How Should Companies Handle the Annual Holiday Party?

Companies have finally tackled the "Christmas" controversy to call their annual gatherings "Holiday" parties, and now they have a new challenge. With all of the sexual harassment allegations, how can they make their parties safe AND fun?

Bloomberg reports how some companies are addressing the issue. Vox Media Inc., for example, ended its open-bar tradition, which has disappointed some employees, and Besh Restaurant Group will limit alcohol consumption. Uber and Creative Artists Agency cancelled their parties after allegations of harassment, while other companies are forging ahead as planned.

The number of parties has been decreasing, anyway, since the 90's, and fewer companies include alcohol at their events.

Image source.

Discussion:

• What do you think companies should do about their holiday party this year? What are the arguments for and against having party with alcohol.
• According to one survey, 90% of employees would rather have a bonus or extra vacation days than attend a company holiday party. Why do companies still have them at all?

Roy Moore's Wife Doesn't Help His Case

At a campaign rally the day before her husband's election for U.S. Senator, Kayla Moore tries to convince audiences that he is a good man. As Roy Moore is accused of sexual assault and harassment of minors, Mrs. Moore tells the audience, "One of our lawyers is a Jew." 

Mrs. Moore apparently didn't realize that the expression, "Some of my best friends are _______" has become a joke. In addition to her arguments against anti-Semitism, she said, "We have many friends that are Black, and we also fellowship with them in our church and in our home." 

We hear weak, scattered applause after this comment. After her note about their attorney, we hear some laughter; perhaps people were embarrassed for her, or perhaps they thought she was poking fun at the old expression. But she was not.

President Trump continues to campaign for Roy Moore as we wait for the people of Alabama to decide tonight. 

Discussion:

• How do you assess Kayla Moore's speech? Her husband seems proud. How do you explain it? 
• Do you agree with the criticism or find it too harsh? 
• What else could Kayla Moore have said to support her husband? 

Delta Communicates Flight Cancellations

Delta announced that about 375 flights were cancelled because of weather conditions around Atlanta. In a short statement on its website, Delta explained the decision and provided customers with sources for more information.

Since the first announcement, Delta posted a large notice on the site: "UPDATED: Delta teams working through night to reset ATL operations." The company also posted updates at noon and again at 4 pm.

Discussion:

• Read the entire statement on the Delta website. Analyze the primary audience and identify the communication objectives. How well does the company meet these objectives?
• Assess the organization. Where are the main points, and how is the rest of the message structured?

Al Franken Resigns

In a statement CNN calls "totally unapologetic," Minnesota Senator Al Franken has resigned. Although he was awaiting an ethics committee investigation, more women have come forward in the meantime reporting similar incidents of groping and forced kissing.

A group of more than 30 senators led by New York Senator Kristen Gillibrand called for his resignation. In a Facebook post titled "Senator Franken Should Step Aside," Gillibrand wrote that she is "shocked and disappointed" by his behavior, and she referred to this time as "a watershed moment."

Franken read a statement on the Senate floor, including this section:

"Over the last few weeks, a number of women have come forward to talk about how they felt my actions had affected them. I was shocked. I was upset. But in responding to their claim, I also wanted to be respectful of that broader conversation. Because all women deserve to be heard and their experiences taken seriously. I think that was the right thing to do. I also think it gave some people the false impression that I was admitting to doing things that in fact I haven't done. Some of the allegations against me are simply not true. Others I remember very differently."

He also pointed to others accused:

"I am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office and a man who repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the Senate with the full support of his party. But this decision is not about me. It's about the people of Minnesota."

A CNN editor summarizes Franken's statement: 

"The message of all this is clear as day: I didn't do anything really wrong. The people who say I did are wrong or don't remember it right. And it's ridiculous that people like Trump and Moore are in the White House and might be in the Senate, respectively, while I am being forced out."

Discussion:

• Do you agree with the CNN writer's assessment that Franken doesn't really apologize? Why or why not?
• Watch Franken's full statement and assess his delivery skills. How well does he use tone, gestures, and so on to support his message?

David Chang Improves His Response

When David Chang's restaurant, Momofuku, received a negative review in the New York Times in 2016, he didn't respond with humility. In addition to lots of cursing, Chang rejected the criticism (f-words omitted):

“I can’t ever read that review again—I’ll get so ___ angry, I’ll die. I made a lot of that food! I tasted it! It was delicious. And . . . ___! I believe in the ___ food we make in that restaurant, I believe it to be really delicious, I believe it to be innovative . . .”

This week, we see a different David Chang. A negative online comment received a warning: "Ruh roh, cue Chang rage," but we see an open, humble response from the man himself:

"[N]o Rage. We learn from this and will make them better. We didn't execute and that's on us."

Discussion:

• Assess Chang's response to @oafloaf. Who are his primary and secondary audiences, and what does he hope to accomplish?
• How do you explain Chang's different reactions? The sources are different, and it's one year later. What else?

Podcast About Using LinkedIn for Networking

In this 8-minute podcast, hear how Lizzie, a Cornell University student, musters up the courage to contact people on LinkedIn for informational interviews. Her message is shown here.

Amy Newman with Lizzie on LinkedIn

Persuasive Letter from Scholars to NYC Mayor

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is under pressure to remove four statues that a group considers racist. More than 120 academics and artists signed a letter to persuade the mayor.

The letter assumes that two monuments "have no place on City property" and have "no defenders." They describe them as follows:

• The Dr. J. Marion Sims statue in Central Park, commemorating a doctor who performed surgical experiments on enslaved African American women, including children, without anesthesia or consent. Momentum for its removal has spurred a remarkably broad coalition in support of the long-standing demand from Black and Latinx Harlemites that this affront be removed.
• Historic markers of Vichy France’s Nazi collaborators, Philippe Pétain and Pierre Laval, are located in the Canyon of Heroes. Lest anyone need reminding, Vichy organized its own deportation to Auschwitz of over 70,000 Jewish French citizens.

The other two are more controversial, and the authors identify several arguments to support removing them. One is of Theodore Roosevelt, and the other is of Christopher Columbus.

In closing the letter, the group suggests alternatives:

In calling upon the Commission to recommend the removal of the aforementioned monuments, we also endorse any forward-looking post-removal initiative to advance understanding of these histories and make creative use of the vacated city property. These statues could be placed in dedicated museum spaces or memorial gardens, as has happened in Germany, India, South Africa and across Eastern Europe. The Roosevelt monument by James Earle Fraser could be profitably displayed alongside Fraser’s The End of the Trail in the Metropolitan Museum, for example, so that viewers could explore how race and eugenics were visualized in the period. The empty sites could be used as the subject for artistic competitions, as with London’s Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. In short, we see the outcome of the Commission not as destroying heritage, let alone the purported erasure of history, but as the beginning of an exciting new set of possibilities for public art and museums in New York City, one finally devoted to an inclusive and reparative vision of the difficult histories of settler colonialism and the Indigenous peoples of this land.

Image source.

Discussion:

• How would you describe the writing style in the letter? In what ways is it similar to and different from business writing?
• How is the letter organized? How could the organization be improved?
• Assess the argument for the two monuments in question. How do the authors use logical arguments, emotional appeals, and credibility? Which are their strongest and weakest arguments?

Alexa at Work?

Amazon's Alexa is coming to the office in the form of Echo. The company wants to install the voice assistant at offices for help with copying, meeting set-up, directions, and more.

Wirecutter describes the technology and use:

What sets Alexa and Echo apart from first-generation voice assistants is responsiveness. There’s no activation button to press. Simply say the trigger word (either “Alexa,” “Echo,” “Amazon,” or “Computer”) followed by what you want to happen, and it will usually be done—as long as you’ve set up everything properly and are using the correct command. Once you get used to the quirks, using Alexa feels much more natural and responsive than speaking to a phone-based voice assistant like Apple’s Siri. As a result, you’ll likely find yourself using your phone less frequently when you’re at home.

Although the technology may be an issue, BBC reports that the bigger issues are privacy and security. After all, Alexa would always be "on" and would hear everything that goes on in the office.

Amazon plans to partner with makers of cars and appliances, so Alexa can be with you at every step. Some analysts think Amazon's big push on Alexa compensates for its not having a mobile phone to compete with Apple and others.

Discussion:

• Do you use a voice assistant? How do you use it, and how does it work for you?
• What's your view of Alexa at work? What privacy and security issues might concern companies?
• Would you recommend Alexa for some types of business but maybe not others? Which?

Chipotle Announces Search for New CEO

After founding the first Chipotle restaurant in 1993, Steve Ells will leave his position as CEO and become executive chairman. Chipotle locations have struggled with food safety issues since 2008, when customers at a La Mesa, California, restaurant came down with hepatitus, and 54 Kent State students were affected by norovirus at a local restaurant. Since then, other locations have been affected by these illnesses as well as Salmonella and E. Coli.

Company stock has suffered, and this move signals a hopeful change. It's a tough spot for the company's board because Ells has been the face of Chipotle for so long, but the situation has not improved despite efforts for better food safety and new menu items, such as queso dip, which was not well received.

In a company press release, Ells is quoted:

“I am incredibly proud of Chipotle and our people – and grateful to our loyal customers – and while we are continuing to make progress, it is clear that we need to move faster to make improvements,” said Ells. “Simply put, we need to execute better to ensure our future success. The Board and I are committed to bringing in an experienced leader with a passion for driving excellence across every aspect of our business, including the customer experience, operations, marketing, technology, food safety, and training.”

Added Ells, “Bringing in a new CEO is the right thing to do for all our stakeholders. It will allow me to focus on my strengths, which include bringing innovation to the way we source and prepare our food. It will ultimately improve our ability to provide our guests with delicious food that is prepared with high quality ingredients that are raised responsibly and served in a way that is accessible to everyone. I am confident that this will allow us to deliver value for our shareholders, and provide rewarding opportunities for our employees. Chipotle has vast unrealized potential. As we work hard to restore our brand, I believe we can capitalize on opportunities, including in areas such as the digital experience, menu innovation, delivery, catering, and domestic and international expansion, to deliver significant growth.”

The board chair is also quoted, speaking highly of Ells:

“Steve is a visionary leader and one of the most successful restaurateurs in history, having grown Chipotle from a single restaurant in Colorado to more than 2,350 restaurants today. Steve made the decision, and the Board agreed, that now is the right time to identify a new CEO who can reinvigorate the brand and help the company achieve its potential. We are committed to recruiting a world-class CEO for this incredible opportunity.”

Discussion:

• Read the entire press release. What is not said? Should the release include anything else? 
• How well does Ells's quote inspire confidence in the future of the brand? What parts do you find most and least convincing?
• Who are the audiences for the press release? What are the company's objectives?
• In a sense the board is demonstrating vulnerability. How would you describe their approach, and how effective do you think this is?

Indiana University Is Next to Suspend Greek Life

Indiana University is following what is starting to be trend: suspending campus Greek life. University officials say activities are banned until at least the spring. The decision follows similar recent actions by Texas State University, Ohio State University, Ball State, and the University of Michigan after various charges of hazing, drug and alcohol abuse, and a death at Penn State.

Indiana's Interfraternity Council President wrote, "We are looking forward to working with our partners on campus as well as national headquarters and alumni to achieve our common goal of creating a sustainable environment for all our chapters to excel in future endeavors."

Indiana is trying to enforce its standards for fraternities and sororities, which is detailed in a "Agreement for Greek Organizations." The agreement focuses on providing and maintaining a safe environment, including not participating in hazing and controlling events where alcohol is served.

Discussion:

• What effect do you think these suspensions will have on Greek life?
• What actions, if any, has your university taken? What do you think should happen?
• I can't find a statement from Indiana University. Should the administration issue one?

NBC Fires Matt Lauer

Another media star has fallen after reports of sexual harassment. NBC fired Matt Lauer after one complaint, but the company mentioned more were likely—and they have come.

Several women tell about Lauer's inappropriate attention, advances, and exposure. He played what Variety called a "crass quiz" at work that categorized women.  

Lauer worked for NBC since 1994, mostly as a "Today" show co-host. Known as "the crown jewel of the network’s news division," Lauer interviewed U.S. presidents and other senior leaders and celebrities throughout this career.

On air, Savannah Guthrie, Lauer's co-host on the show, read a statement from NBC Chairman Andy Lack. She was emotional as she read the decision.

Lauer issued this apology statement: 

"There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC.

"Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly.

"Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and I'm committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full time job. The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws. It's been humbling. I am blessed to be surrounded by the people I love. I thank them for their patience and grace."

Discussion:

• How well does Guthrie handle the announcement?
• Did NBC do the right thing in terminating Lauer? Was it too much of a risk after just one complaint?
• Assess Lauer's apology. How convincing do you find the statement? What else, if anything, could he say?

"Happily Gentrifying" Isn't Well Received

A Denver coffee shop is facing backlash from neighbors after posting a sign outside the building: "Happily Gentrifying the Neighborhood Since 2014."

Not everyone is a fan of gentrification, which typically means higher-income shops coming into a neighborhood with increasing rents. Often the result is that people of color and with lower incomes get driven out.

The coffee shop faced a broken window, graffiti outside the building that read "White Coffee," and about 200 protestors.

After initially dismissing the complaints and calling the sign a joke, the company founder said he didn't "fully appreciate the very real and troubling issue of gentrification."  He also said, "I recognize that we had a blind spot to other legitimate interpretations. I sincerely apologize—absolutely and unequivocally."

Discussion:

• Should the founder or store manager have know better than to post such a sign? Or was it a careless mistake? Or something else?
• How do you assess the founder's initial and follow-up responses? How could he have demonstrated more humility?

CBS This Morning Responds to Charlie Rose

After CBS co-host Charlie Rose was suspended for sexual misconduct, Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell were left to pick up the pieces. They didn't shy away from addressing issues directly. 

O'Donnell read from a script, and King had a script but didn't follow it as closely. She spoke from a more personal perspective, saying she is "not OK," and "I am still reeling." She mentioned her personal relationship with Rose but said, "He doesn't get a pass."

King hit on some points we haven't been hearing much about during all of reports of sexual misconduct, for example, the impact on women's bodies and on their careers and on what it's like for people close to an accuser to have conflicting, confusing feelings about the person.

The Washington Post covered allegations of sexual misconduct against Rose, including eight women, whose stories had "striking commonalities." Rose issued an apology statement:

“In my 45 years in journalism, I have prided myself on being an advocate for the careers of the women with whom I have worked,” Rose said in a statement provided to The Post. “Nevertheless, in the past few days, claims have been made about my behavior toward some former female colleagues.

“It is essential that these women know I hear them and that I deeply apologize for my inappropriate behavior. I am greatly embarrassed. I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate. I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken.

“I have learned a great deal as a result of these events, and I hope others will too. All of us, including me, are coming to a newer and deeper recognition of the pain caused by conduct in the past, and have come to a profound new respect for women and their lives.”

Discussion: 

• What's your view of this segment? How well do you think the co-hosts handled the situation?
• Assess Rose's apology. How does it compare to others we have seen?
• Rose was revered in the industry, but CBS didn't hesitate in suspending him. Did they do the right thing?

Uber's Recovery Problem

Uber's new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi may be having a tougher time than he anticipated. New charges have been issued against the company, including paying off a hacker to keep quiet about stolen customer information.

An analyst on Bloomberg said, "The payment of ransom is egregious, and the lack of investment in proactive cybersecurity measures...was beyond the pale." Other industry experts agree. “I was shocked,” a CTO officer at Menlo Security Inc. “Companies need to own up.” The board recently began an investigation into the $100,000 payment, and they terminated the chief security office and another employee as a result.

Before this incident, Bloomberg reports that Khosrowshahi was already apologizing for the company's past actions:

Since he took over, London moved toward outlawing the service, citing “a lack of corporate responsibility.” Uber is appealing. (“I apologise for the mistakes we’ve made,” Khosrowshahi said in response.) He then traveled to Brasilia to meet with officials there and ward off restrictions on Uber’s business. (“In the past, we were a bit aggressive,” he told a Brazilian newspaper.) And now the mishandled data breach. (“We will learn from our mistakes.”)

I will argue what I have in the past on this blog in my new book on Building Leadership Character: Travis Kalanick lacked humility. He believed he was above the law and therefore wouldn't be help accountable for anything.

Discussion:

• Do you agree with my assessment of Kalanick? Why or why not?
• What can Khosrowshahi do to rebuild the company image?

More Than You Want to Know About Fonts

This may be more than mere mortals and business writers need to know, but typography is interesting. We often use default fonts that Microsoft chooses for us, but this graphic shows the many variables among them.

The most commonly known term is probably serif, shown here as 28 on the third row. The letter h in this font has small lines at the bottom. These "legs" are missing in sans-serif fonts, which means they are "without" them. Serif fonts include Times New Roman, Garamond, and Georgia (this one), while standard sans-serif fonts are Arial and Calibri.

Fonts can reflect a company or style of writing. Disney and others have their own special fonts, which could be fun for headings but may be too much for body text. People are long tired of Comic Sans, which is cute for K-12 documents but little else. Serif fonts tend to be more formal looking, while sans-serif are more informal.

Although presenters get creative in choosing fonts, a common problem is using a font that isn't installed on another computer. For example, you create a PPT file on one computer, but when you open the file on another and the font isn't available, the new computer will choose a default. This messes up alignment because the two fonts may be different sizes. More specifically, from the glossary at right, the character width, ascender height, or x-height may be different.

Some fonts are wholly unreadable and should be avoided entirely. Impact, for example, should be used sparingly for large headings only.

Discussion:

• Do you have a favorite font? What do you like about it?
• Have you tried different fonts for different purposes? How did it turn out?

Should You Leave a Company Involved in a Scandal?

A Wall Street Journal article explores the impact on employees whose company embarrasses them. When mired in a scandal, the company no longer reflects our values, and we may want to end the association.

An employee at Uber, for example, left after news about sexual harassment became public. Her family questioned her affiliation and, as she describes, "staying there would have meant going against what I believe in." Employees who want to live their values may feel better leaving. Of course, this assumes that people have opportunities elsewhere, which isn't the case for everyone.

The article warns against making a rash decision and suggests alternatives:  

WHEN YOUR EMPLOYER'S IMAGE STRESSES YOU OUT

• Take time to calm feelings of stress or anxiety.
• Consider other options before quitting.
• Spend more time on job tasks that are meaningful to you.
• Find something to love in your company's mission.
• Try to fix some part of the company's problem that you can control.
• Strengthen relationships with people at work you enjoy.
• Mentor and encourage subordinates who show promise.
• Work on building skills that will help you in the future.

Discussion:

• Have you been a part of organization that didn't align with your values? How did you handle the situation?
• Which of the article's suggestions do you find most and least useful? Which have you used in the past?

More Criticism for Starbucks' Coffee Cup

Starbucks' coffee cup isn't spared another year of criticism. In 2015, Donald Trump, before he was president, said the company participated in a "War on Christmas" because its cup was a solid red color with no Christmas symbols.

This year, the company is accused of having a "gay agenda." At one point during the promotional video, two women have their hands on a cup and are looking at each other. A company spokesperson said, "This year's hand-drawn cup features scenes of celebrating with loved ones-whoever they may be. We intentionally designed the cup so our customers can interpret it in their own way, adding their own color and illustrations."

A compilation of Starbucks Christmas coffee cups shows an interesting history. The first holiday cups, in 1997, were in four colors, none of which were red. Also, although this year's cup is identified as "not red," many of the drawings are red.

Starbucks is no stranger to controversy. During the political firestorm earlier this year, CEO Howard Schultz promised to hire 10,000 refugees by 2022.

Discussion:

• How do you interpret the coffee cup? What does it mean to you? Do you think Starbucks is trying to promote a "gay agenda"?
• This may be another example of "brand activism." Should Starbucks stay out of the fray or take a stand on some issues? What are the advantages and downsides of each approach?

Papa John's Gets Clear About Neo-Nazis

After Papa John's CEO John Schnatter criticized NFL leadership for allowing players to kneel during the national anthem, the alt-right claimed Papa John's as their "official pizza." The announcement came on The Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website.

This was a little too close for Schnatter, and he denounced neo-Nazis in a series of tweets, the last one including a middle finger. In addition, company wrote in a statement, "We condemn racism in all forms and any and all hate groups that support it. We do not want these individuals or groups to buy our pizza."

Papa John's has softened its stance. The company also replied to a critical tweet after this series was tweeted:

Discussion:

• Read all of Papa John's tweets. How well is the company recovering from the situation?
• Clearly, they are alienating neo-Nazis-and that seems to be the point. What are the benefits and downsides of their approach? On balance, why do you think the company made this decision?

Professor's Derogatory Yelp Review

A Boston University professor posted a Yelp review with personal comments about restaurant employees. Dirk Hackbarth, at BU's Questrom School of Business, didn't like the service at Café ArtScience and wrote a review, referring to the employees' weight. He described the general manager as "fat guy" and wrote of the bar director, "Asian cool skinny dude at bar was friendly but knew he was powerless vis a vis the host - different weight class I guess though fat guy probably never heard of mma [mixed martial arts] tricks etc."

The school dean tweeted,

"We are aware of an inappropriate Yelp review posted by a member of our faculty. It does not represent our views and values. We are extremely disappointed by this occurrence."

The original Yelp post was deleted. Two prohibitions in Yelp's Terms of Service may apply to this situation:

• Writing a defamatory review
• Promoting bigotry or discrimination

Discussion:

• Assess the dean's response. Who is his audience, and what are his objectives?
• Did Yelp do the right thing by deleting the review? Why or why not?
• How do you see this situation as potential issues of humility and integrity? Consider the professor's role and standing at the university.

Smashing Keurigs to Defend Roy Moore

People are posting videos of themselves destroying their Keurig coffee machines to protest the company's decision to pull advertising from Fox News because of an interview with Roy Moore. Moore, who is running for Senator for Alabama, has been accused of having sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl and other teenagers when he was in his 30s.

Sean Hannity interviewed Moore, and Keurig and other advertisers, including E-Trade, Realtor.com, ELOQUII, 23andMe, and Nature's Bounty, thought the interview was too light and let Moore off easily. Keurig CEO Bob Gamgort explained his reasoning in an email to employees including this excerpt:

"The catalyst for the current situation was commentary made by Sean Hannity on his TV and radio programs last week, which sparked a significant number of consumer complaints directed to us as advertisers on his TV program. Hannity himself later apologized for his comments in his own tweet: "As I said on TV tonight, I apologize when I misspoke and was not totally clear earlier today."

Hannity's conservative fans aren't happy with the decision.

UPDATE: Some advertisers deleted tweets, which does not reflect well on the brands.

Discussion:

• Assess the CEO's full email to employees. Analyze his audience and communication objectives. How well does he explain the situation?
• In what ways is this an issue of integrity for multiple people involved?