Cole's questions instead of answering them-and by doing so, unnecessarily increased the negative tone of the article.

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Discussion:

• Read the reporter's questions. How could Rovinescu have responded to each instead?
• Did the reporter push too much? Were his questions unfair?

Martin Shkreli's Failed Communications

Former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli damaged his own case by failing basic communication principles. As a juror said, he is "his own worst enemy" and "All he had to do was to tell everyone, ‘I'm sorry, I lost the money, all I can say is I'm sorry,' and that would be it."

In other words, just apologize. The jury found him guilty of fraud because he lied to hedge fund investors.

Throughout his career in the media, Shkreli came across as arrogant and indifferent to his impact on others. His company hiked the price of Daraprim, a potentially life-saving drug, from $13.50 to $750 per pill. A Daily Beast article called him "reprehensible" and worse.

In 2014, he tweeted about his board of directors: 

Rather upset at my inane BOD who was overly focused on irrelevant innuendo but also now can pursue a NewCo without them. So net-net excited.

- Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli)

In January of this year, Shkreli was banned from Twitter for harassing a journalist. In 2016, he testified before Congress, and we see why people consider him offensive. He "takes the fifth," which is his right, but his behavior shows his lack of compassion. MoneyWatch posted "The many smirks of Martin Shkreli" during the hearing.

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Discussion:

• What is the value of an apology, and how could saying "I'm sorry" have helped Shkreli?
• What non-verbal behavior does Shkreli demonstrate? For example, watch 8:00 - 9:00 of the Congressional hearing. How do you interpret his non-verbals?

Gender Bias in Economics

An economist's research has revealed gender bias among academics. A gutsy senior wrote her thesis at the University of California, Berkeley, based on online, informal conversations about the economics academic job market. By analyzing more than a million online comments, Alice Wu identified words associated with men and women.

Words associated with women (female pronouns) were far more sexual, while the words associated with men were more positive overall. The female list is jarring.

Wu took a big risk in doing this research and publishing her report. She was warned about facing online harassment, but she seems resolved to continue her work.

The organization hashtac compiled an extensive list of studies about gender bias in academe and conclude the following:

The studies aggregated and summarized below offer important policy implications for the traditional ways that we quantify the processes leading to hiring, promotion, and tenure. You cannot simply count "outputs" in making an evaluation of someone's worth and reputation if there is a "biased filter" at the first stage of evaluation, prejudicing judgment at the outset.

Discussion:

• What, if anything, surprises you about this research?
• How does this work relate to the concept of implicit bias discussed in Chapter 2 of the tenth edition of Business Communication?
• Wu certainly demonstrates courage. What is at risk for her personally and professionally?
• Despite several page views, I cannot find what the letters "hashtac" represent. Where on the website would be a good place for this?

CEOs Leave President Trump's Business Advisory Councils

Several CEOs have left or were planning to leave President Trump's business advisory councils after his response to the Charlottesville, VA, incident. President Trump has been stalwart in blaming "both sides" of the protests in Charlottesville, which escalated in violence. For some CEOs, the response wasn't strong enough in condemning white supremacists. In a news conference, President Trump said there was violence among the liberal contingent as well as those wanting to, for example, defend confederate statues. He drew an analogy between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who owned slaves, with Robert E. Lee, who led the confederate army during the U.S. civil war.

Merck chief executive Ken Frazier was the first to resign from the president's manufacturing council. Others filed suit, and still others planned to resign, including Indra Nooyi of Pepsi, Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan, Alex Gorsky of J&J, and Jeff Immelt of GE.

Doug McMillon, Walmart's chief executive, has been vocal and has faced criticism from Walmart customers. In a memo to employees, McMillion explained his position:

 Respect for the individual is one of our core beliefs at Walmart. And the role we play in communities around the country to build a more diverse and inclusive society is more critical than ever as the tragic events in Charlottesville over the weekend painfully reminded us. Our prayers are with the victims and their families. 

As we watched the events and the response from President Trump over the weekend, we too felt that he missed a critical opportunity to help bring our country together by unequivocally rejecting the appalling actions of white supremacists. His remarks today were a step in the right direction and we need that clarity and consistency in the future.

Our country is facing some very difficult issues that require our elected officials, business leaders and community-based organizations to work together. Representing a company with the largest and one of the most diverse groups of associates in the U.S., and an even more diverse customer base of tens of millions of customers, we believe we should stay engaged to try to influence decisions in a positive way and help bring people together. I will continue to strongly advocate on behalf of our associates and customers, and urge our elected officials to do their part to promote a more just, tolerant and diverse society. 

Thank you for representing Walmart and our values today -- and every day.

Before another group, inspired by Nooyi of Pepsi, could resign, President Trump decided to disband all of his business advisory councils. The decision is a blow to the president, who prided himself on his business relationships when taking office.

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Discussion:

• Did these business leaders do the right thing? Why or why not?
• What did it take for Merck's CEO to take the lead, and for Pepsi's CEO to inspire the next wave? What was at risk for both of them and for other CEOs?
• Besides addressing the Charlottesville situation differently, what could President Trump have done differently to maintain his relationships with these business leaders?

Should We Curse at Work?

A book, What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves, explains why cursing is good for us. Author Benjamin K. Bergen also argues that cursing is a social construct: certain words are "bad" only because we say they are.

Cursing has some benefits. One study showed that swearing in response to an injury helps us tolerate pain. Another showed that swearing improved performance in bicycle and hand-grip exercises. Bergen argues that cursing allows people to show their emotional state instead of hiding it. He also says cursing brings people of similar backgrounds or cultures together.

But what about swearing at work? This seems to vary based on industry, company, and work group. Some cursing, such as ethnic slurs, are offensive and would rarely be tolerated. However, many teams will curse among themselves, depending on the relationships and circumstances.  

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Discussion:

• Do you curse? Why or why not? Under what circumstances would you curse or avoid it?
• How do you feel about cursing in professional work environments? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Cargill Muslim Employees Get EEOC Support

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is siding with Cargill employees over their right to pray at work. Employees filed a claim against the company because their opportunities to pray during breaks had been curtailed. The EEOC's support means that Cargill management will have to reach an agreement with employees on prayer time.

The issue began in Colorado in 2015 when 150 employees walked off the job in protest. Supervisors told them they would no longer be able to prayer during breaks. The employees were terminated for attendance violations.

Employees report being closely monitored so they didn't pray, for example, in the bathroom. Cargill denies such claims.

The hope is for Cargill and the employees to reach a confidential agreement. If they fail, the employees can pursue a discrimination lawsuit.

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Discussion:

• What protects U.S. employees' right to pray at work?
• How would you describe the company's position?
• Assess statements by the company in the Star Tribune article. Based on these quotes, how well is the company responding to the controversy?

Many Perspectives on the Google Memo

A Google software engineer's memo has further split conservatives and liberals in the workplace. The most divisive part of the 10-page, so-called "manifesto" seems to be the argument that biology partly explains why fewer women are in technology jobs. James Damore was fired following controversy about the memo.

Here are a few highlights of the situation, particularly as they relate to communication:

The Engineer's Point of View

Damore argued in his memo that Google's diversity programs need to be reworked. Titled, "Google's Ideological Echo Chamber," the memo suggests Google de-moralize diversity, stop alienating conservatives, confront Google's biases, stop restricting programs and classes to certain genders or races, have an open and honest discussion about costs and benefits of diversity programs, focus on psychological safety instead of just race/gender diversity, de-emphasize empathy, prioritize intention, be open about the science of human nature, and reconsider making Unconscious Bias (Google's training program) mandatory for promotion committees.

His argument about empathy and claims that women are more neurotic than men seem to be perceived as most hurtful. Damore responded to his termination in a Wall Street Journal editorial.

Women in Tech's Point of View

A computer science lecturer at Stanford acknowledges that the memo cites some peer-reviewed studies. But she identifies fives reasons the memo is offensive to women in tech: fatigue (tired of hearing the arguments and feeling dismissed at work), resisting the divide-and-conquer strategy (women won't feel better if they aren't "average"), Google isn't average (yet Damore cites studies of averages), race is argued alongside gender (but Damore cites no research), and contradiction (he says he values diversity yet criticizes all of Google's programs).

In sum, women argue that technology is a challenging field filled with bias. The memo only hurts women's attempts to be valued and included in the workplace. 

Google Leadership's Response

Google leadership had a right to terminate Damore. The question is whether this was the best  decision. By posting his memo and given the subsequent conversations, Damore may have created a hostile working environment for Google. In an email to staff, CEO Sundar Pichai wrote, "portions of the memo violate our Code of Conduct and cross the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace." The VP of diversity, integrity, and governance-just two weeks on the job-wrote an email with her own perspective.

You can read more about Google's decision process here.

Conservatives' Point of View

Conservatives see this situation as emblematic of what Damore argues: that conservative voices are silenced. Damore called Google "cult-like" for its unwillingness to consider other points of view. Damore has filed suit against the termination. New York Times opinion writer David Brooks wrote that Pichai should resign for terminating Damore. 

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Discussion:

• From a perspective strictly of persuasion (or argumentation), what did Damore do well in his memo, and where did he fall short? What could he have done differently in this situation?
• To what extent do you agree with Damore's arguments? What are his strongest and weakest arguments?
• Did Google do the right thing in firing him? What are the arguments for and against his termination?

Speculation About McCain's Body Language

Desperate to know whether Senator John McCain would support President Trump's most recent healthcare plan, people took to Twitter to report signs. A Mashable writer jokes, "Journalists and regular viewers became McCain body language experts, watching the Republican Senator's every move, smile, blink, and nose scratch."

A Washington Post article cites evidence of a "no" vote: getting a hug from California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein and observing two Republican senators apparently trying to persuade McCain to stick with their team.

He did vote "no," along with two other Republicans who also broke ranks to defeat the plan. It's hard to see from the photo, but the Post reports, "Take a look at the body language in the room. Democrats look positively giddy (several audibly gasp, while others clap)." The writer also identifies, "Meanwhile, Sen. Mitch McConnell looks on with his arms crossed, resigned to defeat, as the rest of the GOP leadership team stands silently. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) lets his head drop."

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Discussion:

• The speculation from body language turned out to be correct, but did people read too much into it?
• Should Senator McCain have been more discreet to keep his position private before the vote, or doesn't it matter? Consider McCain's history, if you know his background.

Communication Gaps Found Between Doctors and Home Health Care Nurses

The findings aren't surprising for anyone who has cared for an elderly parent (as I have). Researchers at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus identified major communication gaps when a patient is released from the hospital. 

According to the study, published in Journal of General Internal Medicine, discrepancies in medication lists and a lack of accountability are key problems that cause issues for patients. Home health care agency workers also report difficulty in contacting physicians. Study authors identify the following solutions:

• Hospitals and primary care physicians could provide HHC agencies direct access to Electronic Medical Records and direct phone lines to doctors.
• Enact laws allowing nurse practitioners and physician's assistants to write HHC orders. A bill was under consideration to do this but was not acted upon by Congress.
• Clearly establishing accountability for hospital clinicians to manage HHC orders until a primary care physician can see a patient and help HHC nurses with questions.
• Create better communication methods with PCPs to ensure safer transitions

A page on the Family Caregiver Alliance website offers advice for patients when preparing for a medical appointment, meeting with a doctor, spending time in emergency rooms, and, as this study focuses on, "Transitions to Home or Facility: Communications at Discharge Time." The site offers good advice, such as keeping a medical notebook and contacting advocacy groups.

An article in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research recommends ways for doctors to improve their communication. The advice will sound very basic to students of business communication, for example, "patient listening, empathy, and paying attention."

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Discussion:

• What are your positive and negative experiences when communicating with medical professionals? What improvements would you recommend?
• Communication gaps during transitions are common. What other examples can you identify (for example, transitioning from high school to college)?

Walmart Apologizes for Racist Description

Walmart blamed a seller for a racist description of a hair weaving net. The blurb included the "N-word" as an adjective with "brown" for the product color.

Walmart removed the description and issued an apology, shown here.

The seller, Jagazi in the United Kingdom, said someone was using its name to sell products on Walmart's website. Jagazi wrote a statement denying connection with the product but didn't mention the racial slur.

We woke up this morning to the news that someone has used our name, Jagazi, to list an item. Please beware that we are reporting this to as many people as we can and trying to get all the listings pulled down. The real Jagazi is a 100% black company for black people. People have often used our brand name to try and sell their products. Please be aware. Very sorry for all the distress this has caused. We are feeling the pain here as well. Most shocking!
 

An AOL article author criticizes Jagazi for "indicating some offense to the racial slur and much offense to someone selling fake Jagazi on Walmart's website." Do you agree or disagree?

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Discussion:

• How does a mistake like this happen?
• How well did Walmart handle the apology? Should the company take more responsibility? Why or why not?
• Assess Jagazi's response. What, if anything, should Jagazi have done differently?
• The AOL article has a punctuation error. Can you find it?

Did Ann Coulter Go Too Far?

 Have we had enough of customer complaints about airlines? The social media tenor seems to be trending in that direction, at least in the case of Ann Coulter and Delta Airlines.

Author and media personality Ann Coulter paid $30 for a seat with more legroom but was "inadvertently" moved as the airline shuffled seats to accommodate other passengers. Coulter tweeted several attacks on the airline, including a couple about other passengers: the one at right and, in another tweet, "Immigrants take American jobs (& seats on @Delta)." 

Delta promised to refund Coulter's $30 and pushed back on her insults. In tweets and in a statement, the company admitted confusion:

We are sorry that the customer did not receive the seat she reserved and paid for. More importantly, we are disappointed that the customer has chosen to publicly attack our employees and other customers by posting derogatory and slanderous comments and photos in social media. Her actions are unnecessary and unacceptable.    

Each of our employees is charged with treating each other as well as our customers with dignity and respect. And we hold each other accountable when that does not happen.

Delta expects mutual civility throughout the entire travel experience.

We will refund Ms. Coulter's $30 for the preferred seat on the exit row that she purchased.

Brandwatch assessed sentiment on social media and found more negative responses to Coulter than to Delta.

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Discussion:

• Do you find yourself sympathizing more with the airline or with Coulter? Why?
• How does the timing (moving her seat within 24 hours of the flight) affect your response, if at all?
• Where did Coulter perhaps cross a line? Read more tweets here.
• How well did Delta handle the situation? What, if anything, should the airline have done differently on social media or in the statement?

What Happens When a 15-Year-Old Manages the Twitter Account?

For Southern Rail in the U.K., an intern taking over the Twitter feed was a welcome reprieve from angry customer tweets. Eddie, the 15-year-old intern put out a call for people to ask him anything. And they did.

Eddie answered each. The answers to the questions at right were 100 duck-sized horses and rollerblades for feet. (Note that he corrected the grammar and punctuation for the first one.)

A few users got snarky. About the rollerblade response, one wrote, "And you'd get there faster than on a @SouthernRailUK service too." Another tweeted, "Nobody wishes to troll a 15 year old [sic], but Eddie should be made well aware how lives are being ruined by GTR." To this, a regular member of the train company's  Twitter team responded, "We're showing a 15 year old the wonderful world of work today. Appreciate if you could lay off the abuse for a bit."

Image source.

Discussion:

• The organization could have shut down the questions or left responses to the regular employees. Did they do the right thing? Why or why not?
• How is this situation different from and similar to other hijacked hashtags?
• As far as I see, the tweets are fun but not mocking. What do you see as the difference? If they were more mocking, how should Southern Rail have responded? 
• In the book, we talk about an authentic social media voice. How do Eddie's tweets measure up?

New Study: Men and Woman May Be Equally Empathic

A new, large-scale study found little difference between levels of empathy in men and women. The authors argue that previous studies have relied on self-reports, to which men and women likely respond along gender stereotypes: that women are more empathic than men.

The authors asked men and women to complete a self-report, which did find differences. But they also had more than 10,000 people take part in an experiment and found "minuscule" differences. They summarize the results:

These findings suggest that sex differences in empathy are highly driven by the assessment measure. In particular, self-reports may induce biases leading individuals to assume gender-role stereotypes. Awareness of the role of measurement instruments in this field may hone our understanding of the links between empathy, sex differences, and gender roles.

We may be biased, thinking women are nurturing caregivers, and men, well, aren't. At work, do we assume that women are better listeners, maybe better leaders because they do a better job of relating and understanding how others feel?

I happen to be reading Alan Alda's new book, If I understood you, would I have this look on my face? It's entertaining (it's Alan Alda!), but he also delves into the concept of empathy and whether it can be developed. He sponsored research that showed good evidence for people being more empathic after logging others' emotions. People were given an app and asked to enter emotions of people they interacted with throughout the day. Based on an assessment, the more actively people attended to others' emotions, the more their empathy improved.

Discussion:

• Do the survey results about men and women surprise you? Why or why not?

• What's your own experience with sex differences and empathy?

• Alda references this online assessment. How did you do?