As a student of business writing, I don’t turn to obituaries for inspiration (probably a good thing). The typical obit adheres to a formula that goes something like this: He or she passed away Source of fame Key achievements Surviving family There’s a reason that newspapers assign the “obit beat” to newly hired college grads. …more
The math for Twitter appears so promising. At last count, over 300 million people use Twitter. Certainly, at least a few people will appreciate your clever jab at Lady Gaga. Unfortunately, such logic is flawed. The social media platform doesn’t make it easy to get noticed. You craft the perfect tweet — one sure to …more
Why don’t companies care about job descriptions? It makes no sense. Every company claims “people are our most valuable asset.” Every company is fighting competitors for talent. Every company recognizes that first impressions count. Yet, most companies churn out job descriptions that sound like they came from the same HR 101 handbook. The end result …more
College graduation ceremonies aren’t exactly the most entertaining affairs. By design. A speaker will make a case to “follow your passion” followed by a glorified roll call that, depending on the size of the school, can literally last hours. Still, to lower the probability of something going awry, schools provide an FAQ. While these documents …more
With Game of Thrones Season 6 off to a good start — more conspiracy theories on Jon Snow than the JFK assassination — let’s rewind the tape to last season. Specifically, I want to zero in on episode 8 of Season 5 when Tyrion makes his sales pitch to Daenerys to land her chief advisor …more
The Grab Bag makes its 2016 debut. For those not familiar with these posts, I string together three quick takes. Here goes. When You Apply for a Job with the CIA, the Question Immediately Arises, “Can You Keep a Secret?” I enjoy studying communications of all types. That’s what led to me to a …more
Today’s holiday celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. always prompts me to dust off the “I Have Dream” speech. It’s a revealing exercise to read the text of the speech rather than watch and listen to the speech. King was such a gifted orator, you get the feeling he could recite the owner’s …more
Even if you’re not a Game of Thrones fan — must be a few lawyers out there who quibble with their court system — one can only marvel at Tyrion’s sales pitch to Daenerys (season 5, episode 8) as he jockeys for the top advisor role. It is sheer genius and case study in persuasive language. Nothing …more
Since Lee Kuan Yew’s passing, every media outlet in the free and not-so-free world has chronicled his accomplishments. If you haven’t spent time in Southeast Asia, it’s hard to appreciate the “miracle” of transforming this speck of geography into a world-class economy. It’s not quite Moses parting the Red Sea, but it’s close. I …more
