Chick-fil-A Changes Its Tune on Gay Marriage
A social media storm has erupted in response to Chick-fil-A's anti-gay-marriage stance. When asked by the Baptist Press about the company's position, president Dan Cathy said, "Well, guilty as charged."
Cathy further explained the company's views:
"We are very much supportive of the family-the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.
"We operate as a family business ... our restaurants are typically led by families; some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that.
"We intend to stay the course. We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles."
Although Chick-fil-A did find some support on Twitter and Facebook, many comments, such as this one, opposed the company's view:
Chef Hilah posted a video of how to make your own "Chick-fil-Gay" sandwich. As she says, "I love fried chicken sandwiches at Chick-fil-A. The problem is, I have a lot of gay friends, and I love them too." A CNN poll in May found that 54% of respondents support gay marriage, while 42% are opposed.
Within three days of the Baptist Press article, the company has taken a different approach:
Discussion Starters:
- What's your view on whether a company should take a position on an issue such as gay marriage?
- Does the president's view influence your decision to eat at the restaurant?
- How do you assess the company's response?
Yahoo Selects (Another) New CEO
Let's hope this one sticks around. Marissa Mayer, former Google VP, will be Yahoo's sixth leader in just five years. Mayer follows Scott Thompson, fired for misleading academic information on his resume, and Carol-"I've-just-been-fired-over-the-phone"-Bartz (and two interim CEOs in between).
At 37, Mayer is a relatively young CEO-and she's pregnant. Due to deliver a baby boy in October, Mayer said of the board's decision to hire her, "They showed their evolved thinking."
The company's press release emphasized Mayer's technology and product experience, which analysts say indicates Yahoo's "going back to its Silicon Valley Internet roots."
Discussion Starters:
- Read Yahoo's press release about Mayer. Considering the leadership history, did Yahoo do a good job in writing the release?
- What's your view of Yahoo's board hiring a pregnant woman?
Jamie Dimond Responds to More Questions
Following JPMorgan Chase's spectacular trading loss, CEO Jamie Dimon is still on the hot seat to explain what happened. Today, on the second-quarter investor conference call, analyst Mike Mayo asked particularly difficult questions.
Mayo asked "if the firm as a whole has reached some sort of tipping point in terms of bigness or complexity that makes it more difficult to manage than in the past." Dimon responded, "No." Mayo followed up by asking whether Dimon has "lost a step," and someone yelled, "Are you getting old?"
Dimon focused on the firm's successes through the recession and in assimiliating Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual. He claimed that the issue is a marketing problem.
However, Dimon did admit, as he had before, "We made the mistake," but also said, "I cannot prove a negative." To regain trust, Dimon emphasized the firm's current structure: "We believe we've got very good controls and very good people in place."
Dimon focused on the bank's results, and Mayo acknowledged the positive returns but said, "But we saw how the sausage is made, and it just makes me wonder if I'm going to get food poisoning in the future."
Discussion Starters:
- Listen to the exchange between Mayo and Dimon. What's your assessment of Mayo's interview strategy? What are his most and least effective questions?
- What are Dimon's most and least convincing arguments?
Toshiba Apologizes for "Test Monkey" Ads
A Toshiba ad for the Satellite Ultrabook computer pokes fun of people who participate in clinical trials. The ad claims that Toshiba, unlike other "tech companies," fully tests products and doesn't treat "paying customers like test monkeys." With a similar message, a print ad features a cosmetics tester.
The ads riled clinical researchers, who struggle to find participants in medical trials. In fact, Toshiba's own medical systems group is currently looking for young people to participate in a trial.
A sokesperson for the Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) explained the group's concern: "It's dangerous. We don't need any more reasons to discourage people from research. We need to encourage people and not portray them as some kind of freak."
According to PR Daily, "The ad does seem to contradict parts of Toshiba's corporate social responsibility guidelines. According to its standards of conduct for advertising, Toshiba group directors and employees should 'not use advertising to cast third parities in a negative light, in an attempt to make Toshiba Group appear more favorable, or for any other negative purpose.'"
In response to ACRO's criticism, Toshiba's director of marketing communications sent this response:
"Dear Mr. Peddicord,
"Thank you so much for raising your concerns over one of Toshiba's new television commercials showing people in medical testing situations.
"Our intent was not to minimize the value of clinical research or insult people participating in clinical trials.
"We will absolutely take your objections into consideration as we develop future advertising."
So far, the company has not pulled the ads, which ACRO had requested.
Discussion Starters:
- What's your interpretation of ACRO's complaint? Is the group right, overreacting, or something in between?
- Looking at Toshiba's standards of conduct for advertising, do you believe the company violated its own standards?
- If you led Toshiba's marketing communications group, would you pull the ads? Why or why not?
AMD Reports Weak Revenue
As companies report their second-quarter earnings this week, chip maker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) communicated its bad news: revenue is expected to drop by 11%. AMD's news release focuses on disappointing sales in China and Europe.
However, a writer for The Street criticizes AMD's analysis: "AMD blames its upcoming drop in revenue on just about everything out there, except its competition, Intel." While Dell and HP use AMD chips, Apple products switched to Intel a few years ago. AMD's news release is below:
"AMD (NYSE:AMD) today announced that revenue for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012 is expected to decrease approximately 11 percent sequentially. The company previously forecasted second quarter 2012 revenue to increase 3 percent, plus or minus 3 percent sequentially. The lower preliminary revenue results are primarily due to business conditions that materialized late in the second quarter, specifically softer-than-expected channel sales in China and Europe as well as a weaker consumer buying environment impacting the company's Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) business.
"The company expects second quarter gross margin to be approximately in line with prior guidance. Operating expenses for the second quarter are expected to improve and to be approximately 8 percent less than prior guidance of approximately $605 million, a result of tightly controlled expenses in the quarter.
"AMD will report second quarter 2012 results after market close on Thursday, July 19, 2012. AMD will hold a conference call for the financial community at 2:00 p.m. PT (5:00 p.m. ET) that day to discuss second quarter financial results and to provide information regarding expected third quarter results. AMD will provide a real-time audio broadcast of the teleconference on the Investor Relations page at http://www.amd.com. The webcast will be available for 10 days after the conference call."
Discussion Starters:
- Find two or three other sources that explain why AMD's earnings report is disappointing. What's your view of the reasons for declining revenue?
- If you agree with The Street's assessment, should AMD have been more forthcoming? What are the arguments for and against a more straightforward discussion of the Apple and Intel relationship?
"Illegal Immigrant" Missing from Supreme Court Ruling
As the U.S. immigration debate rolls on, a CNN commentator notes the absence of the term "illegal immigrant" in the recent Supreme Court ruling. Charles Garcia further explains why the term-and perhaps worse, "illegals"- is dehumanizing and racist. 
According to Garcia, calling someone an "illegal immigrant" or "illegal alien" labels that person as being illegal, rather than identifying his or her behavior as illegal. He points out that no one else in this country is considered illegal just because he or she breaks a law. When we get a speeding ticket, our action was illegal, but we are not.
Garcia also argues that the term has racist underpinnings:
"The term 'illegal immigrant' was first used in 1939 as a slur by the British toward Jews who were fleeing the Nazis and entering Palestine without authorization. Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel aptly said that 'no human being is illegal.' "
Despite Garcia's argument, the term persists. The Associate Press, for example, still recommends the term in its Stylebook, which Deputy Standards Editor explains:
"Together, the terms describe a person who resides in a country unlawfully by residency or citizenship requirements … Alternatives like undocumented worker, illegal alien or illegals lack precision or may have negative connotations. Illegal immigrant, on the other hand, is accurate and neutral for news stories."
Colorlines, a racial justice organization, agrees with Garcia's assessment and offers different guidelines for journalists. The organization suggests these terms to describe a person's situation more accurately: undocumented immigrant, unauthorized immigrant, and immigrant without papers.
Discussion Starters:
- What's your view of the term "illegal immigrant"? Do you agree with Garcia?
- How do the recommended terms (undocumented immigrant, unauthorized immigrant, and immigrant without papers) fit with our discussion of "people-first" language?
Judge Rules that Tweets Are Public Speech
A judge has ruled that an Occupy Wall Street protester's tweets must be turned over. Judge Matthew A. Sciarrino Jr. said that tweets are not protected as private speech; rather, they are considered public comments. The judge wrote:
"The Constitution gives you the right to post, but as numerous people have learned, there are still consequences for your public posts. What you give to the public belongs to the public. What you keep to yourself belongs only to you."
The judge also wrote, "If you post a tweet, just like if you scream it out the window, there is no reasonable expectation of privacy."
The decision came out of a court case that subpoenaed the protestor's deleted tweets. Both the protestor and Twitter tried to block to subpoena. Twitter issued a statement about the decision, which included this excerpt:
"Twitter's terms of service have long made it absolutely clear that its users own their content. We continue to have a steadfast commitment to our users and their rights."
Twitter also published its first "Transparency Report," showing the number of government requests for user information and what percentage of those requests were fulfilled.
Image source. (Protestors arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge in October.)
Discussion Starters:
- Does the judge's decision surprise you? Why or why not?
- What are the implications of this decision to company communicators? To you personally?
Barclays Issues Statements About Resignations
Barclays CEO Bob Diamond has resigned under pressure admist an interest rate rigging scandal. Barclays will pay $453 million to settle a U.K. and U.S. investigation that revealed traders manipulated the Libor to prop up the bank's position and traders' wallets. Diamond said his decision to leave "was the right thing for the bank."
Other departures have already taken place or are expected to soon. Marcus Argius, chairman of Barclays, and Jerry del Missier, chief operating officer, also resigned.
Barclays issued three separate statements so far about the resignations:
- "Board Changes," July 2 (about Argius)
- "Board Changes," July 2 (about Diamond)
- "Management Changes," July 3 (about del Missier)
The statement about Diamond's resignation included this long quote from the outgoing CEO:
"I joined Barclays 16 years ago because I saw an opportunity to build a world class investment banking business. Since then, I have had the privilege of working with some of the most talented, client-focused and diligent people that I have ever come across. We built world class businesses together and added our own distinctive chapter to the long and proud history of Barclays. My motivation has always been to do what I believed to be in the best interests of Barclays. No decision over that period was as hard as the one that I make now to stand down as chief executive. The external pressure placed on Barclays has reached a level that risks damaging the franchise – I cannot let that happen.
"I am deeply disappointed that the impression created by the events announced last week about what Barclays and its people stand for could not be further from the truth. I know that each and every one of the people at Barclays works hard every day to serve our customers and clients. That is how we support economic growth and the communities in which we live and work. I look forward to fulfilling my obligation to contribute to the Treasury committee's enquiries related to the settlements that Barclays announced last week without my leadership in question.
"I leave behind an extraordinarily talented management team that I know is well placed to help the business emerge from this difficult period as one of the leaders in the global banking industry."
Discussion Starters
- Read the Board Changes statement about Diamond. What's the rationale for including the former CEO's long quote? How is this effective or ineffective in conveying the bank's message?
- Assess the three statements. How do you explain the bank's strategy of issuing these separately? Why did the board do this, and was it the best approach?
Science: It's a Girl Thing -- Demeaning or Clever?
To attract more female scientists, the European Commission created a video and other promotional videos. With an abundance of pink and a focus on cosmetics, the video has been criticized as demeaning to girls. Some even questioned whether the video was a joke, to which a spokesperson said that the European Commission, "doesn't really do irony."
As of today, the video on YouTube was viewed more than 626,000 times and received 974 likes and 6,432 dislikes.
In fairness, the EC has several videos as part of this campaign that don't focus on girls' high-heeled bodies or show girls blowing kisses. The Irish Times reported the EC's reaction from an interview with spokesperson Michael Jennings:
"'It is intended to catch the attention of the target audience – 13- to 17-year- old girls.'
"Mr. Jennings said that focus groups informed the commission that the video had to 'speak their language to get their attention' and that it was intended to be 'fun, catchy' and strike a chord with young people. 'I would encourage everyone to have a look at the wider campaign and the many videos already online of female researchers talking about their jobs and lives,' he said."
Discussion Starters:
- What's your view of the video? Do you find it demeaning, clever, or something else?
- The EC took down the video after the criticism. Was this the right decision?
Olympics Committee Responds to Knitters
The U.S. Olympics Committee managed to anger an unlikely group-knitters. To protect the "Olympics" trademark, the group sends hundreds of cease-and-desist letters when it believes the name has been misused. In this case, a group of knitters promoted a "Ravelympics" competition: While watching the Olympics, knitters participate in events such as "afghan marathon" and "scarf hockey."
Knitters were offended by the language in the cease-and-desist letter, which included the following:
"We believe using the name 'Ravelympics' for a competition that involves an afghan marathon, scarf hockey and sweater triathlon, among others, tends to denigrate the true nature of the Olympic Games. In a sense, it is disrespectful to our country's finest athletes and fails to recognize or appreciate their hard work."
The outcry from the knitting community was extraordinary, as one blogger wrote: "2 Million Knitters with Pointy Sticks are Angry at the US Olympic Committee."
USOC apologized, but botched the message. Here's an excerpt:
"We apologize for any insult and appreciate your support. We embrace hand-crafted American goods as we currently have the Annin Flagmakers of New Jersey stitching a custom-made American flag to accompany our team to the Olympic Games in London. To show our support of the Ravelry community, we would welcome any handmade items that you would like to create to travel with, and motivate, our team at the 2012 Games."
One person responded: "Thanks for the half-hearted attempt at a maybe apology that keeps you clear of any blame. Now, you want us to give you free stuff?"
In an interview with PR Daily, Patrick Sandusky, spokesperson for the USOC, admitted, "The letter itself that was sent to this group was definitely too strident in its tone." He also said, "We do believe they're in violation of the law Congress passed and how we'll protect our trademark, but we could have gone about it in a slightly more sensitive way."
To address the criticism, Sandusky used his personal Twitter account. He explains this decision:
"I'm a firm believer that people don't believe organizations as much as they believe individuals. And if somebody's going to put their name on it and be a voice of reason specifically as a person who works at an organization and not just hide behind a blanket generic Twitter account-which has its uses without a doubt. And we have far more people that follow that than follow me. But it was something to supplement the main Twitter feed and show that this wasn't just a generic corporate account speaking corporate speak but it was an actual person willing to answer questions. And I answered more than, I think, 500 people online who contacted me directly with their questions. All those answers aren't going to be sufficient for some people but at least they're getting a response and not just being pointed to a generic statement. We believe here that we're the people that are responsible for the organization and I don't have any problem putting my name on organizational decisions and responding directly."
Discussion Starters and Assignment Ideas:
- Read the cease-and-desist letter. Rewrite it to improve the style and tone.
- How do you assess the USOC's apology? Could the group have done a better job? Rewrite the statement to improve the message.
WSJ Article: "This Embarrasses You and I*"
A frontpage article in The Wall Street Journal discusses "rampant illiteracy" within the workplace:
"Managers are fighting an epidemic of grammar gaffes in the workplace. Many of them attribute slipping skills to the informality of email, texting and Twitter where slang and shortcuts are common. Such looseness with language can create bad impressions with clients, ruin marketing materials and cause communications errors, many managers say.
"There's no easy fix. Some bosses and co-workers step in to correct mistakes, while others consult business-grammar guides for help. In a survey conducted earlier this year, about 45% of 430 employers said they were increasing employee-training programs to improve employees' grammar and other skills, according to the Society for Human Resource Management and AARP."
An interactive quiz focuses on common errors in grammar and punctuation.
Students of business communication will recognize many of the errors highlighted in the article, for example, improper subject-verb agreement (e.g., "There's new people you should meet") and incorrect pronoun use (e.g., "...for John and I").
Participants in a Society for Human Resources Management-AARP study blame young people. A consultant interviewed for the article said it's not that young workers lack the skills but that they have "developed a new norm" for communicating, including less formal language.
Discussion Starters:
- Do you agree with the article's assessment that lack of proper grammar at work is a serious issue? Why or why not?
- Take the WSJ interactive quiz. How did you do?
Shell Regrets Social Media Campaign
In a creative, but failed attempt to encourage public contribution to its marketing efforts, Shell asked people to submit their own memes. Shell was perhaps naive in thinking that people would support its positive thinking about the company's contribution to the environment.
The campaign around the "Let's Go" slogan brought a mockery of images with captions such as "Because there are still places we haven't f'ked. Let's Drill" and "Proudly plundering and destroying environments for almost 200 years."
At least Shell hasn't hidden from the reaction. On its site, the company has posted the memes and made this statement:
"We at Shell are committed to providing consumers with clean and abundant Arctic energy. We're also committed to the open exchange of ideas and the wonder of human creativity which makes our job possible.
"It is in this spirit that we approached the exciting untapped resource of socialized media with our Let's Go! Arctic user-generated advertising technology. While we do realize that a very small portion of the user-generated content below does not accurately represent Shell's commitment to providing consumers with clean and abundant Arctic energy, this pioneering experiment in user-generated content does reflect our commitment to freedom.
"Shell remains proud of our commitment to freedom. The freedom to develop newly available and abundant Arctic energy reserves. And the freedom our consumers have to discount the work of a very small number of extremist individuals who remain determined to stand in the way of our quest to bring first class heritage technology to bear on the top of the world. We thank you for sharing in our commitment to freedom.
"And thank you for contributing to our Let's Go! Arctic campaign."
Discussion Starters:
- Should Shell have avoided the campaign entirely, knowing that this could be the result-or was this an unintended, unpredictable result?
- How do you assess Shell's reaction-its statement on the website? What else, if anything, should Shell say about the memes received?
NLRB Weighs in on Social Media Policies
What should companies include in their social media policies? The topic is still debatable; again, the National Labor Relations Board is taking issue with several restrictions identified in corporate policies and guidelines.
In a 24-page memo, the general counsel of the NLRB calls out General Motors, DISH Network, and Target as having policies that either too severely restrict employees' online activities or go so far as violate the National Labor Relations Act. The Act protects employees' right to collective bargaining and concerted activity to achieve their demands in the workplace.
The memo provides examples from GM's policy, which the NLRB believes are overly restrictive:
"If you engage in discussion related to [GM], in addition to disclosing that you work for [GM] and that your views are personal, you must also be sure that your posts are completely accurate and not misleading and that they do not reveal non-public company information on any public site."
The NLRB believes that "completely accurate and not misleading" is overly broad and may restrict employees' communication with each other. Similarly, GM's warning that employees should "[t]hink carefully about 'friending' co-workers" discourages employee communication.
DISH and Target have other problems in their policies, according to the NLRB, for example, restricting employees from speaking with reporters and bloggers, and "releas[ing] confidential guest, team member, or company information, respectively. These guidelines prevent employees from sharing information about their working conditions, a provision of the Act.
The memo highlights Walmart's social media guidelines as a lawful model. Walmart's guidelines broadly discourage "inappropriate postings that may include discriminatory remarks, harassment, and threats of violence or similar inappropriate or unlawful conduct."
Discussion Starters:
- Assess the NLRB memo. How well is it organized? Is the writing style effective? Is the content clear?
- If you were the head of corporate communication for GM, what, if any, changes would you make to the social media policy, which has been in place since 2007, according to GM spokesperson Mary Henige?
Adidas Responds to Controversy over "Shackled" Shoes
Adidas has apologized for an advertisement that some consider racist. The chains around the shoes are said to be reminiscent of slavery-and prisons, particularly because of the orange color. With the tag line, "a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles," the shoes cost $350. A Washington Post article sums up the "dangerous message" Adidas and other companies are sending: "We want your money, but we aren't concerned with being sensitive to your history, culture and socio-economic plight."
Outrage was rampant on Facebook, with comments such as this one, posted by Antonio Leche: "Slavery isn't a fashion example. Everyone involved in this show should be fired ASAP! This is the new reason I won't buy any Adidas anymore!"
In a statement, Reverend Jesse Jackson voiced his criticism:
"For Adidas to promote the athleticism and contributions of a variety of African-American sports legends -- especially Olympic heroes Wilma Rudolph and Jesse Owens and boxing great Muhammad Ali -- and then allow such a degrading symbol of African-American history to pass through its corporate channels and move toward actual production and advertisement, is insensitive and corporately irresponsible.
"These slave shoes are odious and we as a people should be called to resent and resist them. If put into production and placed on the market, protests and pickets signs will follow. Adidas cannot make a profit at the expense of commercialized human degradation."
Adidas did respond to the criticism, first with this statement:
"The JS Roundhouse Mid is part of the Fall/Winter 2012 design collaboration between Adidas Originals and Jeremy Scott. The design of the JS Roundhouse Mid is nothing more than the designer Jeremy Scott's outrageous and unique take on fashion and has nothing to do with slavery.
"Jeremy Scott is renowned as a designer whose style is quirky and lighthearted and his previous shoe designs for Adidas Originals have, for example, included panda heads and Mickey Mouse. Any suggestion that this is linked to slavery is untruthful."
Of course, this didn't resolve the controversy, so Adidas tried again-and cancelled the shoe release:
"Since the shoe debuted on our Facebook page ahead of its market release in August, Adidas has received both favorable and critical feedback. We apologize if people are offended by the design and we are withdrawing our plans to make them available in the marketplace."
Discussion Starters:
- What is your view of the Adidas ad? Do you see it as racist, harmless, or something else?
- How do you assess the company's response? What might have been a better response to the criticism?
Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase, Testifies
Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase's chairman and chief executive, testified before the Senate Banking Committee regarding losses that could balloon to $5 billion. Questions focused on whether the bank should have done more to stem risky derivative trades by the chief investment office. As a strong opponent of federal banking regulation, Dimon was on the hot seat about this perspective.
In advance of the testimony, BloombergBusinessWeek compiled this "Timeline of Risk," under the article title, "House of Dimon Marred by CEO Complacency Over Unit's Risk."
During the testimony, Dimon made several comments of particular interest to business communication students:
- He referred to the bank as having an "open kimono" with regulators. Dimon used this same odd, but common business expression on Meet the Press. Here's an interesting discussion of the phrase.
- "The American business machine is the best in the world." The New York Times DealBook calls this a "little burst of patriotism." It's a admirable attempt at emotional appeal.
- Jeff Merkley, a senator from Oregon, said that JPMorgan Chase was saved by the 2008 bailouts. According to DealBook, this was the first time Dimon got "testy." He replied, "You're factually wrong," to which Merkley said, "Let's agree to disagree." Business communication students may question what constitutes a "fact" in this disagreement.
Discussion Starters:
- What the entire video testimony. At what points is Jamie Dimon most and least convincing?
- What are the strongest and weakest lines of questioning by the senators?
- Overall, did Dimon's testimony strengthen or weaken JPMorgan Chase's credibility regarding the losses?
Apple Keynote at the Worldwide Developer's Conference
Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, was the keynote speaker at the 23rd Worldwide Developer's Conference in San Francisco. Apple showcases its new products and software at this annual event for developers.
Siri, Apple's intelligent assistant, was the opening act for Cook's keynote (watch here). After a few jokes and Garage Band drum strokes to warm up the crowd, Cook took the stage. He focused on the scope of Apple's business and the developers' role, for example, creating 650,000 apps now available.
Cook emphasized his pride in seeing developers work on Apple technologies to make a difference in people's lives, and he showed a video to highlight a few apps used by blind people and teachers.
Mashable assessed Cook's performance in this way:
"It wasn't as if Cook lacked presence; if anything, he seems more comfortable on stage. He grinned broadly. He spoke with far more passion than at his previous two events as CEO, the iPhone 4S and new iPad launches. There were a few moments where, hands steepled, gaze fixed, Cook seemed almost to choke up when praising Apple developers as employees."
Other executives then introduced a new line of Macbooks and new features on operating systems. No new iPads or iPhones were introduced.
Discussion Starters:
- Watch the first 15 minutes of the keynote here. If you were Cook's speech coach, how would you summarize his strengths? What suggestions would you have for his future speeches?
- Consider the audience's perspective: in what ways did the first 15 minutes appeal to developers?
Start-Ups Banish Traditional Meetings
According to a BloombergBusinessWeek article, shorter and fewer meetings are preferred in start-up companies.
Business professionals are well aware of wasteful meetings, often good only for donut-eating and catching up on email. A "Meeting Cost Counter" calculates how much money (in salary) each meeting costs a company. (Download here or here.)
The BusinessWeek article argues that sit-down meetings are particularly difficult for technology workers, who need blocks of time for programming and other work. GitHub, a start-up that stores computer code, is one company where almost no face-to-face meetings take place. At Grouper, a blind-dating company, employees attend a daily morning meeting that lasts only 10 minutes, and people are required to stand.
Although someone is quoted in the article as saying, "no meeting should ever be more than an hour, under penalty of death," this seems a bit extreme. On the other hand, why are meetings scheduled for one hour by default? This is equally silly.
According to the article, traditional meetings also are problematic because they are typically led by managers. Instead, online collaboration provides a more level playing field, where employees at all levels can contribute equally.
Still, face-to-face meetings are important for certain situations. A Harvard Business Review Analytics Group survey found that managers prefer in-person meetings-even if it requires them to travel-for the following reasons (percentage of respondents follow each reason):
- Meet new (94%) or existing client (69%) to sell business
- Negotiate contracts (82%)
- Interview senior staff for key appointment (81%)
- Understand and listen to important customers (69%)
- Identify growth opportunity (55%)
- Build relationships/manage geographically dispersed team (55%)
- Initiate discussions with merger and acquisition targets (52%)
Discussion Starters:
- In addition to those listed above, under what circumstances do you believe that face-to-face meetings are important?
- What alternatives exist to face-to-face meetings? Which are viable options for places where you have worked?
Coca-Cola President Argues Against Soda Limit
Last week, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed limiting sugary drinks to 16 ounces. This change would apply to sodas and other beverages sold in NY restaurants, at movies, and by street vendors.
USA Today interviewed Katie Bayne, Coca-Cola's president of sparkling beverages in North America. Bayne's response to the proposal focused on what people "need"-an interesting argument-and the lack of evidence to support the Mayor's proposal.
Here are excerpts from the interview:
Q: But critics call soft drinks "empty" calories.
A: A calorie is a calorie. What our drinks offer is hydration. That's essential to the human body. We offer great taste and benefits whether it's an uplift or carbohydrates or energy. We don't believe in empty calories. We believe in hydration.
The Mayo Clinic agrees that soda hydrates; however, nutritionists recommend water over soda.
Q: What do you say to those who believe that sugar - particularly in soft drinks - works on the brain like an addictive substance?
A: There is no scientific evidence.
Discussion Starters:
- Do your own research about whether sugar in soft drinks has addictive qualities. What do you find? Does it support or contradict Katie Bayne's response that there's no scientific evidence linking the two?
- Read the entire interview. Overall, how do assess Bayne's responses?
- Part of the Mayor Bloomberg's argument, in the video above, is that the size of drinks has increased. How do you assess this argument? Is this a convincing data point for his decision to cap the size of soft-drinks?
LinkedIn Responds to Password Hacking
It's time to change your LinkedIn password. A Russian forum user posted 6.5 million passwords from the site, and LinkedIn has confirmed their authenticity. The hacker also claims that he stole 1.5 million eHarmony passwords.
LinkedIn has responded to the incident with this post on its website:
We want to provide you with an update on this morning's reports of stolen passwords. We can confirm that some of the passwords that were compromised correspond to LinkedIn accounts. We are continuing to investigate this situation and here is what we are pursuing as far as next steps for the compromised accounts:
- Members that have accounts associated with the compromised passwords will notice that their LinkedIn account password is no longer valid.
- These members will also receive an email from LinkedIn with instructions on how to reset their passwords. There will not be any links in this email. Once you follow this step and request password assistance, then you will receive an email from LinkedIn with a password reset link.
- These affected members will receive a second email from our Customer Support team providing a bit more context on this situation and why they are being asked to change their passwords.
It is worth noting that the affected members who update their passwords and members whose passwords have not been compromised benefit from the enhanced security we just recently put in place, which includes hashing and salting of our current password databases.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused our members. We take the security of our members very seriously. If you haven't read it already it is worth checking out my earlier blog post today about updating your password and other account security best practices.
LinkedIn has been active on Twitter, with four tweets so far about the incident.
Discussion Starters:
- The company's communication process via email is a bit complex. Do you understand why the management team chose this process? Would you propose a better process?
- This paragraph could be written more clearly: "It is worth noting that the affected members who update their passwords and members whose passwords have not been compromised benefit from the enhanced security we just recently put in place, which includes hashing and salting of our current password databases." What changes would you suggest to the writer?
Typos by the Romney Campaign
It hasn't been a good week for Romney copy. The candidate's campaign made three typos this week. 
First, the campaign launched its new app, which promises "A Better Amercia." Users can overlay Romney messages onto their own photo, but the typo became an embarrassment for the candidate.
Next, the campaign misspelled a Facebook post, offering a "sneek peak" of an upcoming ad.
The third error was spotted on the Romney website, which misspelled "official" as "offical."
Now, the campaign is hiring a copyeditor-probably a good idea:
We are looking for talented writers with proven ability to write and concept clear, concise, punchy, and effective content across web, mobile, print, and video. Must be able to deliver creative headlines, social media posts, promotional tactics, email copy, website landing pages, blogs, interactive experiences, and application assets.
Skills and Responsibilities:
- 2+ years of professional experience writing in marketing, advertising, or journalism (agency experience preferred)
- Conceptual thinker and storyteller
- Ability to edit and proof own work
- Thrive in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment and generate high-quality work
- Ability to follow and improve upon established brand voice guidelines
- Salary based upon experience level and quality of samples submitted
- Portfolio or writing samples and resume required
Discussion Starters:
- What's your view of these typos? Are they poor reflections on the Mitt Romney campaign, no big deal, or something else?
- In what ways will the copyeditor position help prevent future typos? In what ways might this position not help the situation? In other words, what else needs to happent to prevent future typos?