Business Communication and Character, Current Examples in the News
How well do leaders demonstrate character in their communications? Blog by Amy Newman, senior lecturer emerita, Cornell University; author of Business Communication and Character (11e) and Building Leadership Character
After a surprise Donald Trump presidential victory, the future president and Secretary Clinton gave their respective speeches. Both candidates were respectful to the other, with Trump complimenting Clinton on a hard-fought campaign, and Clinton encouraging people to support Trump as our new president.
Clinton's concession speech asked people to give Trump a chance to lead. She said she hoped he would be "a successful president for all Americans."
Discussion Starters:
To introduce Trump's speech, future Vice President Mike Pence said, "This is a historic night." It is: this is the first U.S. president who has had neither military nor government experience. Besides Trump's background, what else makes this election victory "historic"?
Assess Trump and Clinton's delivery skills. Understandably, they are both tired! What other observations do you have?
Both Trump and Clinton were, shall we say, political in their comments. Which parts are least believable?
AT&T is planning to acquire Time Warner, and it's already facing skepticism. Critics say the deal will increase prices and reduce consumer choice. But AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson argues that they are trying to reduce prices, increase quality content, and increase innovation, for example, by creating new ad models. He promises to be a "head-to-head, nationwide competitor with the cable ecosystem."
In a press release, Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes' quote starts with enthusiasm about shareholders: "This is a great day for Time Warner and its shareholders." He goes on to discuss innovation:
"This is a natural fit between two companies with great legacies of innovation that have shaped the modern media and communications landscape, and my senior management team and I are looking forward to working closely with Randall and our new colleagues as we begin to capture the tremendous opportunities this creates to make our content even more powerful, engaging and valuable for global audiences."
Whether the deal would stifle competition concerns both Republicans and Democrats. Donald Trump said, "As an example of the power structure I'm fighting, AT&T is buying Time Warner and thus CNN, a deal we will not approve in my administration because it's too much concentration of power in the hands of too few." And Bernie Sanders tweeted, "The administration should kill the Time Warner/AT&T merger. This deal would mean higher prices and fewer choices for the American people."
Discussion Starters:
How well did the AT&T CEO address concerns about the acquisition? What principles of persuasion did he use in the interview?
Read Time Warner's press release. How consistently are the two companies speaking about the deal?
What's your view? Do you think the acquisition would be bad for consumers as some people fear?
Two articles this week highlight strides Wal-Mart is making in increasing wages and improving store service. A Wall Street Journal article was titled, "CEO Doug McMillon's Ad Was Designed to Burnish Retailer's Image: The retailer put its leader at the center of a push to shed perceptions that it offers little more than low prices and low-paying jobs," and a New York Times article was titled, "How Did Walmart Get Cleaner Stores and Higher Sales? It Paid Its People More." Both articles focus on the retail giant's efforts to improve its image.
The WSJ article describes McMillon's appearance in a commercial as an "unusual move," and the NYT article references a video he produced in 2015 promising to increase employee wages and training, below. McMillon also appears in a YouTube video, "Riding in Cars with Executives" with a Wal-Mart associate. Although having an executive so tightly connected to a brand can be risky, McMillon is younger than the average Fortune 500 CEO and is likable. In the car video, he talks about popular culture and seems, well, just like the rest of us.
Discussion Starters:
I say that having a CEO tightly associated with a brand is risky. Why do you think that is? What examples of other companies have presented a CEO similarly and probably regretted it?
Assess McMillon's video, above. Who are his primary and secondary audiences? What are his communication objectives? How convincing are the messages? How effective is his delivery style?
After wreaking havoc in Haiti and Cuba, Hurricane Matthew is making its mark on Florida, and politicians are encouraging people to leave the area. One day apart, Florida Governor Rick Scott and Florida Senator Marco Rubio were in front of the press.
Governor Scott emphasizes the potential loss of life and discourages people from focusing too much on the storm path. He wants people to evacuate: "We are preparing for the worst, hoping for the best, and not taking any chances."
Senator Marco Rubio echos a similar theme: "Don't focus so much on the cone as you should on the fact that here, over the new few hours, the winds are going to pick up, the rain is going to come in, and you need to be prepared for what that means."
Discussion Starters:
Why don't people leave when they're told to evacuate during a storm?
How well are Scott and Rubio making their points? What else could convince people to leave a vulnerable area?
In what The Wall Street Journal called "another round of blistering criticism," Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf faced the House Financial Services Committee on Thursday. If Elizabeth Warren didn't challenge Stumpf enough last week during the Senate Banking Committee Hearing, Chairman Jeb Hensarling stated early on, in his opening statement, "Fraud is fraud. Theft is theft."
He also said, "All culpable individuals must be held accountable." Earlier in the week, Stumpf was criticized for firing low-level employees but retaining managers. For the first time, Stumpf said that "10% or more" of the 5,300 employees fired were branch managers, but that didn't seem to soothe the committee members. Others expressed enthusiasm for the $41 million clawback (money recovered from Stumpf's compensation), said he should be fired, and encouraged the break-up of Wells Fargo.
Jeff Sonnenfeld, A Yale University School of Management professor, called Stumpf "completely unprepared" and called the scene "political theater."
To make matters worse for Wells Fargo, the bank will pay $24 million in settlements for "allegedly improper repossessions of cars belonging to members of the U.S. military."
Discussion Starters:
How well did Hensarling introduce the hearings? Did you find him too harsh, right on target, or something else?
Sonnenfeld also says Stumpf wasn't prepared for questions. Do you agree with his assessment?
One person was killed and 108 were injured when a train crashed in Hoboken, NJ. What caused the crash is still unclear, and NJ Governor Chris Christie promised an investigation: "We have no indication that this is anything other than a tragic accident but ... we're going to let the law enforcement professionals pursue the facts."
Christie gave a news conference with NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, calling the incident "obviously an extraordinary tragedy." He said it was too early to guess what happened.
Analyze Christie's delivery skills at the beginning of the press conference. What principles from Chapter 11 does he use?
Next analyze Cuomo's delivery skills. What similarities and differences do you notice?
How well do the governors respond to questions? Which were the most difficult to address?
This isn't the first train crash in the area. Research other recent events and how officials handled those situations.
During the U.S. Senate Committee Hearing, Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf responded to difficult questions, particularly from Senator Elizabeth Warren, a democrat from Massachusetts. Stumpf's prepared responses, particularly the "only 1%" of employees argument, wasn't well received by Warren and others. Warren interrupted with harsh words, telling Stumpf, "You should resign and give back the money you took" and calling his practice "gutless leadership."
Another tense moment, reported by The Wall Street Journal, was when Senator Robert Menendez challenged Stumpf's salary:
Mr. Stumpf said earlier in the hearing that the fired employees had been making "good money" of $35,000 to $60,000 a year, a point that Sen. Robert Menendez brought up. "How much money did you make last year?" asked Sen. Menendez. "$19.3 million," replied Mr. Stumpf.
"Now that's good money," Sen. Menendez replied, unsmiling.
After years of denying knowledge about wrongdoing, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie may have a tough time maintaining his stance. In 2013, members of Christie's administration were accused of intentionally closing lanes on the George Washington Bridge to cause problems for the mayor of Fort Lee, who didn't support Christie's re-election. Christie denied the allegations for himself and his senior staff:
"I've made it very clear to everybody on my senior staff that if anyone had any knowledge about this that they needed to come forward to me and tell me about it, and they've all assured me that they don't."
But now the truth comes out: in court filings, text messages between two staffers, Christina Renna and Peter Sheridan, during Christie's news conference in 2013 have indicated otherwise, according to a Wall Street Journal report:
"Are you listening?" Ms. Renna texted Mr. Sheridan, according to the filing. "He just flat out lied about senior staff and [campaign manager Bill] Stepien not being involved."
"I'm listening," Mr. Sheridan replied. "Gov is doing fine. Holding his own up there."
According to the filing, Ms. Renna replied: "Yes. But he lied. And if emails are found with the subpoena or ccfg [Chris Christie for Governor] emails are uncovered in discovery if it comes to that it could be bad."
Mr. Christie, encountering reporters outside a Manhattan radio studio after a guest-host stint on a sports-talk program, called the text-message matter "ridiculous."
"There's nothing new to talk about," he said, according to a video of the exchange posted by the Associated Press. Asked about Ms. Renna's remark that he had lied, Mr. Christie said "yeah, and she was wrong."
Discussion Starters:
Do you believe Christie's defense? Why or why not?
Big picture: What is most relevant in this situation? Let's not lose perspective.
Christie was making a run for president in the 2016 elections. Could this hurt his candidacy for 2020? Also, Trump didn't choose Christie as his running mate, although Christie expressed interest. To what extent do you think his decision was tied to this situation?
Wells Fargo is taking action after the discovery that bank employees opened millions of fake checking and credit card accounts. Employees opened accounts in unsuspecting customers' names so they could earn credit for the sale. The bank benefited from fees people paid on accounts they never used.
In addition to paying a $100 million settlement fee to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the bank has fired 5,300 employees over the past few years.
The company issued two major communications related to the situation:
Compare the two Wells Fargo statements. How well does the company tailor these messages to primary and secondary audiences?
How can customers miss paying fees? What is their responsibility, and what is the company's? Consider visual displays of bank statements in your response.
How well does Stumpf respond to Jim Cramer's questions? Which are his strongest and weakest arguments?
Many are saying Michelle Obama's speech was the best of the bunch at the Democratic National Convention (Hillary's aside), and I would agree. From her humble laugh, overwhelmed at the crowd's response at the beginning to her call to action at the end, she captured the hearts of the delegates and, Democrats hope, some Republicans too.
Obama talked about children throughout her speech, particularly her own:
"That is the story of this country, the story that has brought me to this stage tonight, the story of generations of people who felt the lash of bondage, the shame of servitude, the sting of segregation, but who kept on striving and hoping and doing what needed to be done so that today I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves.
And I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent, black young women playing with their dogs on the White House lawn.
And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States."
She tried, as did other speakers, such as Mike Bloomberg, to elevate the vote beyond a Republican/Democrat decision and focused on the best person to lead:
And make no mistake about it, this November when we go to the polls that is what we're deciding, not Democrat or Republican, not left or right. No, in this election and every election is about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four or eight years of their lives.
And I am here tonight because in this election there is only one person who I trust with that responsibility, only one person who I believe is truly qualified to be president of the United States, and that is our friend Hillary Clinton.
Discussion Starters:
What makes Michelle Obama's speech so compelling? Consider the content as well as her tone and body language. Do you agree that hers was the best of the convention?
Obama didn't mention the controversy around Melania Trump plagiarizing her 2008 DNC speech. Should she have?
Which other speeches in both conventions were powerful? Do you find any compelling, even though they may not align with their political views?
By any definition, Melania Trump's GOP Convention speech was plagiarized from Michelle Obama. The similarities between Donald Trump's wife's speech and Michelle Obama's 2008 DNC speech are uncanny. Here's one comparison from CNN, and other similarities exist:
Donald Trump's campaign chairman Paul Manafort denied accusations of plagiarism: "To think that she would do something like that knowing how scrutinized her speech was going to be last night is just really absurd." Senior Communications Advisor Jason Miller said only, "In writing her beautiful speech, Melania's team of writers took notes on her life's inspirations, and in some instances included fragments that reflected her own thinking. Melania's immigrant experience and love for America shone through in her speech, which made it such a success."
Later, the RNC communications director, Sean Spicer, said that searches for some of Ms. Trump's phrases turn up similarities from "My Little Pony" and John Legend, who tweeted, "I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative." But the phrases are not nearly as verbatim as those in Michelle Obama's speech. Spicer told The Huffington Post, "Melania Trump said, 'You work hard for what you want in life.' Akon said, 'Work hard for what you get in life.' John Legend said, ‘Work hard.'"
Update: Meredith McIver, a Trump staff writer, took responsibility for the mistake. A New York Timesarticle said the letter "breathed new life into a story now in its third day."
Discussion Starters:
How could such a mistake happen? Melania Trump said, "I read once over it, that's all, because I wrote it ... with (as) little help as possible."
The Trump campaign said that no one will be fired over this incident. Should someone take the fall?
Does McIver's admission end the conversation? What else, if anything, should the campaign managers or Trumps say? Is The New York Times writer right: did the admission just keep the story alive?
Having campaigned for the UK to stay part of the European Union, Prime Minister David Cameron had little choice but to resign when the vote was for "Brexit." (See full text.)
Cameron complimented people on both sides of the debate:
I want to thank everyone who took part in the campaign on my side of the argument, including all those who put aside party differences to speak in what they believed was the national interest.
And let me congratulate all those who took part in the "Leave" campaign - for the spirited and passionate case that they made.
As expected, he ended positively:
I love this country - and I feel honored to have served it.
And I will do everything I can in future to help this great country succeed.
Discussion Starters:
Reactions to Cameron's speech have been highly positive. Do you agree? If so, what makes this a successful speech? How could it be improved?
Consider the speech organization. Create an outline showing his main points. What is the logical sequencing?
The tragic shooting at an Orlando, FL, gay club has brought communications from local politicians, global mourners, and of course, presidential candidates. The killer's motive could be homophobia, terrorism, or both, depending on your perspective. With 50 people dead and another 53 wounded, this is the largest attack since 9/11 and has left people wondering how and why.
Here's a summary of communications about the event:
President Obama's statement. Sadly, this isn't his first speech following a shooting tragedy in this country, and his message is consistent about needing more gun control.
Messages offer condolences and counseling, thank police and others who responded, and focus on healing. Trying to get back to some sense of normality, the university will resume classes except in the engineering building where a professor was killed. Provost Scott Waugh explains: "Obviously there's a lot of very distressed students, faculty and staff. And our goal within the school is to heal those wounds and make sure that they feel comfortable with the situation before resuming normal activities."
Discussion Starters:
Who are the primary and secondary audiences for the university's messages?
Assess the chancellor's press statement. What principles of delivering bad news and delivering oral presentations does he use?
A Harvard Business Reviewarticle reminds us to focus on our message when visualizing data. Author Scott Berinato suggests asking ourselves two questions to start:
Is the information conceptual or data-driven?
Am I declaring something or exploring something?
Berinato then identifies four types of visual communication: idea illustration, idea generation, visual discovery, and everyday dataviz. For idea illustration, he offers a weak and an improved example. You'll notice that the first includes elements of "chart junk" that detract from the message.
Discussion Starters:
How does Berinato's second example illustrate principles from Chapter 9 in the text book?
Consider a message you need to communicate. How does this article help you decide what visuals would support your points?
After the Indiana primary, presidential candidate Ted Cruz announced the end of his campaign. He told a crowd of supporters that he doesn't see a "viable path" to the office:
"And so, with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign. But hear me now, I am not suspending our fight for liberty. I am not suspending our fight to defend the Constitution, to defend the Judeo-Christian values that built America. Our movement will continue. And I give you my word that I will continue this fight with all of my strength and all of my ability."
His message is positive, but he was not so just hours before the polls opened when he said, "If Indiana does not act, this country could well plunge into the abyss."
Cruz tried to defeat Donald Trump in the past couple of weeks by announcing former presidential candidate Carly Fiorina as his vice presidential running mate. But a Morning Consult Survey reported that this decision would have no impact on voters, and the results have played out. This tweet refers to the downsizing at Hewlett Packard when Fiorina was CEO:
Discussion Starters:
Analyze the primary and secondary audiences for Cruz's speech. How well does he meet their needs?
Also analyze his tone and delivery style. In what ways does this match what you would expect of a presidential candidate ending his campaign, and how does it differ?
The White House Correspondents' Association Dinner is the one night the president and others can make fun at themselves and each other publicly. The dinner is an annual roast of politicians, celebrities, and journalists.
Here are a few highlights from President Obama's speech from NPR:
"I was running on CPT, which stands for jokes that white people should not make." [a reference to NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio's bad reference]
"As you know, Spotlight is a film about investigative journalists with the resources, the autonomy, to chase down the truth and hold the powerful accountable. Best fantasy film since Star Wars."
"Savannah Guthrie left the White House press corps to host The Today Show. Nora O'Donnell left the briefing room to host CBS This Morning. Jake Tapper left journalism to join CNN."
Of course, the current presidential candidates were fair game. He poked fun at Hillary Clinton's lack of Facebook skills, Donald Trump's history of "running waterfront properties into the ground," and Bernie Sanders' reputation as a democratic socialist.
Discussion Starters:
Which of President Obama's jokes worked best, and which fell short? How many references did you miss? (You have to keep up with news to get the jokes.)
Watch Cecily Strong's speech. How does it compare to President Obama's?
The Governor of Maine walked out in the middle of a dedication speech at the University of Maine at Farmington. Paul R. LePage was thrown by seeing students holding protest signs. The Governor's speech begins at 5:27 on this video.
Mr. LePage reportedly saw the signs 15 seconds into his speech, and then began to pause and struggle with his text. After 30 seconds more, he said he was done, apologized, and left the stage.
"Thank you, you idiots out back there with the signs," the newspaper quoted Mr. LePage as saying as he left. One sign said: "LePage: Maine's Shame." The other was an environmental report card that gave Mr. LePage an F.
The Governor later apologized at a Town Hall meeting:
"First and foremost, I apologize to President Foster and especially to Theodora Kalikow for the sequence of events on Tuesday. I was humbled to be invited to speak at a ceremony to honor Theodora Kalikow and recognize the great legacy she has left the University of Maine at Farmington, as well as its faculty, staff and students.
"I am accustomed to daily attacks and ridicule from protestors, but most people are not. Neither Theo, nor the people who were gathered to honor her, deserved for this heartfelt occasion to be disrespected by smug and self-serving protestors. If they wish to protest me, that's fine: we all have the right to express our freedom of speech. But this event was not about me. I was sickened by the lack of respect displayed by two protestors holding up demeaning signs-including one with Theo's name on it-during an event that was supposed to celebrate and honor a remarkable woman who has contributed so many years to improving education in Maine.
"For more than five years, the media has flocked to events where I have been asked to speak, not to cover any good news about the events, but to disparage me over issues totally unrelated to the events. Since I am such a distraction to the media, I will no longer attend some of these public events. I sincerely hope the media will continue to attend these events and report on the good people of Maine and the many positive things they are doing for our state."
The Governor may have a short fuse. In another incident this week, he prevented the media and legislators from accessing a meeting about education. He said, "The press take seven seconds of what I say, and they make a s*** show out of it. I'm tired of it."
Maybe he just needs a vacation.
Discussion Starters:
Assess the Governor's apology. How does this meet and fall short of business communication principles?
How can presenters avoid being affected by protesters and other interruptions?
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough tweeted a suggestion to Hillary Clinton, and the backlash was fierce.
A Washington Postheadline called it "tired advice," but Scarborough hasn't been inspired to apologize:
In a series of tweets Wednesday, Scarborough responded on Twitter, saying "we've called @BernieSanders grumpy for a year. @HillaryClinton is tough as hell. She doesn't need this fake outrage." In yet another tweet, he wrote, "we've hammered all candidates on their style and substance. We try to hold all candidates to the same standard." In reply to a woman who said he crossed a line, Scarborough wrote that "I don't look at HRC as a woman anymore than I did Thatcher. I look at her as a tough candidate who can handle it."
An NPR article gives us some history about women and smiling:
Back in 1970, the feminist writer Shulamith Firestone proposed her "dream action" for the women's liberation movement: she called for "a smile boycott" in which, she wrote, "all women would instantly abandon their 'pleasing' smiles - henceforth smiling only when something pleased THEM."
In these situations, it's helpful to consider whether Scarborough would have made the same comment to a man-and what others are saying about the presidential candidate, which Vogue reports:
Fox News's Brit Hume wrote: "Hillary having a big night in the primaries. So she's shouting angrily in her victory speech," while commentator Howard Kurtz suggested Clinton should speak in a more relatable tone. "Hillary shouting her speech," Kurtz Tweeted. "She has the floor; a more conversational tone might be better for connecting with folks at home."
Discussion Starters:
Do you consider Scarborough's and other comments to be sexist or gender biased? Why or why not?
Most articles confirm that Clinton does, in fact, smile. How, if at all, does this factor into this discussion?
How does your own propensity to smile affect interactions and presentations? Have you received useful feedback about this?
Russian Tennis star Maria Sharapova is in a tough spot. She admitted that she failed a drug test and has taken "full responsibility" for it.
Sharapova said she was taking Meldonium, a medication for heart disease, which was added to the list of banned substances this year. She also said that the medication goes by another name, which she didn't know: "It is very important for you to understand that for 10 years this medicine was not on WADA's banned list, and I had been legally taking the medicine. But on January the first, the rules have changed." She also said, "I made a huge mistake. I let my fans down and I let the sport down."
But did she have to call the hotel's carpet "ugly"?
Although her admission and apology are clear, her sponsors don't want to wait for more news. Nike issued this statement: "We are saddened and surprised by the news about Maria Sharapova. We have decided to suspend our relationship with Maria while the investigation continues. We will continue to monitor the situation." Tag Heuer and Porsche also cancelled contracts, with the former explaining, "We had been in talks to extend our collaboration. In view of the current situation, the brand has decided not to renew the contract with Sharapova."
As of today, Nike's website page, "Maria Sharapova News" shows positive stories about the star and no mention of the decision.
Discussion Starters:
How well is Sharapova handling the situation? Assess the news conference.
Did Nike, Tag Heuer, and Porsche do the right thing? What pressures are on the sponsoring companies?
Business Communication and Character
Leadership Character and Communication, Amy Newman, Cornell University
