Tesla Layoff Memo

Tesla will cut about 9% of its staff, according to a memo sent to employees. In the message, CEO Elon Musk is direct about the decision, which he claims addresses some overlapping roles. Musk also says that profits haven't been a priority but that the company must now focus on profitability to be successful.

In the last paragraph, Musk expresses his gratitude to those leaving the company:

"To those who are departing, thank you for everything you’ve done for Tesla and we wish you well in your future opportunities. To those remaining, I would like to thank you in advance for ult job that remains ahead. We are a small company in one of the toughest and most competitive industries on Earth, where just staying alive, let alone growing, is a form of victory (Tesla and Ford remain the only American car companies who haven’t gone bankrupt). Yet, despite our tiny size, Tesla has already played a major role in moving the auto industry towards sustainable electric transport and moving the energy industry towards sustainable power generation and storage. We must continue to drive that forward for the good of the world."

A Bloomberg article criticizes the memo for burying news that it will end its partnership with Home Depot. Musk does address the issue, particularly how employees are affected, in the fifth paragraph.

Image source.

Discussion:

• How clearly does Musk's memo communicate the news the employees?
• What organizational approach does Musk use in the memo? How effective is this approach given the situation and audience?
• What's your view of Bloomberg's criticism about the Home Depot decision? How, if at all, could Musk have handled this differently?
• What leadership character dimensions are demonstrated in Musk's memo? Where, if at all, does he fall short?

Analyzing Communications Around the USC Crisis

After the University of Southern California's president resigned last month, crisis communication experts analyzed university messaging. When a gynecologist was accused of inappropriate exams and comments over decades working for the university, 200 faculty called for President C.L. Max Nikias's resignation. Faculty wrote that they believed Dr. Nikias "has lost the moral authority to lead the University.” Although the Administration denies any type of coverup, the gynecologist was allowed to continue in his job even after many allegations in 2016. Dr. Nikias did resign.

A Wall Street Journal article chronicles the following university communications:

A May 21 statement from university Provost Michael Quick denied university leadership knew of the doctor’s improper behavior, stating: “It is true that our system failed, but it is important that you know that this claim of a cover-up if patently false.” Prior to that, the university issued statements about the matter from Mr. Nikias on May 18 and May 15, and statements from other university officials on May 15 and May 16. University administrators also are contacting students.

Criticism of the communication includes sounding defensive, not completing the investigation quickly enough, and failing to report investigation results to those affected. One writer complimented the statement by the chair of the university's executive committee.

Discussion:

• How does this situation illustrate character dimensions such as vulnerability, accountability, and integrity?
• Read the executive committee chair's statement. In what ways does the statement illustrate authenticity? What other character dimensions are illustrated?
• Assess the university's other statements. What's your assessment of each?
• What should the university do at this point to rebuild trust?

Cold Email Examples

The CEO of Mapistry, a start-up software company for storm water compliance, posted and analyzed her past emails to VCs, venture capitalists who could invest in her company. Allie Janoch disputes the claim that you need an introduction to a VC; she has had some success in sending cold emails.

Her first email, Janochs admits, says little about her company and undermines the message with self-deprecation.

She didn't get a response. Her second email, when her company had more traction, includes a specific subject, focuses on problem solving, uses bullets for important data points, and is personal.

Discussion:

• What do you consider the strength's of Janoch's second email?
• What improvements could she make?
• How does each email demonstrate humility? The first, as Janoch says, is self-deprecating. What's the potential problem with this approach? How does the second email demonstrate humility as well as confidence? How well does Janoch balance the two?

Teacher Edits White House Letter

Yvonne Mason, a retired high school English teacher from Atlanta, marked up a letter she received from President Trump. She criticizes language choices, capitalization, and other issues, but some choices are by convention.

A New York Times article uncovered a federal government style guide, which is a whopping 465 pages. The guide suggests capitalizing some words, such as Nation and Federal when used to refer to the United States.

Then again, the style guide covers unusual topics, such as "Leaderwork":

14. Leaderwork

(See also Chapter 9 “Abbreviations and Letter Symbols” and Chapter 13 “Tabular Work”)

14 .1.

Leaderwork is a simple form of tabular work without boxheads or rules and is separated from text by 4 points of space above and below in solid matter or 6 points of space in leaded matter. It consists of a reading (stub) column and a figure column, leadered from the bottom line. It may also consist of two reading columns, aligning on the top line.

Mason skipped a more serious grammatical error: "I did not mention the dangling modifier. I focused mainly on mechanics.”

Discussion:

• On social media, people criticized Mason, with someone imagining her as "a lonely bitter hag with a lot of cats." Do you agree, or do you see Mason as doing an important service, or something else?
• What is the dangling modifier?
• Can you find a simpler way to explain leaderwork in the style guide? What is the value of such detail in a style guide, and what are the drawbacks?

"Can We Use 'I'?"

In an article, "The Soul-Crushing Student Essay," a writing instructor at The New School in New York City laments first-year students' writing. Every semester, he says, students ask, “Do you mean we can write with the word ‘I’?” He says, "Somewhere along the way, these young people were told by teachers that who they are in their writing ought to be divorced from who they are on their phones, or as the writer Grace Paley may have said, with their families and on their streets."

He encourages students to write about their own experience:

First, we need to value more the complete and complex lives of young people: where they come from, how they express themselves. They have already lived lives worthy of our attention and appreciation.

Second, we need to encourage young people to take seriously those lives they’ve lived, even as they come to understand—often through schooling and just as often not—that there’s a whole lot more we’ll expect of them. Through this, we can help them learn to expect more of themselves, too.

I'm sensitive to the topic because several students recently asked me this question about their final assignment—a self-reflection paper.

Image source.

Discussion:

• Were you taught to avoid "I" in writing? What was the reason?
• What is the value of writing from your own experience?
• How does using "I" make your writing clearer and more concise?

Ghostwriting for Dating Ads?

Ghostwriting is moving beyond celebrity biographies to customer service emails, employment negotiations, and posts on dating sites.

Online dating coach Erika Ettin admits, "I write to potential matches. I respond. I delete the inappropriate people.” She'll also rewrite profiles and swipe on her clients' behalf. She defends the practice:

I know sometimes people paint ghostwriting in a negative way. They say it’s disingenuous. But it’s a trend that’s going to continue. People don’t always know what to write and how to put their best foot forward.

A few years ago, actor George Takei was criticized for using a ghost writer. His 4 million Facebook followers were upset when they learned he paid $10 a joke. 

Image source.

Discussion: 

• When do you think it's appropriate to hire a ghostwriter, and when does the practice cross a line? 
• Ettin mentions the argument that using a ghostwriter is "disingenuous." Do you agree? Why or why not? Is it authentic? What's the difference? 
• Would you hire a ghostwriter for dating or for job communications? Why or why not? 

MSU's Denial as a Cultural Issue

A Chronicle of Higher Ed article blames Michigan State University's ambitions and culture for their leaders' lack of response to years of sexual abuse on campus. More than 12 people knew of complaints against physician Larry Nassar, but the abuse continued for years.

Lou Anna K. Simon's leadership is questioned in the article. Although clearly a committed leader to the university, Simon is criticized for focusing so much on "two decades of status-climbing" that a culture of denying any wrongdoing evolved. One of the trustees summed up the issue in a letter and emphasized "We must embrace our obligation to apologize and offer justice."

Apologizing may be a sore subject for the trustees because Simon avoided it in the case of Larry Nassar's victims, according to the Chronicle article:

She talked about how “it is virtually impossible to stop a determined sexual predator and pedophile, that they will go to incomprehensible lengths to keep what they do in the shadows.” She often used “regret,” “sympathize,” and “acknowledge” in her written statements, but not “apologize.” She emphasized that sexual assault is a societal problem, not a Michigan State one. She highlighted all of the steps the university had taken to prevent sexual misconduct.

Image source.

Discussion:

• Analyze the trustee's letter. What principles of business writing are followed? What are the strengths of the letter, and what could be improved?
• The trustee encourages MSU leadership to listen. What does he mean by this, and how would listening help the situation?
• What is the value of apologizing and admitting failure? What are the potential downsides, particularly for a university trying to improve its stature?
• This story illustrates several failings of leadership character. Which can you identify, and which do you think are most relevant here?

Supreme Court Justice's Writing Style

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is getting so much attention for his writing that #GorsuchStyle is trending. Lauded before he joined the court, Gorsuch's writing is now criticized as a sidetrack "history lesson," "garbled," and "exhausting to read." Critics cite examples and wonder why a justice is spending time on alliteration:

“Disruptive dinnertime calls, downright deceit and more besides drew Congress’s eye to the debt collection industry.”

Another hallmark of his new style is making a pithy comment and then explaining its meaning as in this example:

"Chesterton reminds us not to clear away a fence just because we cannot see its point. Even if a fence doesn’t seem to have a reason, sometimes all that means is we need to look more carefully for the reason it was built in the first place."

A Yale student analyzed Gorsuch's court decisions. Compared to others' writing, he used more contractions (3.9 per 1,000 words compared to 0.8) and started sentences with words such as “and,” “but” and “so” more often (4.9 times out of every 1,000 words compared to 1.5). Analysts seem to agree that his style is getting less formal, but he also likes to draw attention to himself.

Image source.

Discussion:

• What is the value of alliteration and other rhetorical devices? When are they best used, and when are they best avoided?
• Gorsuch's seeming desire to call attention to himself contradicts business writing and leadership character principles. Which ones?
• Why might Gorsuch's style change over time?
• What distinguishes your writing style? Can you identify a sentence structure, phrase, or structure that you use often—and maybe too often?
• Slate writer Mark Joseph Stern analyzed another passage and identified several examples of "fat." Try to improve conciseness in this paragraph. How many extraneous words can you omit?

The Court today clears away a fence that once marked a basic boundary between federal and state power. Maybe it wasn’t the most vital fence and maybe we’ve just simply forgotten why this particular fence was built in the first place. But maybe, too, we’ve forgotten because we’ve wandered so far from the idea of a federal government of limited and enumerated powers that we’ve begun to lose sight of what it looked like in the first place.

Narrative Alternatives to PPT at Amazon and Google

In his annual letter, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos wrote that he has banned PPT:

"We don’t do PowerPoint (or any other slide-oriented) presentations at Amazon. Instead, we write narratively structured six-page memos. We silently read one at the beginning of each meeting in a kind of 'study hall.'"

Nancy Duarte describes the value of a narrative or storytelling approach: "storytelling in presentations is a powerful way to grab attention, hold attention, and to change beliefs." She gives examples from our favorite books and movies, which build suspense over time. Stories are also a good way to inspire empathy and other emotional reactions. This is difficult to achieve with traditional PowerPoint bullets.

A Harvard Business Review article, "Structure Your Presentation Like a Story," provides more guidance and summarizes the approach with a graphic:

For Bezos, the narrative style means that points are connected and organized in a logical sequence with some resolution, conclusion, or outcome. GeekWire created this six-page memo in Amazon's style as an example.

At Google, CEO Sundar Pichai also emphasizes storytelling with pictures:

"Since stories are best told with pictures, bullet points and text-heavy slides are increasingly avoided at Google." 

Both executives are warning against the type of communication that is overly concise and missing context, connections, and cohesiveness. A ZDNet article summarizes some of the issues with PowerPoint and describes the now-infamous role of PPT in a U.S. disaster:

"'[B]ulletized' thinking contributed to the Challenger disaster, where 7 crew members died and a multi-billion dollar craft destroyed due to an O-ring failure. The big problem was that NASA management wasn't really listening to the engineers—and breaking issues up into bullets helped them do that."

Pichai's design approach aligns with PPT trends over the past few years. We're seeing much less text, fewer bullets, and more images, and this style follows the evolution of web design. On websites, we see many more background videos and photos and not much text, particularly on consumer websites.

Discussion:

• What are the advantages and downsides to the narrative memo? For what types of situations do you think this approach would work well? For what situations might PPT be a better choice?
• For practice, try to convert this terrible PPT presentation to one with less text and more meaningful images. Clean up the design, add charts to help your audience visualize data, and of course, correct the grammar.

Chipotle CEO Generates Excitement

After a dismal three years of food-safety issues, Chipotle saw a strong first quarter, and CEO Brian Niccol is confident about the company's future. Since the outbreaks, part of Chipotle's turnaround plan was to introduce new menu items, but they did not prove successful.

In an interview, Niccol described new plans, which may include drive-thrus, longer hours, mobile ordering, or menu items that are more thoroughly tested. But Niccol resists offering deals and breakfast, despite what Bill Ackman, Chipotle's largest shareholder, advises:

“I’ve been very clear with him: Not now, Bill and I have had a couple of really good conversations. He may have some ideas that I don’t think are the right ones now.”

Here's the earnings call webcast. In the press release, Niccol further explained the company's plans:

"While the company made notable progress during the quarter, I firmly believe we can accelerate that progress in the future.  We are in the process of forming a path to greater performance in sales, transactions, margins and new restaurants.  This path to performance will be grounded in a strategy of executing the fundamentals while introducing consumer-meaningful innovation across the business.  It will also require a structure and organization built for creativity, action and accountability.  Finally, Chipotle will have a culture that is centered on running great restaurants, putting the customer first, innovating for today and tomorrow, supporting each other, and delivering on commitments.  The future will be meaningful at Chipotle."

(Disclosure: I own a modest amount of Chipotle stock.) Image source.

Discussion:

• Assess the earnings call or press release. What business jargon do you identify? Is it too much, or is it appropriate for the situation and audience?
• Niccol is challenging Ackman's ideas, which is risky for a new CEO. How do you interpret his statement? Again, is what he says appropriate for the situation, or should he present his views differently?
• Would you say that Niccol is demonstrating courage in his statement about Ackman? Why or why not?

Tips for Navigating the New Gmail

Will the new Gmail make email easier? I'm not so sure. In this WSJ video, David Pierce describes the new design as "busier," particularly if you have special folders. A new bar on the right side indicates, next to your list of email, your calendar and list of tasks, which is useful for an "at-a-glance" view.

Pierce suggests collapsing the left side bar and shrinking other parts down. He's a fan of the "confidential note," which will automatically delete messages after a period of time. You can also unsend a message now at any time, which is also a good addition.

Other features include snoozing a message and setting high priority notifications on your phone.

Some of these features seem helpful, but overall, I'm skeptical about whether they will make us more efficient. This is the first major upgrade since 2011, and if you don't want the new features, you can revert back to the old version.

Discussion:

• Identify a few features of your email program that you believe improve your efficiency. How do you use these?
• If you use Gmail, how do you assess these new features? Which do you find most and least useful?

Layoffs at Qualcomm

A Business Insider headline puts the news and purpose right up front:

Qualcomm is reportedly laying off as many as 1,000 employees as part of a $1 billion cost savings plan

The decision comes after a hostile takeover bid from Broadcom, a competitor in Singapore. Qualcomm made a commitment to save costs to its shareholders and appears to be following through, despite that the failing takeover bid. 

A Bloomberg report reminds us that the company cut jobs in 2015, as well, in response to an activist investor's interests. A New York Times article calls Qualcomm "collateral damage" in "a looming trade war between the United States and China" that may impinge the company's growth.

The company declined to comment on news stories, and nothing related to layoffs is posted on its website.

Image source.

Discussion:

• Should Qualcomm executives be more forthright about the change? What, if anything, should they communicate to the public and how?
• How do you assess the admission that the layoffs are intended to ward off hostile takeovers and reduce costs? How do you think these reasons would be received by shareholders? the press? customers? employees?
• How are the news and the company's communication an issue of integrity for Qualcomm?

Starbucks Apologizes, Again

Two black men were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks. Witnesses say they were just waiting for a friend and asked to use the restroom. The reason for calling the police seemed to be the same: that they were just waiting for friend. But because they didn't order anything, they were asked to leave and did not. Other customers say this is common at Starbucks, and the only reason the police were called was because the two men were black.

The company, at first, gave a weak apology using unclear pronoun references (see "this" and "these"). A longer apology came from the CEO Kevin Johnson later. In the statement, he identified steps the company would take and closed with this paragraph:

Finally, to our partners who proudly wear the green apron and to customers who come to us for a sense of community every day: You can and should expect more from us.  We will learn from this and be better.

Johnson also posted an apology video.

In a video statement, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross explained the situation from his point of view and defended the officers' actions. He also said that all officers get implicit bias training and gave an example of a police sergeant who was also denied access to a Starbucks bathroom. Ross's conclusion was that "they are at least consistent in their policy." Of course, not everyone agrees.

Image source.

Discussion:

• Analyze Johnson's statement. Who are his primary and secondary audiences? What are his communication objectives, and how well did he achieve them?
• What organizational strategy does Johnson's statement illustrate? How do you assess his tone and writing style?
• What is an unclear pronoun reference, and how are they used in the first apology?
• What's your view of the situation? Did Starbucks do wrong? If so, at what point(s)? Are you boycotting Starbucks, as some promote, as a result?
• Which leadership character dimensions are illustrated by this example?

Volkswagen Replaces Chairman

Three years after the emissions scandal, Volkswagen is replacing another chairman. Matthias Müller replaced Martin Winterkorn, who was ousted soon after the news broke in 2015. But Müller was another insider and hasn't led the turnaround the board expected.

Like Winterkorn, Müller struggled with public relations. During a 2016 NPR interview, Müller claimed the company misunderstood the American environmental law: “We didn’t lie. We didn’t understand the question [at] first.” After much criticism, VW’s communications department asked for another interview, which was granted. He delivered a better apology but blamed the first interview on “all these colleagues of yours and everybody shouting.” In other words, it was noisy. 

As is customary in corporate change announcements, Chairman of the Supervisory Board Hans Dieter Pötsch spoke positively about the outgoing executive:

“Matthias Müller has done outstanding work for the Volkswagen Group. He assumed the chairmanship of the Board of Management in the fall of 2015 when the Company faced the greatest challenge in its history. Not only did he safely navigate Volkswagen through that time; together with his team, he also fundamentally realigned the Group’s strategy, initiated cultural change and, with great personal commitment, made sure that the Volkswagen Group not just stayed on track but is now more robust than ever before. For that, he is due the thanks of the entire Company.”

The new chairman, Dr. Herbert Diess, offers more hope. Diess joined the board in 2015 and is known for having conflicts with the union and for cost-cutting. He may shake up the status quo at VW and inspire real action. The company has aggressive plans, including building greener cars—for real this time.

Image source (VW cover).
Image source (Diess).

Discussion:

• Assess the company's statement about this change. Who are the primary and secondary audiences? What are the communication objectives? How well does the statement meet those objectives?
• Why do these statements typically include positive quotes about outgoing executives, even if they are asked to leave or, as this statement indicates, they leave "by mutual agreement"?
• What lessons do you think Volkswagen learned since the scandal?
• Why would the board appoint someone who is considered divisive?

Howard University Reports on Misappropriated Funds

Howard University's investigation has concluded that $369,000 had been misappropriated by six employees who were terminated last year. A full report by the university identifies how they "double dipped" by receiving both tuition assistance and university grants between 2011 and 2016.

In a cover letter to the report, President Wayne A.I. Frederick wrote, “Howard University is committed to uncovering any impropriety in the administration of university-provided financial aid and federal student aid, to remediating all problems identified during this investigation, and to maintaining a robust compliance program to prevent any inappropriate dealings in the administration of financial aid."

A Washington Post article reports that the university tried to avoid going public before the review was completed, but an article posted online made this impossible. Student protests, which went on for more than a week, also may have sped up the timing.

Image source.

Discussion:

• What business writing principles does the report demonstrate and fail to demonstrate? How could the report be improved?
• Assess the president's cover letter. Who are his primary and secondary audiences, and what are the communication objectives? How well does the letter achieve those objectives?
• What can the university do now to restore trust?
• How well does the university take responsibility for the situation?

Nike Memo Describes Diversity Failings

The head of HR at Nike wrote a memo describing how the company has not lived up to plans to promote women and people of color. Nike has been grappling with complaints about its "boys-club culture," and the memo may have worsened the situation.

When complaints surfaced, Chief Executive Mark Parker said, “When we discover issues, we take action. We are laser-focused on making Nike a more inclusive culture and accelerating diverse representation within our leadership teams."

Weeks later, HR Chief Monique Matheson wrote in the memo that the company wants to “to create a culture of true inclusion. As part of our plan, we need to improve representation of women and people of color.” She also wrote, “While we’ve spoken about this many times, and tried different ways to achieve change, we have failed to gain traction—and our hiring and promotion decisions are not changing senior-level representation as quickly as we have wanted."

Of Nike's 74,000 employees, only 29% of vice presidents are women and, in the U.S., only 16% are nonwhite. In the memo, Matheson also reported that men, women, and people of color earn about the same, although she acknowledged, "We’ve also heard from some of you that this result does not reflect your personal experience" and promised to do more research into pay equity.

Discussion:

• How does the memo reflect both positively and negatively on Nike?
• Should Matheson have avoided putting such information in a memo, knowing that it could be made public? Or, do you think she intended for it to go public?
• How do executives balance internal communication and the possibility of messages being leaked to the press?
• In what ways does this situation demonstrate vulnerability?

Major Retailers Respond to Data Breach

Retailers Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor experienced a data breach affecting about 5 million customers. Hackers JokerStash Syndicate (also known as Fin 7) stole and resold credit and debit card information retrieved during the sales process.

Both companies are owned by Hudson's Bay Co., and we see that their customer messages have been coordinated. On both retailers' websites, text appears at the top of the page in a yellow box. When you click on the "Important Message" link, you see two statements dated one day apart and a list of FAQs.

The second message is below:

April 2, 2018 Statement

Updated Statement

We recently became aware of a data security issue involving customer payment card data at certain Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks OFF 5TH, and Lord & Taylor stores in North America. We identified the issue, took steps to contain it, and believe it no longer poses a risk to customers shopping at our stores. While the investigation is ongoing, there is no indication that this affects our e-commerce or other digital platforms, Hudson's Bay, Home Outfitters, or HBC Europe. We deeply regret any inconvenience or concern this may cause.

We wanted to reach out to our customers quickly to assure them that they will not be liable for fraudulent charges that may result from this matter. Once we have more clarity around the facts, we will notify our customers quickly and will offer those impacted free identity protection services, including credit and web monitoring. We encourage our customers to review their account statements and contact their card issuers immediately if they identify activity or transactions they do not recognize.

We are working rapidly with leading data security investigators to get our customers the information they need, and our investigation is ongoing. We also are coordinating with law enforcement authorities and the payment card companies. For further information, please visit https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/security-information/notice.html, https://www.saksoff5th.com/security-information/notice.html, or https://www.lordandtaylor.com/security-information/notice.html. To speak with a dedicated call center representative, beginning April 4, 2018, you can call 1-855-270-9187, Monday - Saturday, 8 am - 8 pm CT.

Discussion:

• Read the statements on the retailers' websites. Identify the primary and secondary audiences and communication objectives.
• How well do the statements achieve their objectives? What else, if anything, should the companies communicate at this point?
• To what extent are the retailers holding themselves accountable for the breach?

Howard University Responding to Embezzlement

Six student employees were terminated by Howard University for embezzling financial aid funds. The students made up fake scholarships and found other ways to steal what could be more than $1 million.

On Twitter, the student association unleashed its frustration with the university's response. In a statement, President Wayne Frederick expressed empathy for this frustration and for other reactions:

Hearing about the mishandling of funds at the University can be difficult to process. I can also understand how upsetting it is to feel that the University has not communicated with you regarding this incident. The goal established at the onset of this investigation was to conduct it in a confidential manner that ensured a thorough examination of the issues without jeopardizing the integrity of the findings. However, that does not mitigate the sense of mistrust that many students and members of our community feel right now. We understand that and we hear you.

The statement also describes plans for investigating the charges and ends on a positive note.

Discussion:

• The above paragraph from the president's statement raises an interesting conundrum: how do leaders ensure both privacy and transparency? The same issue is relevant to investigating sexual harassment claims. What are your thoughts? How, if at all, is it possible to achieve both?
• Assess the president's statement. Who is the audience, and what are the communication objectives? How is the statement organized? How would you describe the writing style, tone, and so forth?
• How well does the president's statement demonstrate accountability? 

Old and New Email Advice

The Wall Street Journal reports on new research that may improve business professionals' efficiency and reduce stress. We already know some of the email advice, but the article adds nuance to some decisions. For example, most people know to avoid all caps because it looks as though you're yelling. But one study shows that "AND" or "BUT," for example, can "provide emphasis, communicate urgency, or inject humor."

Older advice still stands, for example, to avoid answering too quickly and sending messages after work hours. Obsessively checking one's inbox is still a problem for many people, so closing email applications and scheduling times to check (for example, once every 45 minutes) is a better choice. Otherwise, incoming email interrupts work, and it takes people about a minute to get back to where they were.

The article also warns against using emoticons or emojis when you don't know the receiver well. Readers tend to judge these writers as incompetent. But go ahead and use them for internal communication, particularly within teams of people who know each other well.

New research about timing may help business professionals get the response they want. People respond most quickly to emails earlier in the week and earlier in the day, so sending an email on Monday between 8 am and noon may be a better choice than, say, Friday afternoon.

Image source.

Discussion:

• What are your biggest challenges with email? How have you overcome them?
• As a reader, what, if any, aspects of emails that cause you to judge the intelligence or competence of the sender?

FB Admits Mistakes and Makes Promises

After five days of silence, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is addressing new criticism about privacy issues. Recent reports describe how Cambridge Analytica used data from about 50 million FB users without their permission, possibly to influence voters during the 2016 presidential campaign. Although some users gave permission for their information to be shared, their "friends" didn't, and this gave developers enormous amount of data about people's preferences. In addition, Cambridge claimed it had deleted data in 2014, but new reports indicate it did not.

Now Zuckerberg is visible in the media and has issued a statement that included the company's responsibility and failings: 

We have a responsibility to protect your data, and if we can’t then we don’t deserve to serve you. I’ve been working to understand exactly what happened and how to make sure this doesn’t happen again. The good news is that the most important actions to prevent this from happening again today we have already taken years ago. But we also made mistakes, there’s more to do, and we need to step up and do it.

He also told CNN, "I'm really sorry that this happened." He promised to limit developers' access to data in the future.

Facebook also published a full-page newspaper ad in the New York Times on March 25.

Discussion:

• How does this situation represent issues of integrity and trust?
• Read Zuckerberg's full statement. Which parts do you find most and least convincing?
• How is the statement organized? Is this the best approach, or could other organizational strategies have worked better? 
• Assess Zuckerberg's writing style. Which principles of business writing are followed, and which are not?