Maryland Apologizes for Football Player's Death
University of Maryland at College Park has taken responsibility for mistakes during training that caused a football player's death. During a news conference, President Wallace D. Loh said he met with the student's parents to apologize. After the investigation, Loh concluded:
"The University accepts legal and moral responsibility for the mistakes that our training-staff made on that fateful workout day." And to the parents, "You entrusted Jordan to our care, and he is never returning home again."
Such an admission is unusual and welcome in light of cover-ups and shifting blame.
As a result of this incident, the head coach was placed on leave and another coach, Rick Court, has left the university. Court had been accused of "name calling and other intimidation," according to a Chronicle report.
Some are calling for Loh's resignation as well. Trouble started with the athletics director around the same time. Loh has publicly expressed concerns about how these situations might affect his presidency:
“That’s the sad part,” he said. “I think most presidents have to hold on for dear life. Many, many presidents have not been able to bounce back.”
Discussion:
- In what ways does Loh make himself and the University vulnerable, and how might this work in their favor?
- Did Loh do the right thing? Should he resign?
- Assess Loh's news conference. What does he do well, and what could he improve?
- How well does Loh express compassion during the news conference?
Sacha Baron Cohen: Questions of Ethics and Integrity
Most famous for this Borat movies, Sacha Baron Cohen is at it again. He has a new Showtime series, "Who Is America?," and pranks mostly people with conservative political views. Impersonating something who might favor his target's position, he gets people to make embarrassing statements and do humiliating acts.
On a recent episode, Cohen convinced a gun-rights advocate to bite on a sex toy. (I didn't watch it.) Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was duped recently and wrote a scathing Facebook post, calling Cohen “evil, exploitative and sick." For her interview, Cohen impersonated someone who appeared to Palin to be a disabled war veteran.
His strategy is to make people vulnerable: by impersonating someone who appears to be a person in need or a supporter, he lowers the interviewee's defenses so they are more easily humiliated.
Cohen's stunts remind me that companies send employees to impersonate customers to get competitive data. Or maybe this is a stretch?
Discussion:
- What's your view of Cohen's work: mean, exploitative, demeaning, clever, funny, or something else?
- Now consider his work using two frameworks: ethical decision making and integrity. How do his interviews measure up?
- What about my analogy to getting competitive data? What are the similarities and differences? Have you been asked by a company to use this tactic? Did you comply? Why or why not? It's a common practice.
Men More Likely to Be Called by Surname Only
Multiple studies show that men are more likely than women to be referred to by only their last name, while women are referred to by their full name. We are likely to say "Trump" yet "Theresa May." The studies include references to politicians, teaching faculty, and scientific researchers.
The differences are most striking in the computer science field, in which only 20% of women but almost 50% of men were referred to by last name only.
Trouble comes when, as some of this research confirms, people view those referred to by only their last names as "more famous and eminent, a judgment that could result in more awards, funding, and other career benefits."
This research reminds me of a recent New York Times article that explained how Wimbledon lists women on its board of champions. Before marriage, Chris Evert was listed as "Miss C.M. Evert." After marriage, she became "Mrs. J.M. Lloyd." Announcers refer to "Mrs. Williams," yet Roger Federer is simply "Federer" and listed on the board as "R. Federer," married or not.
Discussion:
- To what would you attribute the difference in how people are referred?
- Have you observed this difference yourself, perhaps in other settings? Consider working environments and Hollywood, for example.
- Do you find this research and the tennis calling significant? Why or why not?
Alaska Airlines Responds to Rogue Employee Takeoff
Without authorization, an employee manned an Alaska Airlines plane, operated by Horizon Air in Seattle, and took off. In audio files from the plane, the employee mentions his experience playing video games and wonders whether the airline will employ him if he lands well. Sadly, he didn't: the plane crashed.
On its website, Alaska Air posted a statement, "Information on Horizon Air Aircraft." Included is a quotation from Alaska Air CEO Brad Tilden including this paragraph:
“We are still gathering facts, but at this point we understand there was only one person aboard, an employee of Horizon Air, who was operating the aircraft. I want to share how incredibly sad all of us at Alaska are about this incident. Our heart is heavy for the family and friends of the person involved."
The Horizon Air CEO also included a statement, and COO Constance von Muehlen created a video.
Discussion:
- Why does Alaska Air title the web page, "Information on the Horizon Air Aircraft"?
- Review the message sequence on Alaska Air's site. How well is the company communicating information about the incident?
- How well do the three executives communicate the news? What, if anything, should they change? What is the value of von Muehlen's video compared to the written statements?
What Is "Dehumanizing" Speech?
The New York Times reports Twitter's struggle to define what constitutes "dehumanizing" speech. Apparently, the only agreement among Twitter's team members is that the decision is "incredibly complex."
Categorization is critical, as the company has a reputation as a sometimes dark place of trolls and harassment. Yet this week, Apple, Facebook, YouTube have expunged content from Alex Jones's Infowars, which is known for spreading misinformation, including that the shooting at Sandy Hook was a hoax. You can imagine how this angered families of lost children.
In a tweet, CEO Jack Dorsey explained Twitter's decision to keep Infowars content, but employees, particularly, have not responded positively.
Twitter is in a difficult spot because, on the other hand, sites have been criticized for censoring conservative views. Del Harvey, the company's VP of Trust and Safety, wrote an email to employees further explaining the company's rationale.
Discussion:
- How would you define "dehumanizing" speech? What character dimensions are involved?
- What persuasive strategies does Harvey use in her email to employees? Which are most and least convincing and why?
- What is your view about Infowars content? Should Twitter remove it from the site as other social media companies have done? How might your own political views factor into your thinking?
Banning Cell Phones
A Wall Street Journal article illustrates the futility of banning cell phones during meetings. Despite research that people aren't nearly as good as multitasking as they think, people can't seem to control themselves.
In a fit of frustration, Jason Brown, the chief executive of Brown, Parker & DeMarinis Advertising, told his staff, "Don’t show up at a meeting with me with your phone. If someone shows up with their phone, it’ll be their last meeting.” But laptops and watches started creeping back, and people were too worried about missing clients trying to get in touch.
New tracking tools are at least making people aware of how much time they're spending on devices. Moment, an iPhone app, and a new Google program for the Android will tell you how much time you spend on your phone every day. With this knowledge, one manager cut his time from four hours to one hour.
Update: The Wall Street Journal reports that France has banned cell phones in schools, kindergarten through ninth grade. The hope is to reduce distractions send a "symbolic message."
Discussion:
- How much time do you spend on your phone and other devices every day? Do you know?
- Do you view phone time as a problem for you? Why or why not?
- Part of the problem is our disconnection to other people. How have you seen this play out in a work or social environment?
Fun Funeral Ads?
Death is inevitable, and we don't like to talk about it. A UK company is trying to change that with "edgy" ads, for example, people running on a beach carrying coffins as surfboards.
The ads are causing a stir. Transport for London, which regulates the city's ads, rejected them as potentially causing “serious and widespread offense," although officials hadn't actually seen the ads. Still, on social media, people referred to the ads as "shocking,” “vile,” “insensitive,” and “tasteless.”
The ads compare burial and cremation prices, and one offers "one-way" travel with "roasting temperatures." The ad company founder defended the approach:
“Our reluctance to talk about death is the reason funeral costs continue to spiral and why you pay far too much for writing a will or settling an estate. That’s what we seek to change.”
Discussion:
- Why do we have a difficult time talking about death?
- How would you describe the ads and the agency's strategy?
- Could the ad strategy bring about a positive change? Will the ads bring in business?
- What if these ads ran in the U.S.? How, if at all, do you think the response might differ?
Open Offices Reduce Communication
Despite wishful thinking for better communication, new research shows that open offices may reduce productivity and decrease face-to-face conversations. Researchers at Harvard found that employees used online tools, such as instant messaging and email, more frequently and reduced their in-person discussions about 72% when open office floor plans were implemented. For the study, employees wore sociometric badges to track their interactions, including audio, motion, and distance.
What accounts for the change? The authors explain, "[R]ather than prompting increasingly vibrant face-to-face collaboration, open architecture appeared to trigger a natural human response to socially withdraw from officemates and interact instead over email and IM."
The study raises issues of certain types of cubicles, which negatively impact our need for privacy and cause distractions. Instead of open offices, the authors suggest communal lunch tables and simultaneous coffee breaks to increase socialization.
Discussion:
- What's your reaction to this study: obvious, interesting, or something else?
- What has been your experience with open office floor plans? How did the design affect your work and interactions?
- What other ideas do you have for increasing face-to-face communication at work?
CEO Activism
Weber Shandwick's third annual report explores CEO activism, which Brian Moynihan, CEO Bank of America, defines and supports:
“Our jobs as CEOs now include driving what we think is right. It’s not exactly political activism, but it is action on issues beyond business.”
The report found that almost half of Americans "believe CEO activism influences the decisions and actions of government," and almost half of consumers "would be more likely to buy from a company led by a CEO who speaks out on an issue they agree with." Millennials, particularly, prefer CEOs to speak out on issues, and CEOs with more social media accounts have better stock performance for their company.
A Wall Journal Street writer observes that leaders rarely make a business case for issues, even if their company would benefit. Instead, they are speaking to consumers directly to change hearts and minds.
Top issues for CEOs include training, equal pay and sexual harassment, and CEOs are avoiding gun control, nationalism, marijuana legalization, and abortion."
A Forbes article offers this advice for CEOs:
- Develop an authentic voice and quick actions
- Connect your customers with your activism efforts
- Align activism efforts with a company’s mission
- Be willing to act against your own self-interest
Discussion:
- What are the risks and rewards of activism to a CEO and to the company? How does integrity factor in?
- What examples have you seen of CEOs speaking out? How do you assess the situations? How did you feel about the gestures?
- Read the Weber PPT deck. What principles of business report writing are followed, and what could be improved?
More Research Support for Gratitude
New research, once again, illustrates the value of writing thank-you letters. A recent study shows that senders underestimate the impact of sending a letter of gratitude, which prevents them from writing one. People also worry that letters will be scrutinized and that receivers will feel awkward, but none of these perceptions align with the reality.
In their study, Amit Kumar and Nicholas Epley, at the University of Chicago, compared how "expressers" felt about writing a letter with how people felt receiving them. Receivers felt more surprised about receiving the letters and about the content, more positive, and less awkward than the senders thought they would be. Most expressers spent less than five minutes writing a letter.
Understandably, writers in the study doubted their own competence. Participants answered questions such as, “To what extent were you able to express your gratitude using words that were just right?” and “After your recipient reads your letter, how articulate do you believe they will think your expression of gratitude is?” People who received messages rated senders as more competent than senders rated themselves.
This study builds on Kumar's earlier work showing that reflecting on experiences rather than on material goods makes people feel better and act more generously toward others.
Discussion:
- Have you sent a letter of gratitude in the past couple of years? What inspired you to send it? How was it received?
- Have you thought about sending a letter but did not? What stopped you? Do the findings in this study encourage you now? The authors hope so!
When an Online Conversation Goes Bad
A new Cornell University study identifies a framework for determining when online discussions will turn ugly. By analyzing conversations between Wikipedia editors, the research team developed a computer model to predict, with 65% accuracy, when interactions would become "toxic."
People can identify these discussions with 72% accuracy. You can test whether you can identify which conversations will turn into personal attacks using an online tool.
The model analyzed politeness and other rhetorical strategies, for example, editors' use of "please," expressions of gratitude, and fact-checking. When editors used more direct questions and "you," conversations were more likely to go awry.
Discussion:
- How did you do on the online quiz? What did you learn from the experience?
- What is the value of this research? Consider social media sites such as Twitter. How could the model be used, and what are the potential positive and negative consequences?
Airline CEOs Defend Seat Size
American and Delta Airlines CEOs sit in small plane seats to explain the rationale and defend shrinking seat sizes. Doug Parker and Ed Bastian, both 6' 3" tall, agreed to talk to a WSJ writer, while United CEO Oscar Munoz declined.
Both CEOs say they fly coach for short trips. Bastian started a policy that Delta directors must fly coach when traveling less than three hours. Of course, as the article points out, suffering three hours in a small seat isn't quite the same as 24.
The executives say that flight amenities, such as WiFi, make up for any discomfort from smaller seats. American's Parker says that customers don't complain and that the airline hasn't "done anything that makes the main cabin product less desirable than it was before." The airlines are also focused on providing larger seats for higher fares.
Another WSJ article explains what airlines consider when making seats comfortable.
Discussion:
- How does this story illustrate character dimensions such as compassion, vulnerability, and humility?
- Did the CEOs do the right thing by agreeing to participate in the article? What are the risks and benefits?
- Why would United CEO Oscar Munoz decline? Was this the right decision for him and the airline?
- What persuasion tactics do the CEOs use to convince us that flying coach is not so bad?
- Do you agree with the CEOs' assessments about small seats? What has been your experience?
Professor Fakes Offer Letter
To negotiate for a higher salary, a Colorado State University faculty member invented an offer letter from another university. At first, Brian R. McNaughton was successful: he received an additional $5,000. But the university eventually found out the truth.
McNaughton resigned and now faces criminal charges for his actions. In a long letter, he cited personal pressure and other faculty submitting fake offers for increases in salary, but the university denies this history.
A Fast Company article offers advice for whether to use this approach to negotiate for more money. Of course, the article doesn't recommend faking another offer. Still, even presenting real offers is complicated and risky.
Discussion:
- What do you see as the possible complications and risks associated with presenting your current employer with another offer?
- Consider using another offer during the recruiting process. What should you consider before you use this tactic?
Papa John's Founder Resigns
Papa John's founder and chairman John Schnatter resigned after using the "N-word" on a conference call. This may have been the last straw for the executive, who sparked controversy about NFL players "taking a knee" during the national anthem. Schnatter blamed league players and leadership for declining viewership he linked to declining pizza sales. Muddying the issue, Schnatter won unwanted support from some neo-Nazis.
This incident involved Laundry Service, a marketing firm that was helping Schnatter navigate future PR crises. During a role play, Schnatter said, “Colonel Sanders called blacks n-----s." His point was that the KFC chairman didn't face any backlash. A Forbes article details more of the conversation:
"Schnatter also reflected on his early life in Indiana, where, he said, people used to drag African-Americans from trucks until they died. He apparently intended for the remarks to convey his antipathy to racism, but multiple individuals on the call found them to be offensive, a source familiar with the matter said. After learning about the incident, Laundry Service owner Casey Wasserman moved to terminate the company’s contract with Papa John’s."
In a statement, Schnatter apologized:
"News reports attributing the use of inappropriate and hurtful language to me during a media training session regarding race are true. Regardless of the context, I apologize. Simply stated, racism has no place in our society."
Discussion:
- A Netflix executive resigned after a similar situation. What differences do you see in these two situations, and do they matter in terms of the resulting resignations?
- Papa John's next challenge is how to distance itself from Schnatter, whose face is on the pizza boxes. Should the image be removed? Why or why not?
Women Run "As Themselves"
After years of female politicians running for office in the pantsuit uniform, we're seeing newcomers present themselves more authentically. Women on the campaign trail are wearing skinny jeans and sweaters and talk openly about their children, mental illness, and credit card debt. A New York Times article describes their approach as "vulnerability that campaign consultants have long told women to avoid."
A 29-year-old Democratic candidate for Congress says the race is "so dang personal to me," and "It's personal" is a tagline for her commercials. Other examples are showing tattoos, wearing natural hair styles, and discussing a divorce.
A 2017 study, "Modern Family: How Women Candidates Can Talk About Politics, Parenting, and Their Personal Lives," confirms the approach. Comparing tested images, the study authors conclude, "Images [should] work strike the right balance of authenticity, formality, and the interaction between the candidate and the child." According to the findings, the image on the left side "works" but the image on the right doesn't: "Images that don’t work fail because they look too staged, are too casual, and either center the child too much, or seem like the candidate is ignoring the child."
Discussion:
- How might this approach relate to our current political environment and the MeToo Movement?
- What are the potential downsides for women using this approach on the campaign trail?
- How does this story related to women leaders in business?
- Which business writing principles of report writing does the report follow? Analyze the report organization, content, and writing style.
Report Concludes that Amazon Is "Delivering Hate"
A scathing report accuses Amazon of spreading hate in the form of white supremacist and racist material. The report, published by Partnership for Working Families and the Action Center on Race and the Economy, cited books, clothing, jewelry, and other items for sale. Listings include Nazi memorabilia, references to lynching, and Confederate flags, for example, a baby's onesie with a burning cross and a noose decal.
The report authors argue that, although Amazon has policies in place to prevent the sale of "products that promote or glorify hatred, violence, racial, sexual or religious intolerance or promote organizations with such views," the company acts too slowly or not at all to remove such items.
Danielle Citron, a professor at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law, said that Amazon hasn't been criticized as much as Twitter and Facebook have been.
Discussion:
- The law professor acknowledged that Amazon wouldn't be held liable. What do you think is the company's responsibility?
- What's the danger of both too little and too much oversight of item listings?
- Analyze the report: audience, objectives, organization, writing style, and so on? Which business report writing principles are followed, and what could be improved?
Analyzing Soccer Players' Body Language
Why do soccer players put their hands on their heads when they mess up, a common and seemingly universally gesture. According to Jessica Tracy, professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, it's an example of vulnerability:
“It’s going to tell others, ‘I get it and I’m sorry, therefore you don’t have to kick me out of the group, you don’t have to kill me.’”
Tracy also describes the connection between the gesture and shame:
“You have the head in the hands — that’s shame. You have the constriction of the body, in the way that the player is moving his arms around his head, almost to make himself smaller. Those are very classical shame display elements.”
In his book, The Soccer Tribe, zoologist Desmond Morris analyzes more aspects of soccer behavior.
Discussion:
- In what ways does the gesture illustrate the value of vulnerability? What do you see as the relationship between shame and vulnerability?
- What other behaviors have you observed in athletes? What do you think they mean?
- How does this story relate to body language in business settings? What gestures have you noticed in a work environment?
Communicating Strategy at HBO
A New York Times article gives us a window into how leaders are telling employees about the future of HBO. The article describes a town hall meeting John Stankey, an AT&T executive, held for about 150 employees. When AT&T acquired Time Warner in 2016, HBO was part of the deal, so employees are likely anxious to know the company's plans. The Times article describes the meeting as "a straight-shooting, hourlong talk."
Stankey communicated a clear theme throughout his talk: increasing viewer engagement:
We need hours a day. It’s not hours a week, and it’s not hours a month. We need hours a day. You are competing with devices that sit in people’s hands that capture their attention every 15 minutes.
Perhaps understandably, the talk may have included some contradictions. Here are two subsequent paragraphs in the Times article:
They pledged to take a hands-off approach to the company’s crown jewel, HBO, which has won endless Emmys while generating billions in profits.
But the town hall meeting suggested that AT&T would not be a passive corporate parent.
Attempting to quell employees' fears about layoffs, Stankey noted the lack of duplication between HBO and AT&T.
Discussion:
- How do you explain the two statements above? How might HBO employees perceive the talk?
- Read more in the article. What else strikes you as important from an employee perspective?
- Overall, how transparent would you describe the executive's approach?
- What are the advantages and drawbacks of a town hall meeting? What other communication channels would be helpful during an acquisition?
Scott Pruitt Resigns
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Scott Pruitt resigned after months of accusations of overspending and other ethical issues. Questions about Pruitt's judgment involved expensive travel, getting a job for his wife, and underpaying for an apartment.
President Trump had supported Pruitt, but the controversy may have reached a tipping point. Discovery of secret calendars could have been the last straw. A whistleblower said Pruitt kept three different calendars to hide meetings.
In his resignation letter to the president, Pruitt referred to "unrelenting attacks on me personally, [sic] my family, are unprecedented and have taken a sizable toll on all of us." In a tweet, President Trump was gracious and complimentary.
Discussion:
- If you're familiar with Pruitt's history in the position, which of his alleged ethical lapses do you consider more serious? Which are less serious?
- On balance, do you agree with Pruitt that he was attacked? How might your own political views affect your perspective?
- Did he do the right thing by resigning? Why or why not?
- How does Pruitt's resignation letter differ from resignation letters written for corporate jobs?
Before You Hit Delete: How to Respond to Emails You Want to Ignore
Students know how it feels: you spend hours crafting the perfect email—and then nothing. You refresh and refresh, check on your phone, laptop, and desktop. We know how it feels, so why don’t people respond to emails? Here are three common reasons and suggested responses for each. Sometimes having the language helps, and of course, these can be adjusted to the situation and for your own style.
Inappropriate or Untimely Request
- Thanks for the email, but this isn’t really my area of interest [or expertise]. I hope you find someone else to help.
- Thanks for reaching out, but I’m not the right person for this because . . .
- This sounds like a great idea, but I’m fully committed at this point. Best of luck on the project.
- Can this possibly wait until September when I’ll have more time to focus on this?
Obvious or Annoying Question
- May I suggest that you look at the policy for this information? [Add a link.]
- I’m not sure I understand your question. Can you please clarify how I can help?
- From my point of view, we already covered this when we talked on Thursday. I’m not sure how else to clarify my thinking on this.
- I’m forwarding your email to . . . who can better address your question.
Overwhelming Request or Question
- This is a lot! Could we schedule a quick call to discuss?
- I’m having trouble digesting all of this. Can you please send back a few bullets that I can respond to?
- The short answer to your question is . . . If you need more from me, can you please be more specific about how I can help?
- I can answer some of this . . . For your other questions, I suggest trying . . .
Admittedly, all of these responses require some engagement, but we respond to emails for good reasons: to demonstrate respect, to educate, and for reciprocity. I would argue that replying is “the right thing to do”—and a brief response requires very little from us to be good corporate citizens.
Discussion:
- When have you written an email that was ignored? Why do you think the person didn't respond, and how did you feel? Could you have done anything differently to get a response?
- When have you ignored an email? Why didn't you respond?
- Do you agree that responding is the "right thing to do"? Why or why not? When, if ever, is it acceptable to ignore an email?
- What leadership character dimensions may be lacking when people don't respond to emails?