What’s Happened to Effective Writing?
There are several poorly written articles circling the bowl on a daily basis, and this may end up being yet another one, but it’s alarming to me that professional journalists consistently botch spelling and grammar. It used to be newspapers, magazines, and books served as an example of the proper use of punctuation, word groupings, grammar, and synonyms. Not anymore.
On any given day, I challenge you to count the number of typos or grammatical miscues in your local fish wrap. In the past, you’d be lucky to find one per month. Nowadays, you’d be lucky NOT to find one per section. Online versions are even worse, but that is likely due to the push to get more and more content live and the desire to make the online versions more “free flowing.”
That said, is it too much to ask of someone paid to write for a living to pay attention to the squiggly lines in the word processor? Those lines are trying to tell you something! At least pay them some lip service, and double check your work before you submit it to an editor. Speaking of an editor, what are these people responsible for now? In the old days, they served as quality control, but today they seem to be more interested in cranking out material to meet or beat a deadline. Quality doesn’t seem to matter anymore and we, the public, don’t seem to care because we still read the stuff even if it is sub par without complaining loud enough for anyone to hear us.
Another reason sub par material may have become acceptable is the big business management approach of the major literary outlets. When larger companies attempt to manage numerous resources by stretching everyone thin in the interest of “productivity,” things naturally slip through the cracks. I run a small business so if a larger firm came to me and offered to buy me out for a nice chunk of change, I’d have to listen. It would be nice if there weren’t so many mergers and spin-offs of media companies, but that is the world we live in today.
You regularly hear phrases such as instant gratification, microwave society, what have you done for me lately, etc. when describing the order of the day. They all apply, but are we in such a hurry that we can’t take a little more pride in the work we produce? I would hope the majority of people would be embarrassed by producing a widely viewed article or literary piece peppered with poor grammar and/or spelling errors. The good old days of looking to print media as an example to follow are long gone, but I wish they’d return at least in this aspect. Am I asking for too much?
Handicapping the Apprentice FInal Four
I’m not sure if you watch the Apprentice or not, but I happen to be a big fan of the show. It’s one of the few “reality” shows that appeals to me. I won’t bore you with the details if you don’t watch because you probably won’t even get this far into the post.
Last night, one of the early favorites to win fell (Heidi). I was very shocked by this as Heidi probably turned in one of the worst performances of anyone this season after being a consistent high performer. I’m not sure if she just couldn’t work with Frank, or she took forgranted that she’d move on in the competition so she neglected to prepare appropriately. Her board room behavior was non-Heidi like based on what we’ve seen thus far so it’s good to find this out now instead of after the process is over, and The Donald has a bad hire on his hands. That said, I’d hire Heidi not only for her obvious good looks and charm (yes, they do matter in the business world), but she’s got a good head on her shoulders. My only question would be–does she have to work with mostly women to be effective/most comfortable? She was flustered the entire time with Frank, and that is what was so alarming about her behavior. I know men shouldn’t cause a problem for Heidi–she probably has to smack them off of her most of the time, and her fun and upbeat personality should enable her to befriend just about anyone.
As for the four that are left, let’s break them down.
Nicole (8:1 odds)–very attractive girl with a bubbly personality that also seems to generate some good ideas, but she was horrible in last night’s episode to the point I thought Trump should have sent her home as well. Falling asleep during a task?!? Not double checking your presentation to make sure it boots up before hand?!? Fumbling through the presentation as if it were the first time you had ever seen it? All horrible mistakes that would have gotten anyone else fired immediately. For some reason, Trump is really going for the dark hair types this round instead of the blondes. Not that I mind–I’m equal opportunity for good looking women. 
Still, Nicole has maturity issues to overcome, longer term, if she is to become the next Apprentice which is why I just don’t see it.
Frank (7:1)–strong player with good street smarts, Frank has earned his way into the Final Four, but this is where his run ends. His roughness around the edges and somewhat lack of attention to details will get him knocked out. I like the guy though and could see hiring him, too.
Stephanie (3:1)–very strong player in this game with the physical features to top it all off. She’s been a very quiet performer for the most part, but she seems to be a very good team player above all. I haven’t seen her lead a lot, but she seems to be able to influence people very well without being loud or overbearing which obviously can carry you just as far. I like her chances if she ends up as one of the final two, and I’d definitely hire her to work for my firm. She’s very mature emotionally or so it seems so she’d get the nod over the other three if it comes down to that. Maybe the defense attorney is coming out in her to where she’s harder to read, but I haven’t seen her get flustered during this process.
James (2:1)–while he’s had his bumps at times in this “interview process,” he’s been a good idea guy who prepares well when it’s crunch time. His positive attitude is contagious, and he’s obviously got some smarts to go with that which are attributes hard to come by in the proper combination. I look for James to be one of the final contestants, and odds on favorite, for Trump to choose from.
Overall, I think this is a good Final Four with some surprises mixed in. I really thought Heidi would be around until the bitter end especially with the way she started off. Perhaps she got worn down, but that’s part of it.
I think last night’s episode further drove home the point of preparation–all three teams had some good things to bring to the mix, but James and Stephanie prepared far more than the other two teams combined, and it showed immediately. A lack of preparation will always show when a little pressure is added.
What are your thoughts? Do you like this bunch? Would you hire them at your firm? What about them would make them good or bad hires?
Where Business Editors and Newspapers are Failing
An interesting piece I found on Talking Biz News that is worth a gander: Where Business Editors and Newspapers are Failing.
Think it may be a good idea to find some top flight bloggers and syndicate them across many newspapers? I think that’s a viable solution. Many of us are finding and sharing good content throughout the day so why not include that research in a news rag?
Sports Take: Petrino’s Leaving Isn’t So Hard to Figure Out
Unless you live under a rock or pay zero attention to the sporting landscape, you’ve heard the news that Bobby Petrino is leaving Louisville to take over the Atlanta Falcons’ head coaching position. Steve Kragthorpe from Tulsa will be announced as Petrino’s replacement later today.
At first, like most, I was angered about this because I felt lied to and betrayed by Petrino throughout the year. He turned down the Oakland Raiders’ head coaching job last year to the tune of 10 years and $52 million then signed a lucrative extension with UofL that, upon his insistence, included a $1 million buyout. Most reasoned that if he were going to turn the Raiders down, he must be extremely sincere in wanting to stay here in Louisville. He repeatedly told the media that “this is where I want to be,” and he even joked about other open positions of late (see the post game of the Orange Bowl when asked about the Alabama job should Nick Saban have turned it down), and I honestly believed the guy was uninterested in leaving UofL for ANY job.
Oh well, it is what it is so we must now move on without the man. With that in mind, I am going to take a stab at being objective to figure out why Atlanta is so appealing to Petrino and why it’s actually not so hard to blame the guy for taking the job.
First off, it’s no secret that Atlanta has wanted to move Michael Vick. The “experiment” that is Michael Vick isn’t working, and Vick has been referred to as a “coach killer.” I’m not sure he’s quite that, but he’s definitely a talent that is hard for “traditional” football coaches to maximize his many talents. Oakland was rumored to be interested in acquiring Vick this past season. So imagine this scenario playing out–Atlanta trades Vick to Oakland for their first pick in the upcoming draft and another player. Brian Brohm announces he’s declaring for the draft instead of returning for his senior season with the Cardinals. You see where I’m going already . . . Atlanta takes Brohm with the first pick of the draft. Matt Schaub is a quality backup already on the roster that could serve as the starter until Brohm is ready to take over the reigns at QB.
Next, Atlanta currently owns the 15th pick (I believe) in the 2007 draft. Should Calvin Johnson (Georgia Tech) or Dwayne Jarrett (USC) be available there, the Falcons would likely use that pick to obtain a potential game changing receiver. Two brand new pieces that figure to be around for awhile are now in place. Mix in current players such as Alge Crumpler (TE), Warrick Dunn (RB), Jerious Norwood (RB), and Ashley Lelie (WR) and things start to make sense as to why this job is very appealing for someone like Petrino.
Atlanta is a playoff caliber team, and he could further feed his enormous ego by having some substantial early success in the NFL. If that happens, he’s set as an NFL coach for years to come even if they can him after four or five seasons in Atlanta. Once you’re in the professional coaching carousel, and you’ve exhibited some success at some point, it’s not hard to get hired on by other teams because they recycle coaches like society recycles aluminum and paper. There’s no recruiting, practice time, or academic restrictions involved like there are in college. For that, I can’t blame the guy even though I wanted him to be here at UofL for decades. I envisioned national titles, streets being renamed after Petrino, facilities being built in his honor, etc., but I was obviously sipping the kool-aid a little too heavily. In an objective reality, if given the same choices under similar circumstances, I would likely do the same thing.
It all hinges on what to do with Michael Vick though. I don’t think Petrino’s style will mesh well with the ultra talented yet temperamental QB. It’s not that match-made-in-heaven scenario you look for when matching a coach and quarterback, but that doesn’t mean it’s an impossible situation. Vick has a cannon for an arm and is lightning fast–that much is obvious, but he hasn’t had a coach capable of maximizing his talents while instilling the discipline to make consistent good decisions. One thing that Petrino preaches, despite his occasional personal slipperiness, is discipline. During the Orange Bowl, UofL was whistled for one penalty for five yards. That’s almost unheard of from an aggressive team playing in a big game, but it speaks to the discipline the man demands from his players. Will that sink in for Vick? Who knows, but I don’t look for Bobby Petrino to fall on his face despite the personal angst I feel at this moment. He’s a damn good football coach that should succeed because of his preparation, discipline and offensive mastery of the game. He’s a tireless worker, and people who work extremely hard at something rarely outright fail (there’s your business tie-in for the day).
While I’m personally frustrated by the move, I can objectively understand it. Thanks Coach Petrino for everything you’ve done for the University of Louisville and its football program. I can’t say I’m necessarily wishing you well today, but I’m grateful for the things you accomplished here, and it was a fun ride while it lasted. I’ll likely be cheering for you and the Falcons in due time, but the sting hasn’t worn off enough yet for me to say “good luck.”
One of the Bad Five Finally Falls
On October 22, 2006, I posted an entry outlining five CEOs that must go. On 1/3/2007, #1 on that dubious list took a dive–Bob Nardelli from Home Depot. Reports say he “resigned,” but that’s being kind–it was a forced resignation, and Bob had been under tremendous heat thanks in part to his antics on investor conference calls and his insistence to devalue customer service at the store level. The guy was downright horrible when all was said and done.
He came in as an outsider from GE who self-admittedly didn’t understand retail. It puzzles me as to why he was given a shot to begin with, but he didn’t help himself by being so arrogant and defiant. Early on in his tenure, Bob reduced inventories and staff counts to levels that alienated customers and employees. Several talented employees walked, and Lowe’s chipped away at the customer base quite effectively as a result.
Have you shopped at a Home Depot lately then visited a Lowe’s on the same day? The experience is night and day–the people at Home Depot act as if they can’t wait to get you out of there while the Lowe’s people seem genuinely eager to help you complete your home improvement projects correctly. Home Depot’s slogan is “you can do it, we can help,” but the knee jerk reaction one might have when hearing that is “you can help, but you won’t.” For my money, I’d pay more at Lowe’s just to avoid dealing with certain malcontents at Home Depot. Don’t get me wrong, there are some very helpful people still working at Home Depot, but you have to work pretty hard to find them now whereas they used to be sprinkled generously throughout.
So much for GE making a mistake (in Nardelli’s eyes) by not turning over the keys to the top post when Jack Welch retired. They said “thanks, but no thanks.” Home Depot should have said the same thing, but they are now on the hook for a $210 million package to make Nardelli go away that includes $20 million in severance. Don’t feel bad for him as he obviously isn’t going to be hurting. How many positions throw exorbitant amounts of money at you to make you go away when you do a bad job? The only positions I know of are within sports and CEOs.
Here’s my overall take-away and hopefully thought provoking tidbit out of all this: The “resignation” of Bob Nardelli further underscores the leadership void we have in this country at some of our larger corporations. According to an August 2006 Corporate Library Survey, 52.7% of CEOs today are on the job for less than five years. On one hand, five years isn’t long enough to change a company’s ultimate course, but five years is way too long if you have the wrong person at the helm. There are a lot of wrong people guiding companies today that will play out in less than the next five years so that alarming 52.7% can be viewed as an “error rate” of sorts. Let’s focus on reducing that error rate shall we.
Google Planning to Incorporate Ads with You Tube Videos
I read today on Marketing Shift where Google is planning to capitalize on You Tube videos with paid streaming advertising. Supposedly the ads are going to be related to the video tags, but you knew it wouldn’t be long before You Tube went from being fun, new, and interesting to becoming the next mass marketing device. The beauty of You Tube was the sharing of videos without the annoying sponsorships before, during, or after the videos.
I understand Google didn’t buy You Tube to keep it “as is,” but it wouldn’t surprise me if somebody starts up another You Tube like video sharing service that prohibits any sponsorship whatsoever. Many of the videos on You Tube are commercials themselves, but they are commercials the user community elects to watch. There’s a value in that—why can’t Google capitalize on the videos that are already commercials and charge people based on the click rate of their ad? Then we won’t have to be force fed messages we really don’t wish to see in the first place. Maybe I’m naïve to think things can work well this way for any extended period of time, but I’d like to see someone at least try to pull it off for a change.
Am I an idiot? What are your thoughts?
Attempting to Buy Word of Mouth? Bad Idea!
I’m sure many of you have read or heard about the Microsoft blogger “scandal.” If not, click here to read an E-Week piece on it if you wish. To summarize, Microsoft and AMD sent some prominent bloggers a honking Vista based laptops for them to test out. Initially they said the folks receiving the machines could keep them, give them away, or send them back upon completion of the “testing.” The next day, after some public outcry, they requested the PCs back. Good marketing idea; bad execution. Or was it really a good marketing idea? I say it’s terrible especially because of the execution–it backfired completely!
What were Microsoft and AMD really attempting? They were hoping to buy a favorable review from a few influential bloggers and gain some word of mouth marketing. This isn’t uncommon, but it’s a delicate tightrope to walk in order to keep things pure. The key to word of mouth marketing is honesty and the natural progression of the message. Once the public gets a sniff of anything that smells remotely of dishonesty, the word of mouth suddenly turns against the offender. Why is that? You’ve made the people who thought they were spreading something natural and believable look foolish. You’ve jeopardized their reputations. Buying word of mouth won’t work–it’s unnatural, and it makes people feel sleazy for engaging in such tactics.
Microsoft has been a pretty good marketer over the years, but this is a misstep for them that is disappointing to say the least. What did they really think would happen? Did they think the people getting the souped up laptops would write completely honest reviews after receiving a “free” machine? Of course not. Receiving anything of value for free is always well received, and it’s a great way to initiate a word of mouth campaign. If the goal was to gain positive word of mouth, the machines should have been given to some random folks in some sort of drawing without any mention of a review or how the machine was to be used. Let people naturally decide what they wish to do with the thing and if they determine they wish to write a good or bad review, let it occur naturally without trying to influence it in any way. Imagine how much someone would talk up such a product if they “won” the thing fair and square in a drawing of some sort. By picking out people with popular review based blogs, the motivation behind such product placement is rather obvious so any reviews would likely be met with a heavy dose of skepticism unless the products were sent without any prompting whatsoever.
Imagine answering your door and seeing UPS there with a set of boxes that you had zero idea about before hand. Your first reaction would probably be “I didn’t order this” then you’d probably open the boxes, look for clues as to what was in the boxes, then you’d try to convince yourself that someone made a big mistake in your favor. Eventually you’d begin to use the goods in time or try to send them back to the sender. Unless of course there was a letter outlining expectations–that’s where Mr. Softy screwed up. They obviously engaged the review bloggers in some sort of sign up process prior to sending these laptops out so there were expectations implied. That ruined the whole thing.
If you’re hoping to initiate a word of mouth campaign, allow it to happen organically and surprise people by doing something out of the ordinary. Then back away and let things progress on their own. That’s the best bet if you want things to spread quickly and keep foul play suspicions out of the equation.
The Career Manifesto
Michael Wade posted this on his execupundit.com blog, and it’s a very interesting read. Thought I’d share the wealth a little instead of boring everyone with my Christmas shopping thoughts and musings. That’ll have to wait until tomorrow I suppose.
Enjoy!
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1. Unless you’re working in a coal mine, an emergency ward, or their equivalent, spare us the sad stories about your tough job. The biggest risk most of us face in the course of a day is a paper cut.
2. Yes, your boss is an idiot at times. So what? (Do you think your associates sit around and marvel at your deep thoughts?) If you cannot give your boss basic loyalty, either report the weasel to the proper authorities or be gone.
3. You are paid to take meaningful actions, not superficial ones. Don’t brag about that memo you sent out or how hard you work. Tell us what you achieved.
4. Although your title may be the same, the job that you were hired to do three years ago is probably not the job you have now. When you are just coasting and not thinking several steps ahead of your responsibilities, you are in dinosaur territory and a meteor is coming.
5. If you suspect that you’re working in a madhouse, you probably are. Even sociopaths have jobs. Don’t delude yourself by thinking you’ll change what the organization regards as a “turkey farm.” Flee.
6. Your technical skills may impress the other geeks, but if you can’t get along with your co-workers, you’re a litigation breeder. Don’t be surprised if management regards you as an expensive risk.
7. If you have a problem with co-workers, have the guts to tell them, preferably in words of one syllable.
8. Don’t believe what the organization says it does. Its practices are its real policies. Study what is rewarded and what is punished and you’ll have a better clue as to what’s going on.
9. Don’t expect to be perfect. Focus on doing right instead of being right. It will simplify the world enormously.
10.If you plan on showing them what you’re capable of only after you get promoted, you need to reverse your thinking.
