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
A zillion college graduates are about to descend on civilization with shiny apples in hand. My daughter Grace is among the throng though I suspect she’ll take a pass on the apple (always the rebel). Regardless, the demand versus supply equation doesn’t work in the graduate’s favor. Finding that elusive first job puts a premium …more
In one corner we have the biggest, baddest and most valuable company on the planet, Apple. In the opposite corner sits the U.S. government getting more ornery by the minute. As you know by now, the government has asked Apple to unlock a phone used by a terrorist in San Bernardino. Apple has refused, believing …more
There being downtown San Jose. Our office is a two-minute walk from the headquarters of the NFC champs, the Carolina Panthers. And we’re a 20-minute Light Rail ride from Levi’s Stadium, host to the big game on Sunday. Given our proximity to the action, we challenged the U.S. team to come up with tweets reflecting …more
The wonders of social media periodically dust off commentary long relegated to the archives. So it was with David Ogilvy’s advice on writing that made the rounds on LinkedIn this week. Ogilvy penned these words on Sept. 7, 1982 in a memo to his employees. His point of view has relevance for all business communicators, …more
Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, writing is back in vogue. Yet, fresh challenges stand between today’s business writing and grabbing the reader by the scruff of the neck. As we scrutinize our own writing and the associated internal training, we view seven issues that guide us: 1. Education of stakeholders: This has nothing to …more
I came across Gavin McMahon last year, listening to his webinar on presentations. Shockingly, he offered fresh takes. Better yet, he stayed away from the typical “use visuals, not bullets” and “don’t read your slides” and “don’t jingle the coins in your pocket” drivel that dominates 99 percent of the advice on presentations. His roadmap …more
I expected more from the Google job description in its search for the next Doodler. Job descriptions can serve as a litmus test on whether a company gets business storytelling. In other words, are functions other than communications like HR using language to give those on the outside a sense of the company culture and …more
It’s that time of the year. About 19.9 million college graduates are about to descend on civilization with shiny apples in hand. Unfortunately, the demand versus supply equation doesn’t work in their favor. Finding that elusive first job puts a premium on the resume and its associated cover letter. No university invited me to deliver …more
