Southwest Faces Customer Service Criticism
Despite trading on the NY Stock Exchange under “LUV,” Southwest is taking some heat from customers because of the Boeing 737 MAX plane groundings. According to a USA Today report, customers says Southwest didn’t handle rebookings well:
They're peeved about Southwest's handling of passenger rebookings, especially last-minute flight cancellations that leave them with few options. And they're perplexed by Southwest's uncharacteristic lack of flexibility, with affected passengers given two options: take the alternate flight, even if it's days later or to a different airport, or get a refund.
Our first clue about problems came with Southwest’s first statement about the plane groundings. Little guidance was offered for customers to rebook. The first three comments on a Southwest message posted on March 13 illustrate the problem.
A Southwest spokesman said it’s a challenging situation—like a snow storm that lasts for many weeks—and claimed that the airline did everything it could, including offering "massive flexibility'.'
Discussion:
Southwest could not have prevented the Boeing 737 MAX disaster, but what about its own customer service situation? What, if anything, could company leaders have done differently?
How should Southwest react to customers’ complaints now? I see nothing on its website or blog.
Boeing System at Fault
According to investigators, the flight-control system caused trouble before the Boeing 737 MAX crash in Ethiopia. The report also concluded that pilots followed procedures and did nothing wrong.
On its website, Boeing posted a video and statement of CEO Dennis Muilenburg’s apology.
April, 4, 2019
We at Boeing are sorry for the lives lost in the recent 737 MAX accidents. These tragedies continue to weigh heavily on our hearts and minds, and we extend our sympathies to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. All of us feel the immense gravity of these events across our company and recognize the devastation of the families and friends of the loved ones who perished.
The full details of what happened in the two accidents will be issued by the government authorities in the final reports, but, with the release of the preliminary report of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accident investigation, it’s apparent that in both flights the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, known as MCAS, activated in response to erroneous angle of attack information.
The history of our industry shows most accidents are caused by a chain of events. This again is the case here, and we know we can break one of those chain links in these two accidents. As pilots have told us, erroneous activation of the MCAS function can add to what is already a high workload environment. It’s our responsibility to eliminate this risk. We own it and we know how to do it.
From the days immediately following the Lion Air accident, we’ve had teams of our top engineers and technical experts working tirelessly in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration and our customers to finalize and implement a software update that will ensure accidents like that of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 never happen again.
We’re taking a comprehensive, disciplined approach, and taking the time, to get the software update right. We’re nearing completion and anticipate its certification and implementation on the 737 MAX fleet worldwide in the weeks ahead. We regret the impact the grounding has had on our airline customers and their passengers.
This update, along with the associated training and additional educational materials that pilots want in the wake of these accidents, will eliminate the possibility of unintended MCAS activation and prevent an MCAS-related accident from ever happening again.
We at Boeing take the responsibility to build and deliver airplanes to our airline customers and to the flying public that are safe to fly, and can be safely flown by every single one of the professional and dedicated pilots all around the world. This is what we do at Boeing.
We remain confident in the fundamental safety of the 737 MAX. All who fly on it—the passengers, flight attendants and pilots, including our own families and friends—deserve our best. When the MAX returns to the skies with the software changes to the MCAS function, it will be among the safest airplanes ever to fly.
We’ve always been relentlessly focused on safety and always will be. It’s at the very core of who we are at Boeing. And we know we can always be better. Our team is determined to keep improving on safety in partnership with the global aerospace industry and broader community. It’s this shared sense of responsibility for the safety of flight that spans and binds us all together.
I cannot remember a more heart-wrenching time in my career with this great company. When I started at Boeing more than three decades ago, our amazing people inspired me. I see how they dedicate their lives and extraordinary talents to connect, protect, explore and inspire the world — safely. And that purpose and mission has only grown stronger over the years.
We know lives depend on the work we do and that demands the utmost integrity and excellence in how we do it. With a deep sense of duty, we embrace the responsibility of designing, building and supporting the safest airplanes in the skies. We know every person who steps aboard one of our airplanes places their trust in us.
Together, we’ll do everything possible to earn and re-earn that trust and confidence from our customers and the flying public in the weeks and months ahead.
Again, we’re deeply saddened by and are sorry for the pain these accidents have caused worldwide. Everyone affected has our deepest sympathies.
Dennis Muilenburg
Chairman, President & CEO
The Boeing Company
Discussion:
Analyze Boeing’s communications so far. After the report was published, who were the primary and secondary audiences for these messages? What are the company’s communication objectives, and to what extent were they achieved?
What’s your view of the timing? Should the CEO have communicated via video and statement earlier or wait, as he did, for the investigation report results to be published?
What leadership character dimensions are demonstrated by this situation?
Fewer Men Wear Suits
Mens’ wardrobes are getting more casual, with khakis, sports jackets, jeans, and even stretch fabrics more the norm. Retailers like Jos. A. Banks and Tailored Brands are struggling to keep up. A Wall Street Journal article quotes the chairman of Tailored Brands
We have just not kept pace with an evolving customer,” Tailored Brands Chairman Dinesh Lathi told analysts earlier this month, adding that the company was in the “earliest stages” of trying to find the right balance between suits and more casual attire.
With diversity increasingly valued at work, people want to express themselves, and employers are giving them permission to do so.
Group image source. Individual image source.
Discussion:
How do clothes reflect your authenticity—who you are?
What would you wear to an interview with a company where people regularly wear jeans?
Should retailers have been smarter about predicting customer preferences, or is this trend too difficult to assess?
FreshDirect Message to Customers
FreshDirect sent an email to customers in Westchester County, NY, describing new products and services. This is an example of a positive message—and is a good break from the mistakes, apologies, and tragedies over the past couple of weeks.
Dear Laura,
Everything we do at FreshDirect is driven by our mission of making the best-tasting, freshest food easy to get for you, our valued customers. We know that you care deeply about feeding your family the very best food and to make that easier than ever before we're announcing a series of new service enhancements that will provide you with an even better shopping experience.
We work around YOUR schedule
Starting March 25, we will offer SAME DAY DELIVERY which enables you to place an order up to 10am, for delivery starting at 5pm the same day. Same day deliveries are also included for free in your DeliveryPass.
We are extending the cut-off time in your area to 9pm, allowing you to edit and place your order further into the evening, for deliveries starting 7am or later the next day.
We have added significantly more availability to delivery time slots. In fact, if there is a specific delivery time slot that you want that is full, simply call 1 (866) 283-7374 or visit FreshDirect.com to chat with a customer service agent, and we will open one up for you – either in that specific window, or the window immediately before or after.
When we say we'll be there on time, we'll be there on time
We have significantly expanded both our delivery fleet and team, so you can count on us to ALWAYS deliver your food on time.
We are so confident in our delivery team that if you ever need to contact us about a late delivery, we will credit the delivery fee for that order AND your next order. For DeliveryPass customers we'll extend your DeliveryPass for TWO weeks.
We have a growing selection of the very best food
We have added over 400 new items to our offering over the last 2 months.
We are adding hundreds of high-quality, specially-sourced new items every month during the spring and summer. In the next month alone, we will be adding your most requested brands like Spindrift, Caulipower and Pampers Pure.
Our team of chefs has been busy creating exciting meal solutions including ready-to-heat entrees, meal kits, salads & grain bowls, fresh bakery goods and more, with 5-10 new items available every month. As always, we're committed to sourcing the cleanest possible ingredients for you and your family.
We guarantee our freshness
Our new state-of-the-art home enables us to consistently offer and deliver the highest quality food. We believe so strongly in the quality of our food that we're offering a 100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE – if you receive anything from us that doesn't live up to your expectations, we will refund you or redeliver the same day, no questions asked.
We make it right for you
Mistakes happen, and when they do, we want the opportunity to go above and beyond in showing you how much we value you. If an item is missing or damaged, or you are unhappy with the quality of something, we will of course provide a refund, but what we really strive to do instead is get a perfect replacement product back to you that same day. Just call 1 (866) 283-7374 or visit FreshDirect.com to chat with our customer service team and they'll take care of it.
We empower our customer service team to go above and beyond to fix any issues you may face, but there are rare occasions when customer service may not be able to resolve things to your total satisfaction. I still want the opportunity to make that right. Please reach out to me at david@freshdirect.com and we'll swarm the issue to quickly find a way to make you happy.
Finally, we want to invite you to a behind-the-scenes tour of our new headquarters, which may be the most amazing food hive in the world. On the tour you'll get to meet our team of food experts, see how your orders come together, and sample some of the best food and drink we have to offer. You'll be hearing more from me about this opportunity to visit us and how to sign up in the coming weeks, but to whet your appetite, here is a short video of a similar event that we recently hosted.
We hope you found this information valuable and we look forward to providing the very best food to you and your family for years to come.
Sincerely,
David McInerney
CEO & Co-Founder of FreshDirect
Discussion:
Analyze the message. Who are the primary and secondary audiences? What are the communication objectives? How is the email organized? What is the writing style? How would you describe the tone?
What business writing principles are followed?
What works best about the message, and what would you suggest that the CEO change?
In what ways does this message illustrate integrity?
New Zealand Announces Weapons Ban
Following a shooting at a mosque in Christchurch that left 50 people dead, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a ban on certain types of weapons:
“Today, I’m announcing New Zealand will ban all military-style semiautomatic weapons. We will also ban all assault rifles. We will ban all high-capacity magazines. We will ban all parts with the ability to convert semiautomatic or any other type of firearm into a military-style semiautomatic weapon. We will ban parts that cause a firearm to generate semiautomatic, automatic or close-to-automatic gunfire,” she added. “In short, every semiautomatic weapon used in the terror attack on Friday will be banned in this country.”
She said the decision would accomplish one goal: “to prevent an act of terror from happening in our country ever again.” In a press conference three days prior, the prime minister had promised that the Cabinet planned to take action.
The New York Times compares the process for buying a gun in 16 countries, showing the United States as having the fewest steps.
Discussion:
What’s your view of the decision and how Prime Minister Arden communicated it to the public?
What leadership character dimensions does the Prime Minister demonstrate in this situation?
Watch Prime Minister Arden’s press conference and one or two others. How would you describe her delivery style?
Southwest Responds to Boeing 737 Grounding
Southwest sent an email to customers about the grounding of Boeing 737 planes following two crashes.
The message, which is also posted on the Southwest website, expresses sympathy for the lives lost and emphasizes safety as the top priority, yet touts the 737. What remains unclear is the effect on passengers. At the end of the website, Southwest could be clearer about what passengers should do now:
I realize this disruption will inconvenience our Customers during this busy spring travel season, and we will do everything in our power to mitigate the impact to our operation. For that, I offer my sincere apologies. To support our Customers, we are offering flexible rebooking policies for any Customer booked on a canceled flight.
Nothing is more sacred to all of our Southwest Family Members than the trust our Customers place in our airline every day, on every flight. You have our commitment to minimize the disruptions to our Customers’ travel plans, while adhering to the FAA’s requirements and ensuring the Safety of our fleet.
Southwest may have received feedback because additional text is included in a box at the bottom of the page:
Until further notice, you will not be traveling on a 737 MAX 8. Our goal is to operate our schedule with every available aircraft in our fleet to meet our Customers’ expectations during the busy spring travel season.
Due to high call volumes and extended hold times, we strongly encourage Customers to check their flight status at Southwest.com.
For more information, see the 737 MAX 8 Travel Advisory.
The last link, the 737 MAX 8 Travel Advisory, doesn’t seem to clarify. The company was also criticized for the image on “A message from our CEO.”
Discussion:
Analyze the Southwest messages. Who are the primary and secondary audiences, and what are the communication objectives? Assess the organization and writing style.
How could Southwest improve its communication to customers? Do you agree that the messages for affected customers could be clearer? For example, how do they know whether they’re booked on a 737, and what should they do if they are?
In Southwest’s later messages, the woman’s image is omitted. Should Gary Kelly’s photo be placed there instead? Why or why not?
OurBus Handles a Mistake with Humor
OurBus sent an email with a link that wasn’t yet working and quickly corrected the mistake with some fun. The company offered a $7 discount for rides booked on St. Patrick’s Day and corrected the link with the subject line, “Our Bad. That code doesn't quite work yet...”
In the first email, the date is clearly March 17, but the subject line, “It's your lucky day. Our flash sale starts NOW,” is certainly deceiving.
Discussion:
Assess the second message from OurBus. How well did the company handle the situation? What changes would you suggest? (Hint: alignment.)
Are people still saying “my bad”? Did they intend to play on “OurBus” with “Our bad”? If so, would it have been better to write, “OurBad”?
Which leadership character dimensions does this situation illustrate?
College Admissions Bribery Scheme
The U.S. Justice Department has charged college coaches, exam administrators, and parents with scheming to get kids into elite universities, such as Yale, Stanford, USC, Georgetown, and University of Texas at Austin.
The complaint names 32 defendants and charges them with conspiring to do the following:
(1) to bribe college entrance exam administrators to facilitate cheating on college entrance exams
(2) to bribe varsity coaches and administrators at elite universities to designate certain applicants as recruited athletes or as other favored candidates, thereby facilitating the applicants’ admission to those universities
(3) to use the façade of a charitable organization to conceal the nature and source of the bribe payments.
William Rick Singer founded Edge College & Career Network, also known as “The Key,” which facilitated these schemes. A cooperating witness submitted phone transcripts and described how the organization works:
What we do is we help the wealthiest families in the U.S. get their kids into school … They want guarantees, they want this thing done. They don’t want to be messing around with this thing. And so they want in at certain schools. So I did what I would call, “side doors.” There is a front door which means you get in on your own. The back door is through institutional advancement, which is 10 times as much money. And I’ve created this side door in. Because the back door, when you go through institutional advancement, as you know, everybody’s got a friend of a friend, who knows somebody who knows somebody, but there’s no guarantee. They’re just gonna give you a second look. My families want a guarantee.
Some schools have posted statements on their websites. Compare statements from USC, Yale, and Stanford.
Discussion:
This situation illustrates the failing of which leadership character dimensions?
Compare the schools’ responses. What are the communication objectives? What differences do see in the messages, and how do you account for them? Which statements work best?
Another Boeing Plane Disaster
The same model Boeing plane that crashed in Indonesia last month has crashed on its way to Nairobi. Although U.S. Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the Boeing 737 MAX Jet is safe, several airlines have grounded the planes. Other groups, such as the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, have called for an investigation: “While it is important that we not draw conclusions without all of the facts, in the wake of a second accident, regulators, manufacturers and airlines must take steps to address concerns immediately.” American Airlines will continue to fly the planes. A spokesperson for the pilot union said, it is “very early, but we are watching it very, very closely.” Norweigan Air has grounded the planes based on advice from European Aviation Group, and the UK has banned the model from its airspace.
With 40% of the planes out of service, Boeing is taking a financial and public relations hit. In a message to employees, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg wrote, “We are confident in the safety of the 737 MAX and in the work of the men and women who design and build it.” He also wrote, “Since its certification and entry into service, the MAX family has completed hundreds of thousands of flights safely.”
Boeing’s website statement expresses condolences and describes plans for a software enhancement.
Discussion:
How much evidence is enough to determine whether to ground planes? What is the logical fallacy to be avoided?
How well is Boeing handling the communication? Consider both internal and external messages. What are Muilenburg’s challenges at this point?
Alex Trebek Announces Bad News
Alex Trebek, the longtime host of “Jeopardy!” announced that he has pancreatic cancer. Since 1984, Trebek has been almost synonymous with the TV show, and now his Stage 4 diagnosis is casting doubt on the show’s future.
In a video, Trebek, announced the news with optimism and some humor, referencing his three-year contract. Unfortunately, the prognosis for pancreatic cancer is very poor. The ten-year survival rate is only one percent—the lowest rate of any cancer. Steve Jobs died of pancreatic cancer in 2011.
Discussion:
Assess Trebek’s video announcement. How does he convey the bad news and display emotional appeal?
Did he do the right thing by announcing the news himself? Why or why not? How do the show and network benefit, and what are the downsides?
What leadership character dimensions does Trebek demonstrate?
Assess the cancer survival rate chart. What principles of business communication does the designer follow, and how could it be improved?
Equifax and Marriott CEOs Testify About Security Breaches
U.S. Senators grilled Equifax and Marriott CEOs about data breaches at the companies in the past two years. Equifax CEO Mark Begor responded to questions following a Senate subcommittee report titled, “How Equifax Neglected Cybersecurity and Suffered a Devastating Data Breach.” The report concludes an investigation of the 2017 breach of 143 million customers’ personal data and accuses the company of not prioritizing security, not following its own patching policies, failing to notify the public in a timely manner, and more.
Begor defended the company and blamed the increasing sophistication of hackers:
“These attacks are no longer just a hacker in the basement attempting to penetrate a company’s security perimeter, but instead are carried out by increasingly sophisticated criminal rings or, even more challenging, well-funded nation-state actors or military arms of nation-states.”
But Senators pointed out that credit company competitors Experian and TransUnion have managed to avoid similar attacks.
The Marriott breach affected 83 million guests of Starwood, which Marriott acquired after the breach took place. Compared to the Equifax situation, Marriott got a pass from senators, such as Tom Carper of Delaware, who said, “The data breach announced by Marriott this past November does not appear to have been caused by the same cultural indifference to cybersecurity the record indicates existed at Equifax. Rather, it looks like Marriott inherited this breach from Starwood.”
Marriott has been consistent in blaming Starwood for the issue, wanting to preserve the brand. In his testimony, CEO Arne Sorenson reinforced the company separation:
“We conducted an assessment on integrating the two systems, although this inquiry was legally and practically limited by the fact that until the merger closed, Starwood remained a direct competitor.”
Here is Sorenson interviewed on CNBC:
Discussion:
Watch some of the testimony. How well did each CEO handle the Senators’ questions?
Assess Sorenson’s appearance on CNBC. What did he do to try to rebuild the company’s image? What persuasive strategies did he use?
Review the subcommittee’s report on the Equifax breach. How is the report organized? How would you describe the writing style and tone? What suggestions would you have for the authors to improve readability?
From your perspective, what leadership character dimensions do the CEO illustrate or fail to illustrate?
Measles: Evaluating Evidence
The news about a resurgence of measles raises interesting questions about how we evaluate evidence. About a dozen years ago, a small study alarmed parents and caregivers that the measles vaccine may cause autism. Since then, several large-scale studies have debunked that theory, and the article was retracted.
But the damage was done—and it lingers. A few hold-outs still believe the vaccine may be dangerous, and so they do not have their children vaccinated.
Recently, about 100 measles cases have emerged in the U.S., and once again, the evidence is up for evaluation. How are people convinced? What makes people change their minds?
In his book Factfulness, Hans Rosling offers this advice:
[I]f you are skeptical about the measles vaccination, I ask you to do two things. First, make sure you know what it looks like when a child dies from measles. Most children who catch measles recover, but there is still no cure and even with the best modern medicine, one or two in every thousand will die of it. Second, ask yourself, “What kind of evidence would convince me to change my mind?” If the answer is “no evidence could ever change my mind about vaccination,” then you are putting yourself outside evidence-based rationality, outside the very critical thinking that first brought you to this point. In that case, to be consistent in your skepticism about science, next time you have an operation, please ask your surgeon not to bother washing her hands.
Along these lines, a Medium article, The Falsification Mindset, suggests ways for us to change our opinions. The author encourages us to consider what evidence we would need in order to change our minds. This process is particularly useful because we more typically look for reasons to continue believing what we believe—confirmation bias.
Discussion:
What examples can you identify of when you have experienced confirmation bias. In retrospect, could you have avoided the bias to make a better decision or to have a more accurate view?
What’s your view of the measles vaccination? How did you form this opinion? How has it changed over time?
Identify a belief. What evidence would you need to think differently?
How is humility relevant to this situation?
Open Letter to Amazon
After Amazon’s failed move to Long Island City, Queens, local executives, lawmakers, and others signed an open letter asking Amazon to reconsider. The letter focuses on the benefits NYC would gain from having Amazon, particularly 25,000 new jobs.
Also appearing as a full-page ad in the New York Times, the letter includes some emotional appeal about New Yorkers’ “charm” and acknowledges difficulties in getting community support for the project. Not until the last paragraph do we see a shift from New York to Amazon and how the company would benefit from building in Long Island City.
Discussion:
What principles of persuasion does the letter illustrate?
How could the letter be improved?
What leadership dimensions are illustrated? Which may be lacking?
HBO CEO Departs
HBO CEO Richard Plepler is leaving the company. His announcement came shortly after HBO’s chair of the board spoke with the WarnerMedia CEO about possibly taking over HBO and Turner.
Here is Plepler’s email to employees:
My dad always gave the best advice. Whenever there was a difficult decision to make, he counseled that since no one could ever have perfect visibility into the future, the best thing you could do was trust your instincts. It has been a touchstone for me throughout my life, and I have found myself returning to it again recently as I think about what is an inflection point in the life of this wonderful company. Hard as it is to think about leaving the company I love, and the people I love in it, it is the right time for me to do so.
In the past weeks, I’ve thought a lot about the incredible journey of this company in the nearly 28 years that I have been blessed to be here. It’s a journey of great pride and accomplishment because so many of you, and many others before us, have made HBO a cultural and business phenomenon. Thanks to all of you, we are today churning on all cylinders both creatively and as a business. Thanks to all of you, I can move on to the next chapter of my life knowing that the best team in the industry remains here to carry on our continued progress and success. As I have said before, this is the team of teams.
It has been the great joy of my professional life to share this ride with you over these many years. And the great honor of my professional life to be your CEO. I don’t have the words to express my gratitude for the support and talent that made our success together possible. But suffice it to say, my love for this place, and for all of you, is deeply a part of me and will last a lifetime. I look forward over the coming weeks to thanking as many of you as I can for the thousands of contributions big and small that have made “this thing of ours,” to quote Tony Soprano, so special. I have told John, who has been nothing but gracious since we spoke, that I would work closely with him to assure a seamless and organic transition.
We’ve created a great and unique enterprise and I know that you will protect its legacy and do all to enhance its future in the years to come.
Know that I will always be cheering loudly, even when I am outside this building, as HBO continues to thrive.
With respect, admiration, and gratitude,
Richard
Discussion:
Assess Plepler’s email. Who are his primary and secondary audiences? What are his communication objectives?
What principles of business communication does Plepler follow, and how could he improve the email?
What, if anything, does he give as the reason for his decision? Should he say more about this? Why or why not?
What leadership character dimensions are illustrated by his email?
Instacart Tries to Make Things Right
Criticized for underpaying shoppers, personal grocery delivery company Instacart is changing its compensation model. Personal shoppers were always paid a minimum for orders, but the company had started including tips in that minimum amount. The company admitted to paying only 80 cents in some cases for someone to pick and deliver a batch of groceries. In a petition, personal shoppers claimed that “customers' tips are essentially being paid to Instacart rather than to the workers ourselves.”
In a blog post, Instacart CEO Apoorva Mehta admits “clearly we haven’t always gotten it right.” He announced policy changes to ensure the following:
Tips should always be separate from Instacart’s contribution to shopper compensation
All batches will have a higher guaranteed compensation floor for shoppers, paid for by Instacart
Instacart will retroactively compensate shoppers when tips were included in minimums
Discussion:
Read Mehta’s entire blog post. What principles of business communication does he follow? What, if anything, can be improved?
In what ways does Mehta demonstrate strong leadership character?
How could Instacart have avoided this situation, including the negative effects on personal shoppers and the negative publicity?
Interview with Delta CEO
In a LinkedIn interview, Delta CEO Ed Bastian discussed the decision to revoke the National Rifle Association (NRA) discount after the Parkland, FL, shootings, one year ago. The discount was for NRA members, and only 13 took advantage. But the real loss was in $40 million in tax benefits, which Georgia Governor Cagle fought to strike after the company’s decision.
Bastian admits that the loss was significant. But he concludes, “Our brand is worth so much more, and our values are not for sale.”
Bastian refers to the NRA’s “divisive rhetoric” and says that he didn’t want “to be seen as advocates” of the organization and its views. He also describes what we might call authentic or purpose-driven leadership:
"If you know who you are, you can make those decisions. And that you can make those decisions and sleep well at night.”
Discussion:
What leadership character dimensions are demonstrated by this situation?
Do you think Bastian did the right thing for Delta? Why or why not?
How well does Bastian address the interviewer’s question? Overall, how do you assess his delivery?
Walking Meetings: "Take a Hike"
According to a Wall Street Journal article, employees have had enough of “walking meetings,” typically initiated by a manager who wants to get some exercise. Employees cite exhaustion, bug bites, overcrowding, uncomfortable height differences, crashing into things, and losing people along the way.
On the plus side, people say it boosts creativity and energy, as this infographic shows. Some say it reminds them of college, when their professor held class outside in nice weather. (Do people still do that?)
Comparisons to “The West Wing” abound, but it’s not quite the same without the cameras following you.
Discussion:
What’s your view of walking meetings? Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
Should managers be more sensitive to people who have physical challenges or just prefer to meet inside? How should managers handle these situations?
Don't Ignore Email
A New York Times opinion piece by Adam Grant warns us not to ignore emails because it’s rude. He compares ignoring email to not acknowledging someone who says hello when walking by you in a hallway. He cites a survey that, on average, employees have 199 unread messages in their inbox.
But Grant addresses people who say they’re “too busy” to answer emails, and he makes several exceptions:
You should not feel obliged to respond to strangers asking you to share their content on social media, introduce them to your more famous colleagues, spend hours advising them on something they’ve created or “jump on a call this afternoon.” If someone you barely know emails you a dozen times a month and is always asking you to do something for him, you can ignore those emails guilt-free.
I wrote an article last summer encouraging people to respond to any email, including the type he says we can ignore. I’m not Adam Grant, so I’m sure I don’t get his volume of messages. I see responding to an inappropriate or misguided request as a learning opportunity for the sender. For most of us, a short response doesn’t take too long and, as Grant says, is the civil thing to do.
Discussion:
How do you handle emails such as those Grant describes? How many do you receive?
Describe an email you sent that was ignored. In retrospect, was it appropriate to send? Why do you think the receiver didn’t respond?
Interns' Business Communication Skills
An article in Business and Professional Communication Quarterly answers the question, “[W]hat are the differences in the perceived importance that business students and recent graduates place on various communication skills, and how do their perceptions compare with those of their supervisors?” A U.S. study compared responses from students working during summer internships with responses from their supervisors.
The authors conclude that both groups identify similar communication skills as most and least important. However, their views are inconsistent with what is emphasized in business communication textbooks and courses:
“The evaluation of listening and interpersonal skills as being the most important communication skills is not in line with what is traditionally emphasized in business communication courses.”
The authors question the amount of time spent on document creation in business communication courses compared to other, more highly valued communication skills. At the same time, supervisors believe their interns’ skills are adequate for the workplace.
Discussion:
Although interns and supervisors rated the importance of skills similarly, the authors question whether, if asked at the beginning of the summer, interns would have answered differently. What’s your view, and why is this question important for our curriculum planning?
Do you agree with the results of the study—that our curriculum may focus too much on document creation? The authors particularly site time spent on PowerPoint skills. How could the job or industry be a factor?
Amazon Changes NYC Plans
After months of searching for a new headquarters location and deciding on Long Island City, Amazon has changed course and withdrawn the plan. In a blog post, the company explained the decision:
After much thought and deliberation, we’ve decided not to move forward with our plans to build a headquarters for Amazon in Long Island City, Queens. For Amazon, the commitment to build a new headquarters requires positive, collaborative relationships with state and local elected officials who will be supportive over the long-term. While polls show that 70% of New Yorkers support our plans and investment, a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project we and many others envisioned in Long Island City.
We are disappointed to have reached this conclusion—we love New York, its incomparable dynamism, people, and culture—and particularly the community of Long Island City, where we have gotten to know so many optimistic, forward-leaning community leaders, small business owners, and residents. There are currently over 5,000 Amazon employees in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island, and we plan to continue growing these teams.
We are deeply grateful to Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, and their staffs, who so enthusiastically and graciously invited us to build in New York City and supported us during the process. Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio have worked tirelessly on behalf of New Yorkers to encourage local investment and job creation, and we can’t speak positively enough about all their efforts. The steadfast commitment and dedication that these leaders have demonstrated to the communities they represent inspired us from the very beginning and is one of the big reasons our decision was so difficult.
We do not intend to reopen the HQ2 search at this time. We will proceed as planned in Northern Virginia and Nashville, and we will continue to hire and grow across our 17 corporate offices and tech hubs in the U.S. and Canada.
Thank you again to Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, and the many other community leaders and residents who welcomed our plans and supported us along the way. We hope to have future chances to collaborate as we continue to build our presence in New York over time.
Amazon claims the new office would have created 25,000 jobs, but NYC lawmakers questioned the subsidies the company would have received. Critics also oppose Amazon’s anti-union stance and cite concerns about how the growth would affect Queens. In the end, officials say Amazon was inflexible; one local politician referred to the company as “a petulant child.”
According to a New York Times article, “Amazon’s decision is a major blow for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio, who had set aside their differences to lure the giant tech company to New York.”
Long Island city image source.
Discussion:
Analyze Amazon’s statement. How well does the company announce the decision, while maintaining relationships?
What else, if anything, should the company say at this point?
Should Governor Cuomo or Mayor de Blasio make their own announcements? Why or why not?