Florida State University Suspends Greek Life Activities

A fraternity member's death was the last straw for the president of Florida State University. John E. Thrasher suspended all fraternity and sorority activities on campus, calling for "a new normal for Greek life."

The student death, which occurred during pledging, follows another student death in September and cocaine charges for another member. In a statement, Thrasher explained the decision and called on the Greek community to find innovative practices. He emphasized the importance of the pause: "The president said this pause is needed to review and reflect on the loss of a young life."

In a long list, the university itemizes what is not allowed, including meetings or events, and specific FSU activities are mentioned, such as Homecoming "pomping, skit night, or spear-it night."

Discussion:

• The university website refers to the decision as an "indefinite interim suspension." Sounds redundant, doesn't it? Do you think this is intentional or a grammatical oversight?
• Assess the university's FAQs. How well does the administration anticipate and address questions?
• The president is demonstrating compassion and courage, but of course, not everyone agrees with the decision. What are the counterarguments?

Sweetery's Harsh Response to a Bride

When a prospective customer decides not to pursue a contract, what's the best reaction? Certainly not how Sweetery responded, with a long, insulting email. Amanda De Pascale says she was considering offering the company's food truck to her wedding guests as a fun addition, but the $2500 quote was more than she wanted to spend. After she told the company her decision, she said she received multiple phone calls from them and then this email. She posted screenshots on her Facebook page.

You may want to skip some parts.

Amanda -

We have zero idea what type of warped sick games you are playing with us, but now it is time for us to have a say.

You are a despicable bottom feeding wretched disgrace of a person, who is as disgusting as they come.

How many times have we called you to follow up on the proposal that we expanded time and effort to produce based on your request and each and every time you cowardly hang up the phone on us when we identify who is calling, what an absolute low life twisted miserable individual you have to be [sic].

We also send you multiple emails that you don't have the decency to respond to, who do you think you are, because we are here to tell you that you are a weak, meager [sic] spineless empty sack low life piece of trash.

We work very hard to do right by client [sic] both existing and perspective and although rarely do we come across a pile of dog ____ like you, it is cowards like you that are not worth the gas that we pass. If you were not interested in our services that [sic] open your mousy measly trap and say so, but no not you, you would prefer to hang up on us countless time [sic] pretending that you cannot hear us to which we would normally say get a new phone but it is clear that you should get a life.

You are despicable and that is probably on your best day, on your worst day you are a complete waste of humanity, I know dogs when they lift their legs that have better manners than you do.

What kind of trash would ask a company to do work for them and then not have the decency and respect, or the respect for their own self, not to at the very least say. . . .

At right is a screenshot of the last part of his message.

At first, Sweetery's owner, whose name is listed on the bottom of the screenshots, Grant DiMille, told Fox News, "Yes, it came from a company computer, but it was not sent by myself or any member of management. It's a terrible offense, yes, but everyone makes mistakes."

Later, DiMille said he fired the employee who wrote the message, and he sent an apology to De Pascale: "It does deeply matter to us that you were offended by what was written to you. I know it will be difficult for you to believe this but our company's culture is not like what your experience has been, yet the experience that you encountered did happen."

Discussion:

• We hear only one side of the first part of the story. What, if any, justification could Sweetery have for the strong response?
• How well did DiMille respond? What could explain his name on the screenshots?
• How is this story a lesson in humility?

Pronouns Matter on Earnings Calls

A study by researchers at Tulane University found that CEOs who use "self-inclusive language" on earnings calls leave more positive impressions. Self-inclusive language means using first-person pronouns that include the speaker, and they can take singular or plural forms (for examples, "I", "we," "us," "my," "our").  When executives didn't use pronouns (for example, "Webtex's managers" or "Webtex management"), investors reacted less favorably to disclosures, whether positive or negative. The study  script is below.

In addition to the experimental study, the article includes results from text analysis of more than 50,000 earnings calls. Correlating language used in the calls with market reactions, the authors confirm results from the experiment.

A Wall Street Journal article quotes James Pennebaker, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin about the study: "The way I interpret it is that the manager's coming across as more human." Pennebaker is referring to authenticity, and that likely is part of the explanation. Another possibility is that executives sound more accountable, which might also cause investors to respond favorably. In the article, the authors also hypothesize:

"When news is positive, investors react more positively to managers' use of SIL
because they infer managers are more likely to have high ability. When news is negative,
investors also react more positively to managers' use of SIL as it appears that managers are more in control of the situation."

Image source.

Discussion:

• You just read a few interpretations of the study results. What do you think could explain the results?
• To what other types of messages could this research apply?

NBA Reinforces Rule: Stand for the Anthem

The NBA is speaking out about the controversy over whether players can "take a knee"-or kneel-during the national anthem, which NFL players have been criticized for doing. In a memo from deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, the message is loud and clear-but hidden towards the end:

"...players, coaches and trainers stand respectfully for the anthem. The league office will determine how to deal with any possible instance in which a player, coach or trainer does not stand for the anthem. (Teams do not have the discretion to waive this rule)."

Most of the memo avoids the issue entirely and instead encourages players to continue to be active within the community.

TO: NBA BOARD OF GOVERNORS, TEAM PRESIDENTS,GENERAL MANAGERS
FROM: MARK TATUM, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER &CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
CC: LEAGUE OFFICE
DATE: SEPTEMBER 29, 2017
RE: NEXT STEPS: BUILDING STRONGER, SAFER COMMUNITIES

As a follow-up to our discussions at this week's Board of Governors meetings, this document outlines suggested steps each team could take as we prepare for the start of the season and continue to develop impactful community programs.

I. ENGAGING PLAYERS AND SENIOR LEADERSHIP

If you have not done so already, we suggest organizing discussions between players, coaches, general managers and ownership to hear the players' perspectives.

One approach would be for team leadership to review existing team and league initiatives and encourage players to share their thoughts and ideas about them. Following those conversations, teams could develop plans prior to the start of the regular season for initiatives that players and senior leadership could participate in, such as:

- Hosting Community Conversations with youth, parents, community leaders and law enforcement about the challenges we face and our shared responsibility to create positive change.

- Creating "Building Bridges Through Basketball" programs that use the game of basketball to bring people together and deepen important bonds of trust and respect between young people, mentors, community leaders, law enforcement and other first responders.

- Highlighting the importance of mentoring with the goal of adding 50,000 new mentors to support young people through our PSA campaign.

- Engaging thought leaders and partners. A variety of experts, speakers and partner organizations are available to players and teams as you continue these conversations and develop programming.

- Establishing new and/or enhancing ongoing team initiatives and partnerships in the areas of criminal justice reform, economic empowerment and civic engagement.

II. OPENING WEEK

As we approach opening week, each team could explore ways to use their first home game as an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to the NBA's core values of equality, diversity, inclusion and serve as a unifying force in the community, including:

- A joint address to fans featuring a player or coach prior to the National Anthem. This could include a message of unity and how the team is committed to bringing the community together this season.

- A video tribute or PSA featuring players, community leaders, faith leaders and team leadership speaking about the issues they care about and photos from past community events.

III. KEY MESSAGES

- These are difficult and nuanced issues.

- We support and encourage players to express their views on matters that are important to them.

- The NBA has a rule that players, coaches and trainers stand respectfully for the anthem. The league office will determine how to deal with any possible instance in which a player, coach or trainer does not stand for the anthem. (Teams do not have the discretion to waive this rule).

- Our team's focus remains on unity and collective action that leads to meaningful change in society. The players have embraced their roles in those efforts and we are proud of the work they do in our communities.

- We believe sports are a unifier and this is an opportunity for the NBA to once again lead by its core values of equality, inclusion and unity and to bridge divides and bring people together.

In a video statement, NBA commissioner Adam Silver echoed Tatum's memo. Silver said he expected players to follow the league's rules of standing for the anthem. Although he encouraged freedom of expression, he also said, "It's my hope that our players will continue to use that as a moment of unity."

A writer for Yahoo sports argues that players should be able to take a knee. Part of his argument follows:

Let's be clear: Athletes are not possibly putting their careers at risk, opening themselves up to jeering fans in arenas and on social media, because they are anti-national anthem, anti-flag, anti-America, anti-military or any other "anti" that has been used to diffuse any honest discourse. That those arguments have distracted from the true purpose of this activism only goes to show why it is necessary. Change won't come if no one listens. It certainly won't come if a league that presents itself as progressive and forward-thinking discourages civil methods used to bring about awareness.

Image source.

Discussion:

• Analyze the NBA memo against principles of business writing. Who are the primary and secondary audiences? What are Tatum's objectives? How does he organize the memo?
• How well does the memo capture the league's perspective? How do you think players might have reacted? 
• Analyze Michael Lee's argument in the Yahoo article. What are his strongest and weakest arguments?

Netflix's Funny Cease-and-Desist Letter

Netflix got high marks for a funny legal letter, which I realize is typically an oxymoron. A pop-up bar in Chicago showed Stranger Things, which is against Netflix's policy. In response, the company's lawyer sent a cease-and-desist letter, giving the owners a generous six weeks before they need to stop playing episodes for customers.

This reminds me of the Jack Daniels letter in Chapter 5 of the book. Both show lawyers as human beings.

Discussion:

• What's the value of a more conversational legal letter? What are the downsides?
• The letter isn't perfect. Try to find the punctuation error.
• What makes this letter authentic?

Miracles Happen: An Apology from Uber

The typically non-apologetic Uber is apologizing. Two factors likely caused the company's change: 1) a new CEO, and 2) losing its operating license in London.

The new CEO has already demonstrated his vulnerability by talking about his emotions and showing us more of who he is as a person. An article in The Guardian explains why the city decided not to renew the company's license, which expires September 30:

TfL [Tranport for London] said last week Uber was not a "fit and proper" private car-hire operator and cited four areas of concern, including its approach to reporting criminal offences and carrying out background checks on drivers. But sources close to TfL indicated that a change of conduct from the taxi firm, the culture of which is being reformed by its new chief executive, could leave the door open to a fresh licence application.

The London decision is a blow for the ride-sharing company, and Uber is doing what it can to rebuild its image.

London Mayor Sadiq Kahn responded to the apology: 

"I welcome the apology from Dara Khosrowshahi, the Uber CEO. Obviously I am pleased that he has acknowledged the issues that Uber faces in London. Even though there is a legal process in place, I have asked TfL to make themselves available to meet with him."

Image source.

 Discussion:

• Assess Khosrowshahi's apology. What works well, and what could be improved? (Hint: What organization principles apply?)
• What is the value of an apology? In this case, how does Uber's apology help its position with London?

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

Image source.

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?

Brother's Response to My Complaint

On my Brother printer, the "Toner Low" light came on, and I shook the toner, which always gives me several more pages of good quality printing. But at some point, the printer wouldn't print anymore. To my eye, the pages still looked good. I was printing pages of my new book to proofread and didn't notice a difference for my purpose.

I emailed Brother to see if I could override the function and get more out of my cartridge. (Replacements cost about $50.) I saw several YouTube videos with instructions, so clearly I'm not the only one who has this idea. But I couldn't find my model. I asked Brother for help, and this is the response I received: download Brother printer response.

I appreciate that the purpose is up front in the email and that my question is answered. But the email is so long and not very well organized. Also, the writer spends a lot of time defending why the printers are set up to stop. Of course, quality is important, but shouldn't I get to decide what is "good enough" for my print jobs? My HP printers keep going until they're grey and streaked.

Discussion:

• What's your view of the function to stop printing? Am I just cheap, or should Brother avoid the shutoff?
• What are the communication objectives for Bother's response? What is important for a customer in this situation?
• How could the writer have organized the email differently?
• How clear are the instructions?
• What else would improve the message?

Email Persists

A survey shows that CIOs (73%) and office workers (53%) agree that email will continue as the primary internal communication tool through at least 2020. When instant messaging became popular around 2004, analysts predicted it would outpace email, which obviously hasn't happened. Reports of email's demise were common until about 2010, when people may have realized how stubborn the technology is.

Email's persistence isn't because it's a great tool. According to the MediaPost survey, CIOs did rate email best for daily communications (41%), but this is compared to other channels: in-person meetings (22%), instant messaging (13%), phone calls (9%), internal social networks (8%), and video conferencing (7%). I would argue that the channel depends on the purpose and audiences. Otherwise, this is a difficult question to answer.

The survey reporters criticized instant messaging because people expect an immediate response. But, again, this doesn't consider that IM has a different purpose and will often solve immediate problems. Academic research shows that people who use IM, perhaps paradoxically, feel they have more control over their work, possibly because they get work accomplished through IM instead of having to wait longer for an email response. Then again, in some circles, people are expected to respond to email immediately as well.

Image source.

Discussion:

• What's your view of email compared to other communication tools, such as, instant messaging? 
• What's the real value of email compared to other tools? Why do you think it has persisted?
• What's your biggest frustration with email?
• What, if any, tools, such as Slack, have you used to help manage email? What have you found helpful?

Comparing CEO Statements

A writer for The New York Times doesn't condemn CEOs for leaving President Trump's business advisory councils, but she says that we should expect more, particularly from those who gave what she considers vague statements. Zoe Greenberg writes,

It's fine to thank these executives for doing the right thing. But to look to these men as brave leaders? Let's not lower our standards, both politically and morally, so far that we're cheering for the absolute bare minimum of human decency.

She gives the example of Brain Krzanich of Intel's statement:

 I resigned to call attention to the serious harm our divided political climate is causing to critical issues, including the serious need to address the decline of American manufacturing.

The Los Angeles Times rounded up 15 CEOs' statements about their decision to leave, some before the Charlottesville incident. Comparing the statements and the reasons they identified is an interesting exercise. Some executives used the opportunity to promote their companies, and some gave more specific reasons that others.

Image source.

Discussion:

• Which executives most used the opportunity to promote their company?
• Which gave the most vague and most specific reasons for leaving?
• What other differences do you notice?
• Which statements do you find most effective and why?

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. 

Image source.

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?

Microsoft Lays Off up to 4,000 Employees

Microsoft will cut thousands of sales and marketing employees in a company restructuring. Most are outside the U.S.

An internal memo describes Microsoft's new strategy for partners and customers but doesn't mention the layoffs specifically. The memo reminds me of a 2014 Microsoft layoff memo criticized for its jargon. Here's an excerpt from the recent one:

There is an enormous $4.5 trillion market opportunity across our Commercial and Consumer businesses. We are uniquely positioned to drive our customers' and partners' success by leading them through their digital transformations, and becoming their partner of choice. To help us do that, starting today, we begin to implement changes to our Commercial and Consumer models. These changes will position us to best meet the evolving needs of our customers and partners, and empower them to achieve more.

To lead this digital transformation and capture this opportunity, the changes we are announcing have been shaped on the following growth drivers, which will enable us to align the right resources for the right customer at the right time.

Research tells us that receivers prefer to hear bad news up front, although givers prefer to "ease" into it. In Microsoft's 2014 layoff memo and another in 2015, the news comes late. In this one, it doesn't come at all. 

Image source.

Discussion:

• Why do you think the email doesn't mention layoffs? What are some good reasons to avoid the decision here?
• Read the memo excerpts from Geekwire. How many jargon words do you count?
• Here's a fun activity: rewrite the memo in English.

YouTube Continues to Fight Extremist Videos

Google announced new policies to fight offensive and inappropriate videos on YouTube and other sites. The company is responding most recently to videos promoting terrorism.

When videos violate community guidelines, they will be immediately removed. In addition, in a blog post, the company identified four new strategies:

• Increasing technology to find terrorism-related videos
• Expanding the network of people and organizations to flag videos
• Applying restrictions to "inflammatory religious or supremacist content"
• Expanding its "role in counter-radicalization efforts"

The third point is interesting. Judging a video for removal is difficult, so Google will diminish potentially damaging content by posting a warning and not allowing comments, endorsements, or monetization (they can't accept advertising). General Counsel Kent Walker writes, "That means these videos will have less engagement and be harder to find. We think this strikes the right balance between free expression and access to information without promoting extremely offensive viewpoints."

Discussion:

• Analyze Walker's blog post. Who is the audience, and what are his communication objectives? How would you describe the writing style? What organizational strategy does he use?
• How well do you think Google is balancing freedom of expression with damage and complaints from advertisers?
• What are the potential dangers of Google's new policy? What are the benefits?

Amazon Announces Whole Foods Purchase

A big move in the grocery market and a big threat to WalMart, Amazon will buy Whole Foods. The organic grocery has 460 locations, giving Amazon a strong launching pad to deepen its food delivery plans.

The company's press release states that John Mackey, co-founder and CEO, will continue in his role. A quote from Mackey emphasizes shareholder value and benefits to customers.

Other supermarket chains "put on a strong face," according to a NYT article. A spokesperson for Kroger sent an email: "As we've done in the past, we will evolve our business to deliver what our customers want and need today and into the future." But shares of Walmart, Target, Kroger and Costco all fell on the news.

Press Release

<< Back

Amazon to Acquire Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods Market ranked #28 and Amazon ranked #2 on Fortune's 2017 list of World's Most Admired Companies SEATTLE & AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 16, 2017-- Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Whole Foods Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:WFM) today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Amazon will acquire Whole Foods Market for $42 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $13.7 billion, including Whole Foods Market's net debt. "Millions of people love Whole Foods Market because they offer the best natural and organic foods, and they make it fun to eat healthy," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. "Whole Foods Market has been satisfying, delighting and nourishing customers for nearly four decades – they're doing an amazing job and we want that to continue." "This partnership presents an opportunity to maximize value for Whole Foods Market's shareholders, while at the same time extending our mission and bringing the highest quality, experience, convenience and innovation to our customers," said John Mackey, Whole Foods Market co-founder and CEO. Whole Foods Market will continue to operate stores under the Whole Foods Market brand and source from trusted vendors and partners around the world. John Mackey will remain as CEO of Whole Foods Market and Whole Foods Market's headquarters will stay in Austin, Texas. Completion of the transaction is subject to approval by Whole Foods Market's shareholders, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The parties expect to close the transaction during the second half of 2017.

Image source.

Discussion:

• Analyze the writing style, organization, and word choice in the press release. Who is the audience, and what are the objectives?
• It's short: should the companies say more?
• What's your view of Kroger's reaction? What else, if anything, should the company say in response to the news?

Is 'Whom' Dead?

A front-page Wall Street Journal article explores the demise of "whom," which we have known for some time-some of us feeling joy, remorse, or indifference. Titled, "The Bell Tolls for 'Whom,' " the WSJ article tells us about Twitter's decision to post "Who to follow" instead of the grammatically correct "Whom to follow." Company representatives say a few people made the case for "whom," but it seems as though they quickly lost the argument. 

The article gives us some fun examples of when "whom" just sounds silly: Ghostbusters' "Whom you gonna call" and the music group "The Whom" (well, that could go either way).

Men who used "whom" on their OK Cupid profiles had a 31% better chance of getting dates. (Let's assume they used it correctly.) We already know grammar is sexy. Women, particularly, are more turned off by bad grammar.

The article says that "whom" is still used when it's the object of a preposition, but the example is questionable: "To whom it may concern." That greeting went of out favor with "Dear Sir or Madam." It's best to find a real person or use "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear Recruiter" for cover letters.

My preference is to rewrite a sentence to avoid the whole issue, but I admit, in conversational writing, I might write, "Who are you going with?" committing two sins.

Image source.

Discussion:

• What's the second "sin" in my last sentence, above?
• Describe the "correct" uses of whom.
• When, at all, do you use the word?
• What's your view: should we always use it correctly, kill it, or something in between?

Gianforte Apologizes

Greg Gianforte, the Montana Republican candidate running for Congress, "body-slammed" a reporter. The link to audio is at right.

His apology letter has gotten high marks, and it does meet some of the criteria discussed in Chapter 7 for an effective apology. A professor emeritus of management and human resources at the Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business analyzed and annotated the letter for The Huffington Post:

Dear Mr. Jacobs: 

I write to express my sincere apology for my conduct on the evening of May 24. My physical response to your legitimate question was unprofessional, unacceptable, and unlawful [acknowledgement of responsibility]. As both a candidate for office and a public official, I should be held to a high standard in my interactions with the press and the public [acknowledgement of responsibility]. My treatment of you did not meet that standard [expression of regret].

Notwithstanding anyone's statements to the contrary, you did not initiate any physical contact with me, and I had no right to assault you. I am sorry for what I did and the unwanted notoriety this has created for you [expression of regret]. I take full responsibility [acknowledgement of responsibility]

I understand the critical role that journalists and the media play in our society. Protections afforded to the press through the Constitution are fundamental to who we are as a nation and the way government is accountable to the people. I acknowledge that the media have an obligation to seek information. I also know that civility in our public discourse is central to a productive dialogue on issues. I had no right to respond the way I did to your legitimate question about healthcare policy [declaration of repentance]. You were doing your job. 

In the hope that perhaps some good news can come of these events, I am making a $50,000 contribution to the Committee To Protect Journalists, an independent non-profit organization that promotes press freedom and that protects the rights of journalists worldwide [offer of repair].

I made a mistake and humbly ask for your forgiveness [request for forgiveness]. 

Sincerely, 

Greg Gianforte

On Twitter, @SorryWatch also compliments the letter, but she questions the source. The letter was part of a settlement, so perhaps the words aren't Gianforte's own? 

To me, the letter sounds a bit too perfect. Yes, it hits the right components but, for example, who says, "I....humbly ask for your forgiveness"? And some criteria for apologies discussed in the book are missing. It sounds like a lawyer wrote it.

Discussion:

• Quiz question: Which criteria discussed in the book are missing from this apology? These may give us a clue about how the letter falls short overall.
• What's your view of the letter? Is my assessment too harsh?

Comey's Testimony Offers a Window

Former Director James Comey's testimony tells us-at least from his perspective-a bit about politics in the Trump Administration. A Business Insider headline reads, " 'The most shocking single document' since Watergate." However, the article quotes a good friend of Comey's.

Yet his testimony is impressive, and the media is enjoying the story. Comey describes how President Trump, at a private dinner, asked for his loyalty, and Comey stressed the importance of the FBI being independent from the White House. He reports that the President asked if he wanted to continue on as FBI director, although he had said twice previously that he did.

Comey reports about another private meeting in which the President said, "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go." The question is whether the President's actions constitute obstruction of justice. A Wall Street Journal video commentary describes the President's requests of Flynn as "unusual."

Today is an interesting day to compare headlines and see the political bent of the media:

• New York Times: "Trump Pressed Comey to ‘Lift Cloud' of Russia Inquiry"
• Wall Street Journal: "Comey Says Trump Sought Loyalty"

Image source.

Discussion:

• How credible do you find Comey's testimony? What influences your opinion? Consider the word choice, writing style, and so on.
• How does what Comey describes differ from business relationships? What could be similar between and manager and an employee working in a company?
• What do you think will happen next?

Covfefe!

Our president will not admit a mistake. In a fit of early-morning tweeting, President Trump probably mis-typed "coverage" as "covfefe."

CNN editor Chris Cillizzi suggested how Sean Spicer might handle the situation when asked:

"The president made a typo. He meant to type 'coverage.' Raise your hand if you've never made a typo on Twitter."

Instead, Spicer said,

"A small group of people know exactly what he meant."

The president tweeted,

"Who can figure out the true meaning of 'covfefe' ??? Enjoy!"

The Administration's response protects the president and asserts his power: he doesn't have to apologize for anything. The tweet came amidst the president's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, so the buzz didn't last long.

Discussion:

• What's your view of Sean Spicer's response?
• How about President Trump's?
• A New York Times article today says lawyers discouraging the president's tweeting. Why do you think that is? Should he follow the advice?

Uber CEO Tries to Change His Image

After many stories of Uber's questionable practices with reporters, employees, drivers, and technology, CEO Travis Kalanick is trying to change his image. A Recode author writes, "A more cuddly Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has returned to social media."

After a Twitter hiatus in 2016, Kalanick is back on, as Recode reports, "as the nicest CEO in the whole wide world." We see pictures of Kalanick with his mom on Mother's Day, with his parents at the Kentucky Derby wearing hats, and of his grinning face while he touches his heart.

Recode reminds us this isn't the first time Kalanick has taken to social media to try to change the company's and his own image:

After the media furor around whatever scandal of the moment died down, Kalanick tried to humanize himself - and, by virtue, the company - and often turned to puppies or children to do that.

After we saw a video of Kalanick arguing with an Uber driver over declining wages, he promised to improve. But the promise was about his leadership style. This seems like a PR fix. 

Discussion:

• Assess Kalanick's approach. Who is his audience, and what are his objectives?
• Am I justified in questioning Kalanick's sincerity or too harsh?
• What else could he do to improve the company's image and his own image?