Scott Monty | Timeless Wisdom

A Gift for My Children

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Have you noticed how quickly life moves? It’s nearly impossible to capture the totality of the daily and weekly cadence of updates we make digitally, and the clock keeps moving forward.</div>
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Currently, we create approximately <strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">2.5 quintillion bytes</strong> of data each day. That’s 2,500,000,000,000,000,000 bites. And 90 percent of data that’s been created has occurred <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://iorgforum.org/case-study/some-amazing-statistics-about-online-data-creation-and-growth-rates/" href="https://iorgforum.org/case-study/some-amazing-statistics-about-online-data-creation-and-growth-rates/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">in the last two years</a>.</div>
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Our digital musings are here one second, and gone in the next. It’s hard to keep track of your own content (even the stuff you maybe remember creating) when you try to search for it. Did I post that photo on Facebook? Or was it Twitter? No, wait — did I use Flickr? Or was it Photobucket? All of those bookmarks on del.icio.us? Gone.</div>
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The boards you create on Pinterest, the magazines you curate on Flipboard — even the blog you own and create — all of these will be a faded and forgotten part of your digital history, foggily known to you but completely nonexistent to your progeny.</div>
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At some level, we all want to be remembered. No one wants to live their life and feel like it didn’t matter. Whether you achieve something remarkable in your industry or raise an honorable family, you want your name to be in the minds and on the lips of future generations.</div>
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But with so much ephemeral digital effluvia, there’s no telling what will stick and what won’t, thanks to changing sensibilities, platform shifts, and more data.</div>
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With that in mind, when my first child was born — and for the subsequent two — I made a purchase that only grows in value each year. In addition to securing them their own domain names and Gmail addresses, I bought each of them <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://amzn.to/2k1STLr" href="https://amzn.to/2k1STLr" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"><strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">a leather journal</strong></a>.</div>
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Each week, I spend some non-digital time writing to my kids in their journals.</div>
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Aside from writing in a leather journal with a <b><a href="https://amzn.to/2lwz7s0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fountain pen</a></b>, I make time each week to step away from WiFi. Whether it’s reading or simply reflecting, I get recharged by creating <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2019/05/the-need-for-serenity.html" href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2019/05/the-need-for-serenity.html" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"><strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">moments of serenity and tranquility</strong></a>. </div>
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Serenity is a precious compound because it only exists in the present. It is fleeting. It is hard to capture in the imagination. It’s even more difficult to capture in daily motion.</div>
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Which brings us back to the journal.</div>
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I jot down thoughts, observations, and life advice. Maybe it’s something cute they said or a heart-to-heart conversation we had. It could be a passage from a book I was reading or an online article or quote that someone shared.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong class="markup--strong markup--pullquote-strong"><em class="markup--em markup--pullquote-em">Request</em></strong><em class="markup--em markup--pullquote-em">: what are some sources of wisdom and advice that you’d recommend?</em></span></div>
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My goal is to create a customized handbook of life, with moments unique to each child and fundamentals that I duplicate across each journal. When they leave home, I’ll give them a journal filled with my handwritten notes.</div>
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Odds are they may think it’s a little corny or too sentimental when they’re 18 (or 22, or 25…). But this is a gift that they’ll grow to appreciate over time.</div>
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Who knows? Maybe they’ll start their own journals for their kids one day. If so, it’s a tradition that will catalog and curate our family values, and be a permanent record of how we lived while we were here.</div>
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If not, then at least the historians will be able to read some of my thoughts beyond Facebook, Medium and WordPress.</div>
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A Gift for My Children

Have you noticed how quickly life moves? It’s nearly impossible to capture the totality of the daily and weekly cadence of updates ...

Prolific and Pensive

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I recently mentioned having finally seen the musical Hamilton. Now I'm in the midst of the biography <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/2XCBLP4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alexander Hamilton</a></i></b> by Ron Chernow. It's a hefty tome (818 pages!), which is up there with Chernow's other biographies of <a href="https://amzn.to/2XVIjb3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rockefeller</a> (832 pages), <a href="https://amzn.to/2XIse9h" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Washington</a> (928 pages) and <a href="https://amzn.to/2XIIqm5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grant</a> (1104 pages).<br />
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It got me to thinking about proflicacy. (There's a word for you!)<br />
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Chernow marveled at Hamilton's prodigious output, calling him<br />
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"[A]n exuberant genius who performed at a fiendish pace and must have produced the maximum number of words that a human being can scratch out in forty-nine years."</blockquote>
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He was a genius. But also flawed. His brilliance was the type that made him impatient, and he must have known his time on Earth was limited, as he ran roughshod over all who didn't agree with him.<br />
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Ultimately (and I'm over-simplifying here; this is a blog, not a Chernow-length opus), it led to his duel with Aaron Burr and his resulting death on July 12, 1804—exactly 215 years ago today.<br />
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It's taken me a few years and some hard lessons, but I've learned that even when you're the smartest person in the room on a subject, humility will get you much farther than ego.<br />
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There's nothing wrong with sharing your knowledge about a topic; but bringing others along and acknowledging their contributions is equally as important.<br />
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May your ego and proflicacy move in opposite directions.<br />
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Hamilton#/media/File:Alexander_Hamilton_portrait_by_John_Trumbull_1806.jpg" target="_blank">Alexander Hamilton</a> by John Trumbull, 1806 (Wikipedia - public domain)</i><br />
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Prolific and Pensive

I recently mentioned having finally seen the musical Hamilton. Now I'm in the midst of the biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chern...

Say What You Do and Do What You Say

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Want to make it easier to have loyal customers? It's all about consistency—consistency in your actions and consistency in experiences.<br />
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Being consistent means that you create expectations and you deliver on them repeatedly.<br />
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You've likely heard the trope: "Your brand is not what you say it is; your brand is what other people say it is."<br />
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And it's true. You can't advertise your brand a certain way and then give people an experience that doesn't live up to what you've promised. Brand and reputation go hand in hand, and your reputation is the result of the things you do and the way you're perceived.<br />
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So if you want to build trust—and trust builds loyalty—you need to do the things that you say your brand stands for.<br />
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<b>Examples of off-brand experiences</b></h2>
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<b>You're on the hook</b></h3>
When I visit hotels, I like the option of reusing my towel. It just feels so wasteful to have them launder my towel after a single use. Most hotels have a card in the bathroom that asks you to think about the environment and reuse your towels (although let's face it: it also helps keep their costs down).<br />
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They position themselves as pro-sustainability ("We're going green!") and give you two options:<br />
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<li>A towel hanging up means "I will use again."</li>
<li>A towel on the floor means "Please exchange."</li>
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So far, so good.<br />
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But—when there are four towels, ostensibly for the family of four staying in the room, and there's only one hook—what message does that send?<br />
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Now I have to get creative, looking for doorknobs, chair or other things around the room to—ah, forget it. I'll just throw my towels on the floor.<br />
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<b>Do you really want to talk to me?</b></h3>
Pretty much every brand has some sort of social media presence, if not for branding, then for customer service. Some even encourage customers to "Tweet us for customer service." The unspoken brand promise is that they're present on social media to engage.<br />
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But here's the thing with social media in recent years: It's become just another place to advertise. Social platforms are supposed to be about <i>conversation</i>, which Merriam-Webster defines as an "exchange of sentiments, observations, opinions, or ideas."<br />
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If you end up ignoring customer service requests or feedback about how you're doing business, you're telling your customers they don't matter. So why put your social handle out there in the first place—to make the masses aware of how great your service is?<br />
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If you make your communications channels visible to the public, then use them. After all, you wouldn't publish an 800 number and not pick up the phone.<br />
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<b>What's the deal?</b></h3>
Auto manufacturers are some of the most advanced in digital marketing and are among the largest spenders in advertising. From online influencer programs to virtual reality test drives and online configurators, they test the edges of modern marketing.<br />
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But if you step into an auto dealership when you're ready to buy, you're likely transported back to the 1990s (or earlier). That online configuration you just completed? You need to start all over again. The finance pre-qualification form you filled out on the web? Here's a stack of forms you need to fill out and sign in triplicate. And sadly, some dealerships treat women as second-class citizens and will talk to their husbands when the wife if the one buying the car.<br />
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And when I happen upon an online discussion among dealer-types who are ninety-eight percent opposed to letting customers test drive a car on their own ("feelings don't matter" and "control control control" peppered the discussion), I realize that the dealership portion of the auto industry is utterly, horribly beyond repair.<br />
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If you're spending untold amounts of money on building your brand online and at the corporate level, and an in-person experience tells the customer they don't matter, you don't have a brand. You have an agglomeration of questionable experiences.<br />
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None of this is rocket surgery, if you'll permit me a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malapropism" target="_blank">malapropism</a>. [Oh, this might be a good moment to explain the significance of the painting above: That's Elizabeth Ann Sheridan, the wife of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, who wrote <i>The Rivals</i>, a play that included Mrs. Malaprop, the famous mis-speaker.] <br />
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If your brand is about sustainability, then it's your job to ensure that everything you do makes sustainability possible. If your brand is about customer-centricity, then spend time with your customers and experience the process through their eyes.<br />
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An uneven and inconsistent experience is going to tell your customers one thing: that you don't know what you're doing, despite what you say in your advertising campaign.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"What you are screams so loudly in my ears I cannot hear what you are saying." – Ralph Waldo Emerson </span></i></b>[<a href="https://ctt.ac/pu865" target="_blank">tweet this</a>]</div>
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Gainsborough_-_Mrs._Richard_Brinsley_Sheridan_.jpg" target="_blank">Mrs. Richard Brinsley Sheridan</a> by Thomas Gainsborough, 1786 (Wikimedia Commons, public domain)</i><br />
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Say What You Do and Do What You Say

Want to make it easier to have loyal customers? It's all about consistency—consistency in your actions and consistency in experiences...

How to Turn Customer Woes into Customer "Whoas!"

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I'm a Frank Sinatra fan. (That much shouldn't be a surprise.) The lyrics from his song "<a href="https://amzn.to/2Rm9oys" target="_blank">It's Nice to Go Trav'ling</a>" include this line:<br />
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"It's so nice to go trav'ling, but it's oh so nice to come home."</blockquote>
Travel is a double-edged sword. It can be a sheer delight, with discoveries of new <a href="https://amzn.to/2WKYkMh" target="_blank">foods, smells, and sights</a>. Or it can be a burden, with late-night flights, delays, missed connections, and other unplanned hiccups that otherwise prevent you from reaching your destination in a timely manner.<br />
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Part of being able to survive business travel in particular is to <a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2019/05/the-need-for-serenity.html" target="_blank">get in the mindset</a> that this is part of what you signed up for, and to try to make the best of any situation. It also helps when you do business with travel and hospitality brands that go the extra mile.<br />
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I found myself in just such a scenario recently.<br />
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<b>Delta Positive</b></h2>
I was flying from Detroit to San Jose (SJC), with a connecting flight through Salt Lake City (SLC). While I usually prefer direct flights, this was arranged by Adobe (a client), so I showed up early and settled into the Delta Sky Club. I already had a notice from <a href="https://tripit.com/" target="_blank">TripIt</a> that it was going to be a tight connection, with about forty-two minutes between flights in SLC.<br />
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It was then that Delta notified me that the flight was delayed by about thirty minutes, making the connection even more tenuous.<br />
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So, I scrambled to see what the options were: the agent at the SkyClub said there was a direct flight to San Francisco leaving in thirty minutes, the travel agent looked into additional flights from SLC to SJC (spoiler alert: there were none), and I went with my go-to move: a tweet to <a href="https://twitter.com/Delta" target="_blank">@Delta</a> on Twitter. I'm only a Silver Medallion SkyMiles member (their lowest tier), so I didn't have high expectations with the last maneuver.<br />
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After about fifteen minutes, the travel agent got back to me with  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and a recommendation that I just go on a wing and a prayer (yes, I know). And the SFO flight was sold out by that point.<br />
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Meanwhile, Delta had already replied to my tweet and took things to direct message, with an unexpected level of service:<br />
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All I can say is: wow. (Or whoa, if I'm being consistent with the title above.)<br />
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The flight was indeed delayed, and by the time we arrived at SLC, there was an eighteen-minute gap between flights. With doors closing fifteen minutes before a flight is scheduled to depart that left—check my math here—only three minutes to make the connection. I notified Delta of what was happening during our terminally slow taxi:<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c2LozA4_z3o/XQkTixdJjLI/AAAAAAABFqI/Yt00gpjs7-sCoMTeO6TPqJcpdBj22uudQCLcBGAs/s1600/Delay%2B-%2BDelta%2Bresponse%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="858" height="422" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c2LozA4_z3o/XQkTixdJjLI/AAAAAAABFqI/Yt00gpjs7-sCoMTeO6TPqJcpdBj22uudQCLcBGAs/s640/Delay%2B-%2BDelta%2Bresponse%2B2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Even better than Delta's stellar customer service was their choice of gates. We landed at C5 and the connecting flight was at C6. Talk about luck!<br />
<br />
As the flight to San Jose departed, I took the pilot's advice to "sit back and relax" (have you ever seen anyone sitting forward?) and breathed a sigh of relief that I was nearly there.<br />
<br />
But that feeling wasn't to last for long. Things were about to go sideways.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>Not HHonored to Be Here</b></h2>
The flight landed and I caught a ride to my hotel, the <a href="https://hilton.com/" target="_blank">Hilton</a> San Jose. I'm an HHonors member with gold status, and I usually opt for the digital key when I check in—where you can unlock your room with your smartphone.<br />
<br />
When I approached the front desk to check in, the manager told me that there were no more rooms available. My head began swirling. It was 11:15 p.m. (which translated to 2:15 a.m. back in Detroit).<br />
<br />
I immediately questioned the reality: "Are you sure? I had a reservation." No, all rooms were occupied. There was nothing they could do. But they did make arrangements for me at another hotel.<br />
<br />
"Oh, well that was kind of you. At least I'll have a room—FIFTEEN MILES AWAY!—what?"<br />
<br />
"We're sorry sir, but all of the other hotels nearby are booked as well. We do have a room reserved for you at Dinah's Garden Hotel in Palo Alto."<br />
<br />
Trying not to hyperventilate as I imagined Silicon Valley traffic and trying to get to my 8:15 a.m. meeting that was literally across the street from the Hilton, I went through my mind what the options were.<br />
<br />
So I pulled out my phone and opened <a href="https://www.hoteltonight.com/" target="_blank">Hotel Tonight</a>, one of my favorite apps for handling last-minute travel plans. It showed the La Quinta San Jose Airport with availability, which I showed to the hotel manager. He seemed confused, but I told him I was going to book it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a4Wcuru61y8/XQkfCo8lvhI/AAAAAAABFr8/r644Ls1hYLY7RBwzLc9pJyPMhtzHSR-ZQCLcBGAs/s1600/hoteltonight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="869" height="295" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a4Wcuru61y8/XQkfCo8lvhI/AAAAAAABFr8/r644Ls1hYLY7RBwzLc9pJyPMhtzHSR-ZQCLcBGAs/s320/hoteltonight.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
A quick push of the button later and a thumb slide across their logo—a movement so satisfying that it's second only to sliding into a soft comfy bed after a long trip—charged my card and notified me that I had a room.<br />
<br />
Only I didn't.<br />
<br />
The Hilton manager called ahead to La Quinta to verify they had my reservation before paying my cab fare to get there. As you've surmised, the manager at La Quinta didn't have a record of me, and insisted they didn't have any rooms either. After an exasperating conversation that seemed like it was straight out of <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2GmGSNvaM" target="_blank">Seinfeld</a></i>, I hung up and resigned myself to an evening in Palo Alto.<br />
<br />
Oh, did I mention that the flight crew from Salt Lake City had arrived and checked into their <i>four</i> rooms? It doesn't seem right that a Gold HHonors member would get stiffed when checking in <i>before</i> four other guests.<br />
<br />
The Hilton staff assured me that I'd have a room the next day and that they'd take care of the cab fares to and from Palo Alto. I thanked them and got in the cab to head northwest. Along the way, the cab driver told me that there was a power outage at the Marriott, and they unloaded all of their guests onto the other hotels. Hence the state of non-vacancies.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tip</b>: If you communicate clearly and transparently to your customers, they're likely to be much more understanding. Lack of communication invariably will lead to frustration, anger and resentment.</span></div>
<br />
Meanwhile I had tweeted <a href="https://twitter.com/hoteltonight" target="_blank">@HotelTonight</a> (foolishly thinking that I'd get a Twitter two-fer on customer service), but their canned response was to contact their team on the phone. I had neither the energy nor the composure to call the customer service number at that hour, so I just replied to their non-reply reservation email and let them know that I didn't have the room that they charged me for.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6LYgR3_fp94/XQkiG2DXiiI/AAAAAAABFsI/1NlFX9kmfzMPSCH6fWXoVw__NmRunwGfACLcBGAs/s1600/Dinah%2527s%2BGarden%2BHotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="342" height="410" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6LYgR3_fp94/XQkiG2DXiiI/AAAAAAABFsI/1NlFX9kmfzMPSCH6fWXoVw__NmRunwGfACLcBGAs/s640/Dinah%2527s%2BGarden%2BHotel.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinah's Garden Hotel, Palo Alto</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I arrived at <a href="https://www.dinahshotel.com/" target="_blank">Dinah's Garden Hotel</a> just after midnight and was greeted warmly and with empathy. It was a lovely retro-looking establishment with a lush pool area and well-reviewed restaurant. The facilities were updated and modern, and the management had a plate of apples and a couple of Ghirardelli chocolates waiting for me in the room.<br />
<br />
The next morning, I was out the door at 7:15 a.m. and had an uneventful ride back to the Hilton in San Jose. The good news was that I discovered that Hotel Tonight had answered my email overnight and would be refunding my money. So far, so good.<br />
<br />
The front desk staff back at the Hilton was welcoming and expressed their apologies for the disruption the night before. They took my email address so the manager could get in touch, and they whisked me upstairs to my room, which was available that early.<br />
<br />
In the room, I noticed this placard, with Hilton's brand promise:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z52BKOLyYas/XQkjaiKKm6I/AAAAAAABFsU/xTzEltjYrnsMuQwDVBjWrfqVvODVx9IEwCLcBGAs/s1600/Hilton%2B-%2Bmake%2Bit%2Bright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="851" height="474" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z52BKOLyYas/XQkjaiKKm6I/AAAAAAABFsU/xTzEltjYrnsMuQwDVBjWrfqVvODVx9IEwCLcBGAs/s640/Hilton%2B-%2Bmake%2Bit%2Bright.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you're not satisfied with your stay, let us know and we'll Make It Right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Knowing as I did that the hotel had its hands full and made arrangements for me before I arrived, I didn't really have any complaints that morning (other than having to relocate so far away the night before). I was simply grateful to have a room.<br />
<br />
But imagine my surprise when I arrived back at the room after a day of meetings, to find this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7sHD88HChcM/XQkj7-RiAFI/AAAAAAABFsc/QuP0Xr0T5y4ckqKapcXnFC7bxVCpQlopQCLcBGAs/s1600/Hilton%2B-%2Btreat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1134" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7sHD88HChcM/XQkj7-RiAFI/AAAAAAABFsc/QuP0Xr0T5y4ckqKapcXnFC7bxVCpQlopQCLcBGAs/s640/Hilton%2B-%2Btreat.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This was a nice gesture to try to smooth things over. But here's the thing: did this gesture Make It Right?<br />
<br />
I don't think that it did.<br />
<br />
An HHonors member getting stiffed over a reservation, no communication about the situation before or after (the manager never reached out as promised), and watching other guests check in while I was being exiled to another city: Does a cheese and wine make this right?<br />
<br />
No, what would make it right would be to do something commensurate with the lost night. A bundle of HHonors points, a complementary stay—something, anything to make it clear that I'm valued.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE:</b><br />
The manager of the San Jose Hilton got in touch to say that he had written a personal note with an apology and 25,000 HHonors points; it evidently did not get delivered with the amenities. He was thorough and thoughtful in his email, and demonstrated the kind of hospitality that I have come to expect from Hilton (which is why I was shocked that they didn't seem to have met that in what I recounted above).<br />
<br />
I hope to make the San Jose Hilton my hotel of choice upon my return to San Jose.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>Three brands, three experiences</b></h2>
Summing up the interactions, here's how I'd rank them:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Delta exceeded my expectations.</li>
<li>HotelTonight met my expectations.</li>
<li>Hilton fell below my expectations.</li>
</ol>
<br />
Delta made me feel the most cared about. They knew what I'd be going through and were helpful, going the extra mile without me having to ask. While Hilton made sure I wasn't homeless for the night, their communication was less than stellar and their snack tray didn't make anything right.<br />
<br />
And this is the difference between brands that want to ensure they keep good customers and those that don't care and would rather chase new customers.<br />
<br />
Brands that show empathy—that care enough to take care of you the way they'd take care of their own family when traveling and anticipate your needs—these are the brands that create better customer experiences. That build trust. And ultimately, loyalty.<br />
<br />
When a brand is able to turn a <i>woe</i> into a "<i>whoa</i>," you'll see that the customers they took such good care of will come back again and again.<br />
<br />
Returning to Frank Sinatra, he recorded the Cole Porter song  "<a href="https://amzn.to/2IqqlF4" target="_blank">I Concentrate On You</a>" three times in his career. As an entertainer whose star shone bright and faded many times, it's no wonder, as the lyrics indicate the value of someone who was there for him, especially through difficult times:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When fortune cries "Nay, nay" to me<br />
And people declare "You're through"<br />
Whenever the blues become my only songs<br />
I concentrate on you<br />
        On your smile, so sweet, so tender<br />
        When at first my kiss you do decline<br />
        On the light in your eyes when you surrender<br />
        And once again our arms intertwine</blockquote>
<br />
May we be so lucky to have people and brands that inspire that level of devotion from us.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Top image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gassed_(painting)">Gassed</a> by John Singer Sargent, 1919 (Wikipedia, Public Domain) </i>

How to Turn Customer Woes into Customer "Whoas!"

I'm a Frank Sinatra fan. (That much shouldn't be a surprise.) The lyrics from his song " It's Nice to Go Trav'ling &...

C-Level Executives Should Lose the Attitude When Communicating

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EaFKbO4iJH8/XPlw9ElIJsI/AAAAAAABFWc/5kuqO_pOQTUSQgSoYRJbUsP25LgAIhwzgCLcBGAs/s1600/James%2BCambpell%2B-%2BNews%2BFrom%2BMy%2BLad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1400" height="364" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EaFKbO4iJH8/XPlw9ElIJsI/AAAAAAABFWc/5kuqO_pOQTUSQgSoYRJbUsP25LgAIhwzgCLcBGAs/s640/James%2BCambpell%2B-%2BNews%2BFrom%2BMy%2BLad.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Every external-facing executive has had this challenge.<br />
<br />
You're working diligently on advancing your business, growing your customer base, expanding your products and services, improving your bottom line, and telling your story. But there's someone — or even worse, a <i>group</i> of someones — who aren't interested in your best efforts; they won't be satisfied until you shake up your business and bend to their requests.<br />
<br />
When someone like that has a platform to make their voice heard, and they don't take into account any of the talking points or convincing conversation you've shared with them, it can be frustrating.<br />
So frustrating that you just want to unleash on them and give them a piece of your mind.<br />
<br />
Don't.<br />
<br />
Whether you're a CEO, chief communications officer, or a public relations executive and you're dealing with public-facing entities (customers, the media, shareholders, employees, etc.) who haven't quite gotten the gist of your message — or who seem to have an agenda of their own — don't let your feelings of annoyance color your communication.<br />
<br />
Because you know what doesn't look good on any public-facing executive? Contempt.<br />
<br />
Two recent communications from Fortune 10 executives gave me pause.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>Walling Off Support</b></h2>
The first is from Dan Bartlett, EVP of Corporate Affairs for Walmart. In the lead-up to the annual shareholders meeting at Walmart, Dan had a series of tweets that took aim at Senator Bernie Sanders (who has been overly critical of Walmart):<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
We welcome <a href="https://twitter.com/BernieSanders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BernieSanders</a> on his campaign stop to Northwest Arkansas. Here are a few facts I’m fairly certain he won’t acknowledge while describing his outdated view of Walmart. (1/4)</div>
— Dan Bartlett (@danbartlett6) <a href="https://twitter.com/danbartlett6/status/1136288798990655489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-conversation="none">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
No other company in the U.S. is making debt-free college education accessible to more than a million people for about $1 a day. No other company has opened 200 training academies, providing enhanced workforce skill-building for hundreds of thousands just this past year. (2/4)</div>
— Dan Bartlett (@danbartlett6) <a href="https://twitter.com/danbartlett6/status/1136288801997893632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-conversation="none">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
No other company has hired more than 225k veterans in the last 5 years. No other company in America has pledged to avoid emissions in the supply chain by 1 BILLION metric tons by 2030! (3/4)</div>
— Dan Bartlett (@danbartlett6) <a href="https://twitter.com/danbartlett6/status/1136288804497756160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-conversation="none">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Oh, and we’re one of the largest federal income tax payers, recently contributing nearly 2% of all corporate taxes! (4/4)</div>
— Dan Bartlett (@danbartlett6) <a href="https://twitter.com/danbartlett6/status/1136288807328915457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
Now, I get that Sanders has been a thorn in Walmart's side for quite a while. And I also get that Walmart has done all of the things that Bartlett notes (disclosure: Walmart was once a client of mine). It must be dismaying to not get credit for the positive developments that demonstrated a move in the right direction.<br />
<br />
But Bartlett's attitude comes off as snarky and scornful, which results in two things: 1) it makes him (and Walmart) less likely to garner praise from anyone who might have been sympathetic to their cause; and 2) actually makes him (and Walmart) seem like he's turning a deaf ear to the initial complaints.<br />
<br />
The "welcome...to Northwest Arkansas" was about as sincere as "with all due respect." He may as well have ended with "Bless your heart."<br />
<br />
If an executive wishes to engage someone in a debate or make a point about valid progress, an open, respectful and upbeat tone will win over detractors, rather than firing bullet points of rebuttals with a flippant attitude.  <br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>Generally a Little Better</b></h2>
Tony Cervone, the SVP of Global Communications for General Motors, didn't appreciate the coverage that <i>The New York Times</i> was giving to the shuttering of GM's Lordstown, OH plant. In his view, the paper was focused only on doom and gloom and the Times published his letter:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Tony Cervone, <a href="https://twitter.com/GM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GM</a> communications chief, calls out the <a href="https://twitter.com/NYT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYT</a> for failing to find "optimism" despite job cuts and idled plants.. "You are fixed on seeding doubt and despair." <a href="https://t.co/ETDdcxGWZI">https://t.co/ETDdcxGWZI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/freep?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@freep</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/freepautos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@freepautos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/UAW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UAW</a></div>
— Phoebe Wall Howard (@phoebesaid) <a href="https://twitter.com/phoebesaid/status/1135912473872125953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/03/opinion/letters/general-motors-lordstown.html" target="_blank">letter</a> was balanced in that it acknowledged the struggles that the workers, community, and the industry is facing, and showed the way that GM worked to find options for employees and for the facility itself (although that is still uncertain). It opened with the observation that "What has been missing is any sense of optimism."<br />
<br />
But along the way, a creeping sense of disdain began to rise. It concludes with Cervone telling the paper how to do its job, insisting that the narrative that he has shared "should drive a sense of optimism, not despair."<br />
<br />
When a company works so hard to show how it's trying to make the best of a bad situation and that effort is ignored, it's disappointing when a publication misses the mark. But if you allow antagonism to seep through while making your point, it can seem off-putting.<br />
<br />
Haughty.<br />
<br />
Disdainful.<br />
<br />
Contemptuous.<br />
<br />
Scornful.<br />
<br />
Prideful.<br />
<br />
Supercilious.<br />
<br />
If you're a public spokesperson of any sort and your communications invoke any of the above adjectives, it's disrespectful. It shows that you don't understand the other side, that you believe their position is invalid, or that your view is the only view.<br />
<br />
It's human to have emotions — especially negative ones. And it's a struggle to keep them in when you're thwarted. <a href="https://amzn.to/2KvRh7K" target="_blank">Heliotropism</a> takes practice.<br />
<br />
Communications executives who demonstrate patience, optimism, empathy, and show their best selves will be respected by those with whom they seek to influence and will reap the rewards in the long run.<br />
<br />
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Campbell_-_News_from_My_Lad_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg">News from my Lad</a> by James Campbell, 1859 (Wikimedia Commons - public domain)</i><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />
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C-Level Executives Should Lose the Attitude When Communicating

Every external-facing executive has had this challenge. You're working diligently on advancing your business, growing your customer...

Innovation by Perspective

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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CtoA3h-Tf6s/XOQoIEWaxFI/AAAAAAABFFU/kJ2OpLR2q94X3MAA7y-P7mn51jV7EQQ7QCLcBGAs/s1600/Gerrit%2BBerckheyde%2B-%2BLe%2BGrand%2Bmarche%2BHaarlem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1500" height="432" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CtoA3h-Tf6s/XOQoIEWaxFI/AAAAAAABFFU/kJ2OpLR2q94X3MAA7y-P7mn51jV7EQQ7QCLcBGAs/s640/Gerrit%2BBerckheyde%2B-%2BLe%2BGrand%2Bmarche%2BHaarlem.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
"You're doing it wrong."<br />
<br />
"We've always done it that way."<br />
<br />
"That'll never work."<br />
<br />
Universal refrains from people who don't want to take responsibility for something. Or who don't have imagination.<br />
<br />
It's effortless to blame someone else. We're comfortable to remain grounded in what we're familiar with. It's painless to shoot down a new idea.<br />
<br />
Any time we put forth a new idea, it's a risk. We stand the chance of running into opposition, being rejected, or failing. Those are all valid fears, but they shouldn't deter us from trying.<br />
<br />
Or perhaps you think it's too difficult or not worthwhile if you work in a staid, conservative environment, or you've got an old set of tools, or a limited budget.<br />
<br />
I was reading Preet Bharara's <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2M0eS2w" target="_blank">Doing Justice</a></i> and came across a story of criminals who evaded police simply by being too quick, but it was the creativity of an employee, working with items at hand that put a stop to things.<br />
<br />
There were a string of burglaries at a high-end clothing store. Every few weeks, criminals were breaking in at night, scooping up armloads of clothes off the racks, and dashing off before the police could arrive. They set off the store's alarm, but they knew the cops wouldn't be there for a while, so they were able to flee the scene in time.<br />
<br />
The store decided they'd try to fix it with technology. They installed motion-sensor cameras that, in addition to the alarm, would capture the thieves in the act and provide some sort of visual evidence. The presence of cameras did not deter the criminals, as they were back and committed the same felony once again.<br />
<br />
But it did give one employee an idea.<br />
<br />
After watching the footage of how the criminals went about their business, this employee simply reversed every other hanger on the rack. The effect: it slowed the criminals down, who, driven by greed, stopped to take each garment off of the rack one by one. The police arrived and caught them in the act.<br />
<br />
In this case, innovation didn't take tens of thousands of dollars in new technology, or some breakthrough product. All it took was an employee who looked at a problem from a different perspective.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"Common sense and cleverness go a long way, even in the most mundane settings and circumstances." </i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;">– Preet Bharara, <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2M0eS2w" target="_blank">Doing Justice</a></i></span></div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When it comes to challenges, customer experiences, or your daily way of doing business, try thinking differently. Apply a known and trusted tool in new and innovative ways. Invite others to the process and observe them. Trust your instincts.</div>
<br />
All it takes is a willingness to shift your perspective.<br />
<br />
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Innovation by Perspective

"You're doing it wrong." "We've always done it that way." "That'll never work." Universal...

The Four Powers of Stories that Unite Us

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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yulnj198vvU/XOI7dm2haaI/AAAAAAABFEA/9xgWJ1Py-V4h0eZnmVhexWflqRZdCaVPgCLcBGAs/s1600/Jean-Baptiste%2BWicar%2B-%2BVirgil%2BReading%2Bthe%2BAeneid%2Bto%2BAugustus%2BOctavia%2Band%2BLivia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="1200" height="450" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yulnj198vvU/XOI7dm2haaI/AAAAAAABFEA/9xgWJ1Py-V4h0eZnmVhexWflqRZdCaVPgCLcBGAs/s640/Jean-Baptiste%2BWicar%2B-%2BVirgil%2BReading%2Bthe%2BAeneid%2Bto%2BAugustus%2BOctavia%2Band%2BLivia.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
It's the Monday after the <i>Game of Thrones</i> finale, and you know what that means: every marketer and communicator alive is thinking about Tyrion's speech.<br />
<br />
Yes, I'm going there, but I've got a story to share with you along the way.<br />
<br />
In case you didn't get a chance to see it yet (or simply don't care about it), here's the lowdown: in the series finale of <i>Game of Thrones</i>, Tyrion Lannister gave a monologue in which he said:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“What unites people? Armies? Gold? Flags? Stories. There’s nothing in the world more powerful than a good story. Nothing can stop it. No one can defeat it.”</blockquote>
<br />
It was a fine speech — one that moved leaders to set a bold new direction for the realm. And I'm guessing that your inbox or timeline will be deluged with a marketing hot take on it.<br />
<br />
The power of storytelling is certainly worth spending time on. But more than acknowledging that stories do in fact work, we should try to understand <b><i>why </i></b>they work. More on that in a moment.<br />
<br />
But first, a story.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>PR and Founding Fathers</b></h2>
Of all of the leaders of the ancient world, there are very few who stand out: Alexander the Great, Ramses II, Hammurabi, Julius Caesar. But there was one central figure whose reign gave way to the <i>Pax Romana</i>, a sustained period of relative peace and the firm establishment of the Roman Empire.<br />
<br />
But Augustus had an issue as he rose to power: following the violent death of his uncle and a vicious battle for his place at the helm, he had to show that he was worthy and capable of the position, and that Rome claimed its place in the world.<br />
<br />
Until then, Rome was forever in the shadow of Greece, that bastion of civilization and philosophy. Romans were more engineers than philosophers, creating the infrastructure that allowed cities to thrive (We Classics majors have a saying: "The Greeks had the brains; the Romans built the drains."). And Greece had its origin story in the <i>Iliad </i>— the classic tale of the Trojans kidnapping Helen, and the vicious dispute between Agamemnon and Achilles. <br />
<br />
That epic poem was known for centuries throughout the Mediterranean. Every Greek and Roman citizen knew its content and its significance. And Augustus knew that the secret to every good society was an origin story.<br />
<br />
So, what did he do? He commissioned the poet Virgil to craft a national epic that would speak to Rome's illustrious beginnings, make the connection between Augustus and the gods, and serve as a common point of pride for all Romans. Thus the <i>Aeneid </i>was born.<br />
<br />
The <i>Aeneid </i>was a powerful set of stories that picked up at the close of the Trojan War, followed Aeneas to the shores of Carthage (Rome's archenemy), Jupiter's command to found a new city, his marriage to the daughter of King Latinus,  and the eventual prophesies of Rome, Augustus, and his ancestors.<br />
<br />
In sum, it was a great piece of propaganda for Rome, giving it a founding father (Aeneas) at the same time another founding father (Augustus) was making drastic improvements to the empire.<br />
<br />
<br />
So, with that bit of history behind us, let's look at four powers of stories that bring us together.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>The Four Powers of Stories</b></h2>
Virgil was able to put into 12 books of the Aeneid the facts (okay, they were presumed facts) about the founding of Rome. With any story, we're trying to get a point across. That is, we want to convey something about ourselves to someone, whether it's part of our origins or making them aware of something new. Rather than just blurt out a series of specs or features, if we put a story around them, we make it more likely that someone will retain those facts. <b>Stories carry information for us</b>.<br />
<br />
The delays, challenges, and victories that Aeneas experienced would have been relatable to Romans. They probably even knew some of the scenery of his travels. When we tell stories, we do so in a way that captures the essence of a scene, action or person. The better we are at being descriptive, the more likely we are to simulate actual events and make someone else feel something. And when you provoke feelings, you're easier to relate to. <b>Stories create an emotional connection with others</b>.<br />
<br />
If anything, Virgil laid out the national culture of the then-modern Roman Empire: a prophesy as dictated by Jupiter himself, victorious despite many challenges, and embodied in the current leader. The stories we choose to tell over and over create a unique aura about us, showing others what matters to us and why we're different. This is how culture is set, and culture essentially is the result of stories we tell about ourselves. <b>Stories help create and showcase our culture</b>.<br />
<br />
History can seem like a jumble of facts. But put it into a series of harrowing tales and derring-do, all in dactylic hexameter, and you've got a blockbuster on your hands. If you've ever been bored to tears at a business presentation or a family gathering, you know how unlikely you are to want to attend again. But think of how pleasantly surprised you might be if the presenter or dinner companion told you a series of riveting or raucous stories. Suddenly, getting you to attend another is more likely. Why? <b>Stories provoke action through enjoyment</b>.<br />
<br />
<br />
We each hold within us the ability to tell stories. It's been part of the human condition for millennia. Some of us are better at it than others, but practicing it — or <a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/p/consulting.html" target="_blank">bringing someone in who can help</a> — will make your firm more successful.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgil#/media/File:Virgil_Reading_the_Aeneid.jpg" target="_blank">Virgil Reading the Aeneid to Augustus, Octavia, and Livia</a> by Jean-Baptiste Wicar, 1790-1793 (Wikipedia - public domain)</i><br />
<br />

The Four Powers of Stories that Unite Us

It's the Monday after the Game of Thrones finale, and you know what that means: every marketer and communicator alive is thinking ...

To Be Heard More, Speak Less

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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0W6ntrjMyao/XNm_FwLFsuI/AAAAAAABE_k/5XEzhcwiAt8g3fQkTs69PUYXjiwJykRmQCLcBGAs/s1600/William%2BBradford%2B-%2BArctic%2BSunset%2B1874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1051" data-original-width="1600" height="420" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0W6ntrjMyao/XNm_FwLFsuI/AAAAAAABE_k/5XEzhcwiAt8g3fQkTs69PUYXjiwJykRmQCLcBGAs/s640/William%2BBradford%2B-%2BArctic%2BSunset%2B1874.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
You don't have to have something to say constantly.<br />
<br />
You don't always need to be on.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, your audience simply might not want to hear from you.<br />
<br />
And other times, the power of silence can convey something even more powerful.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">“I will begin to speak when I have that to say which had not better be unsaid.”</span></i></b> </div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">–</span> Cato the Younger (via Plutarch's <i>Lives</i>)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We're told that we need to post X number of times a day on Instagram, or keep up a certain cadence on Facebook. Snapchat creates the ultimate incentive for this behavior with <a href="https://support.snapchat.com/en-GB/a/snapstreaks" target="_blank">Snapstreaks</a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Why are we trying to convince each other that more is better? We're trying to make up for the crowded newsfeeds by shouting our way to relevancy, which seems to be the only alternative to using paid media to be seen, now that organic reach is nearly gone.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Imagine if you decided to say something only when it was worth saying something, rather than constantly caving in to the pressure to produce. That pressure is creating burnout for producers and consumers of content alike.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"It isn't only famous movie stars who want to be alone. Whenever I hear someone speak of privacy, I find myself thinking once again how real and deep the need for such times is for human beings…at all ages." </span></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">–</span> Fred Rogers, <i>The World According to Mister Rogers</i></div>
<div>
<br />
More isn't better. Sometimes more is just more.<br />
<br />
Imagine how much more consumers would appreciate your work if you created fewer, better things. Imagine how much more you'd enjoy creating those things if you were able to create them with more deliberation.<br />
<br />
You can create anticipation and interest with scarcity.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Image credit: <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19968006#/media/File:RISD_Bradford_Arctic_Sunset.JPG" target="_blank">Arctic Sunset</a> by William Bradford (Ad Meskens - Wikimedia Commons)</i></div>

To Be Heard More, Speak Less

You don't have to have something to say constantly. You don't always need to be on. Sometimes, your audience simply might not...

The Need for Serenity

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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RIwdctqQFrc/XMsEiou2sXI/AAAAAAABEt8/WxJK7MzdleAwdwxgqJHwm6IgGiBZukKwwCLcBGAs/s1600/Jean%2BVictor%2BBertin%2B-%2BClassical%2BLandscape%2Bwith%2BFigures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="600" height="504" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RIwdctqQFrc/XMsEiou2sXI/AAAAAAABEt8/WxJK7MzdleAwdwxgqJHwm6IgGiBZukKwwCLcBGAs/s640/Jean%2BVictor%2BBertin%2B-%2BClassical%2BLandscape%2Bwith%2BFigures.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I just returned from a week away, a good portion of which I spent without WiFi. The remainder of the week, I spent less time on Facebook.<br />
<br />
And you know what? It felt good. Really good.<br />
<br />
I recently put <a href="https://www.fullmontyshow.com/" target="_blank">The Full Monty</a> newsletter on hold, after being overwhelmed with it each week. It had slowly grown over the years, to the point where it just became too much: too many topics, too many links, too unwieldy to read and to write.<br />
<br />
In doing so, it made me realize that there's so much more joy to be had and richness to experience offline. From reading and reflecting to interacting and observing. So I'm going to be making a few changes here.<br />
<br />
I'll have a version of The Full Monty, but it won't be as dense. I'm going to pare down the topics and the number of links, and provide more commentary and analysis.<br />
<br />
Plus, I'll have at least one other update each week with insights and advice on leadership in the field of communications and marketing—with my bent being toward embracing calmness and rational thinking amid a sea of shiny objects and never-ending trend chasing.<br />
<br />
We need more serenity, at work and at home.<br />
<br />
Serenity—or tranquility—is perhaps the greatest virtue in life.<br />
<br />
To be tranquil is to be able to sit quietly and enjoy today without a nod to the past or a glance toward the future.<br />
<br />
That observation is trite, I know. But aren't all the great truths of life trite?<br />
<br />
Sadly, not many people can achieve the related mood of perfect serenity. When they are young their eyes are on a distant horizon. When they grow older their memories play tricks with the past.<br />
<br />
I've written about the <a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2019/03/the-secret-of-good-futurists.html" target="_blank">past</a> and the <a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2019/03/the-seeds-of-time.html" target="_blank">future</a> frequently. It's interesting to think about both, because they fascinate, bemuse, beguile and churn the blood.<br />
<br />
But the <i>present</i> has an even greater compensation — if you know how to enjoy it.<br />
<br />
That compensation is serenity.<br />
<br />
Serenity is a precious compound. But because it only exists in the present, it is fleeting.<br />
<br />
It is hard to capture in the imagination. It's even more difficult to capture in daily motion.<br />
<br />
So I hope you'll commit to joining me for a slower, deliberate approach amidst the knee-jerk reactionaries of the online world.<br />
<br />
Together, we'll parse out what matters and what will make you a better leader.<br />
<br />
Less dot com. More dot calm.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b>Image credit</b>: <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/438623" target="_blank">Landscape with Classical Figures</a> by Jean Victor Bertin, 1803 (The Met - public domain)</i>

The Need for Serenity

I just returned from a week away, a good portion of which I spent without WiFi. The remainder of the week, I spent less time on Facebook....

"We've Always Done it That Way"

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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KT4q5FVBxlg/XLZHq2mJwnI/AAAAAAABESQ/XKPW-QrcQ7cg1OP4EuHD2noDoYhFFSangCLcBGAs/s1600/James%2B-%2BThinking.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="1200" height="402" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KT4q5FVBxlg/XLZHq2mJwnI/AAAAAAABESQ/XKPW-QrcQ7cg1OP4EuHD2noDoYhFFSangCLcBGAs/s640/James%2B-%2BThinking.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Have you ever questioned a process that makes no sense to you?<br />
<br />
Maybe you're looking at a colleague struggling with something—or even worse, they're doing it mindlessly—and you ask, "why are you doing it like that?"<br />
<br />
And they shrug and say, "That's the way we've always done it."<br />
<br />
Hey, I get the importance of tradition, particularly in families. There are certain rituals we'll perform because that's what we grew up knowing. It's why some families still serve cranberry sauce as a cylindrical column of semi-solid jelly out of a can on Thanksgiving, or why the green bean casserole is still a thing.<br />
<br />
We've always done it that way.<br />
<br />
There's another aspect to this too: it's <i>easy</i>.<br />
<br />
Of course you'll still buy the same cream of mushroom soup, fried onion straws, and green beans: it's programmed into your memory. Why look up a new method of making your own cranberry sauce that's even tastier? It's too much <i>work</i>.<br />
<br />
If you keep mindlessly following a process without questioning it—without testing newer, better alternatives—you're going to find that your company is ripe for disruption.<br />
<br />
Are you talking to new people? Are you reading different things than your colleagues and bringing them fresh perspectives? Are you listening to customers? Are you observing what successful businesses from outside your industry are doing?<br />
<br />
In short, are you trying to innovate? I mean <i>earnestly </i>trying to innovate?<br />
<br />
Is the way you've always done it the <i>best </i>way?<br />
<br />
If not, you may find that there won't be anyone left to share your easy but tired recipes.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices." </i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;">– William James</span></div>
<br />
Or to put it another way:<br />
<br />
Repetition without rigorous reasoning is ridiculous.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation_of_Napoleon_I#/media/File:Jacques-Louis_David_-_The_Coronation_of_Napoleon_(1805-1807).jpg" target="_blank">Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Josephine in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris on 2 December 1804</a> by Jacques-Louis David (Wikipedia - public domain)</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />

"We've Always Done it That Way"

Have you ever questioned a process that makes no sense to you? Maybe you're looking at a colleague struggling with something—or eve...

The Power of a Letter

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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FgwVkUDk1RQ/XK7Y0nChRpI/AAAAAAABEQE/H-BftJrnDTEtKW9r5n49yRUk116ZaaZZACLcBGAs/s1600/Franklin%2B-%2Bwrite.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1400" height="364" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FgwVkUDk1RQ/XK7Y0nChRpI/AAAAAAABEQE/H-BftJrnDTEtKW9r5n49yRUk116ZaaZZACLcBGAs/s640/Franklin%2B-%2Bwrite.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/604264449&color=%232879af&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/fullmontyshow/write-me" target="_blank">Listen to this commentary</a></span></b></i></div>
<br />
Bass Reeves didn't know how to read or write. But he understood the power of a handwritten letter.<br />
<br />
Reeves was a slave who escaped from his owner during the U.S. Civil War. He settled in what was called Indian Territory and began to raise a family.<br />
<br />
In 1875, he was called on to help clean up Indian Territory, which was part of the classic Old West, with plenty of outlaws who were running wild. From 1875 to 1907, Bass served as deputy U.S. Marshal, and he was legendary for his strength and invincibility.<br />
<br />
One day, Reeves caught up with a couple of Texas murderers he was after, but they captured him and held him hostage. He didn't tell them who he was, so they planned to ask people along the road if they knew him.<br />
<br />
It was a lonely road, and after a while, they got tired of keeping him in tow, so they forced him to dismount and prepared to execute him. They asked him if he had any last words, and Reeves said he had a letter from his wife in his hat, and since he couldn't read, he wondered if they might read it to him.<br />
<br />
They all got off their horses, and he handed them the letter with shaking hands. Once their attention was off of him, the marshal drew his weapon and captured them both, as they were too surprised to react quickly.<br />
<br />
Bass Reeves said he <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/bass-reeves-wild-west-letter-trick" target="_blank">used this trick a number of times</a> in his career.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>The unexpected makes an impact, every time</b></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>“A letter always seemed to me like immortality because it is the mind alone without corporeal friend.” </i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;">– Emily Dickinson</span></div>
<br />
When's the last time you wrote someone a letter?<br />
<br />
I'm not talking about an email or a text message. I mean an honest to goodness, old fashioned, handwritten letter.<br />
<br />
You know, like the kind your grandmother probably wrote to you when you were a kid.<br />
<br />
For personal use? What about for business? It's probably been a while, hasn't it?<br />
<br />
When your customers are out there trying to figure out how to maximize their Snapchat Stories, or how many photos they should put in an Instagram Carousel, or even how many catalogues to send out, it's a great opportunity to step in with your personal notes.<br />
<br />
In other words, zig when everyone else is zagging.<br />
<br />
I see news about people using Facebook less — even the 15 million Millennials that Facebook lost last year. The pendulum is swinging, and people are opting for more private, intimate conversations. Maybe in groups or chat rooms. Texts and DMs. And in that context, they're ready for something that makes them feel special and unique.<br />
<br />
That's what the written word does. It says to the recipient, "You matter. You matter enough for someone to sit down, keep themselves away from a screen, and think about what it is that they're saying to you."<br />
<br />
Back when I was at Ford, I once sent a handwritten note and a Ford lapel pin to someone I met at a conference who said she was a fan. She wrote about the experience on her site and shared how different an experience that was. <a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2018/11/human-emotions-win-every-time.html" target="_blank">I wrote about it a few months ago</a>.<br />
<br />
Did it take an effort to do that? Sure. But that's what made it treasured.<br />
<br />
The only thing is, you need to pay attention — to your customers, to your employees, to people that matter — if you want to be inspired enough to make a difference.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"If you would not be forgotten, as you as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing." </i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;">– Benjamin Franklin</span></div>
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<br />
<i>Image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Campbell_-_News_from_My_Lad_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg">News from my Lad</a> by James Campbell, 1859 (Wikimedia Commons - public domain)</i>

The Power of a Letter

Listen to this commentary Bass Reeves didn't know how to read or write. But he understood the power of a handwritten letter. Re...

Tune That Name

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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EyLBAwYWtG4/XKWhSQ2vZnI/AAAAAAABEJc/sgDs9cYZ1xQz1qt06EYuHRuuuGotH2fDQCLcBGAs/s1600/Carnegie%2B-%2BA%2Bperson%2527s%2Bname.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1142" height="504" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EyLBAwYWtG4/XKWhSQ2vZnI/AAAAAAABEJc/sgDs9cYZ1xQz1qt06EYuHRuuuGotH2fDQCLcBGAs/s640/Carnegie%2B-%2BA%2Bperson%2527s%2Bname.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/600718470&color=%232879af&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://soundcloud.com/fullmontyshow/tune-that-name" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Listen to this commentary</span></b></a></i></div>
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;</i></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<i>'Twas mine; 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;</i></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<i>But he that filches from me my good name</i></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<i>Robs me of that which not enriches him,</i></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<i>And makes me poor indeed."</i></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: right;">
– William Shakespeare (<i>Othello</i>)</h4>
<br />
Iago's speech in <i>Othello</i> is about <a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2019/02/how-much-is-your-reputation-worth.html" target="_blank">reputation</a>, and how it's more valuable than money (which is ironic, given Iago's own manipulative nature).<br />
<br />
But he mentions one's "good name." Your name is your identity. It's what binds you to your family, your friends, and your accomplishments.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>“A person's name is to that person, the sweetest, most important sound in any language.”</i></b> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;">– Dale Carnegie </span><span style="font-size: medium;">[<a href="https://ctt.ac/7XJc7" target="_blank">tweet this</a>]</span></div>
<br />
Carnegie was right. After all, he's the self-help guru who wrote How to Win Friends and Influence People, and he helped countless acolytes learn how to deal with people and make themselves welcome anywhere.<br />
<br />
He recounts a story about Theodore Roosevelt visiting the White House one day when President Taft was away. While he was there, he greeted the White House servants by name, right down to the scullery maid. He even asked Alice if she still made corn bread.<br />
<br />
As you might imagine, the staff was tickled. They talked about it for years afterward. Why? Because Roosevelt showed genuine interest in them and engaged them personally.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>The Power of the Personal</b></h2>
What's one thing we all have in common? That humans, regardless of gender, race, geography, or even epoch, crave?<br />
<br />
We all want attention.<br />
<br />
Not in the infantile, sociopathic-narcissistic way. But we simply want to be acknowledged. We want to be recognized as individuals.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"No more fiendish punishment could be devised…than that one should be turned loose in society and remain absolutely unnoticed by all the members thereof." </i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;">– William James</span></div>
<br />
One of the most basic ways of expressing this is to call someone by name. We all recognize the sound of our name, and it sounds even sweeter when spoken by someone we know, respect, or admire.<br />
<br />
Your name is your identity. It's one of the first things you heard from your parents. And in some ways, it carves a path for your future. My friend and fellow marketer David Berkowitz <a href="https://mailchi.mp/8a9f1597de55/1xoh13wl0v-642181?e=31f41658d1" target="_blank">recently opined on names in his Serial Marketer newsletter</a>, musing about whether or not your name predetermines your success. It may very well do so.<br />
<br />
In the realm of the modern marketer, your name is the key to unlocking a relationship with you. With marketing technology being as advanced as it is, there's no reason a brand can't know who you are and address you accordingly. This is the promise of personalization.<br />
<br />
Of course, it goes beyond that: customizing content based on your previous actions, knowing your preferences, etc. But your name — that should be table stakes. Woe betide the email marketer whose algorithm slips up and you receive a Dear {FIRST_NAME} salutation.<br />
<br />
Which brings me to a pet peeve. It's an earwig of sorts, perhaps acquired by virtue of my kids watching countless YouTube videos that begin the same way:<br />
<br />
"Hi guys!"<br />
<br />
But I've also run into this frequently when listening to podcasts.<br />
<br />
My issue is this: when a podcaster (like me) is speaking to you, I'm speaking directly to you — likely directly into your head via earbuds or headphones. Maybe you're commuting. Or perhaps you're at the gym. Or listening at your desk. Or walking down the street.<br />
<br />
Whatever the situation, I'm speaking directly to you. You! Even if you're in car, listening with your family or your fellow commuters. This is meant for you. Now, I can't address you by name in a pre-recorded show (unless there was an audio version of mail merge and I created thousands of different versions and emailed you directly).<br />
<br />
But if I opened with, "Hey guys," you'd immediately sense the difference. It's less personal.<br />
<br />
Because I can't get so personal with you here (a podcast or blog post is too one-sided), here's what I'd like to suggest: I'm inviting you to tell me something about yourself. Tell me about a business challenge you're currently dealing with — a board member, a boss, a colleague, a project, a strategic imperative. I'm interested to hear what's going on with you right now.<br />
<br />
Maybe you just need a sympathetic ear. Or you're looking for some feedback — it's always nice to do a gut check with someone else. Whatever it is, let's turn the tables.<br />
<br />
Send me a note or an mp3 via email at fullmonty AT scottmonty DOT com. Or leave a comment in the comments section of the website.<br />
<br />
By the law of averages, most readers or listeners won't do this.<br />
<br />
But <b><i>you</i></b>? I have a feeling you <b><i>will</i></b>.<br />
<br />
<br />
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Tune That Name

Listen to this commentary "Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing; 'Twas mine; 'tis his, and h...

The Differences Between Generations Span Centuries

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<br />
We've all heard the expressions before: "Kids these days" / "You don’t know how good you’ve got it" / "In my day…" etc.<br />
<br />
There seems to be a general disdain for the younger generation by the older generations.<br />
<br />
The latest is of course, Millennials, who seem to be everyone's favorite target. Hall of Fame keynote speaker <a href="http://unmarketing.com/" target="_blank">Scott Stratten</a> does an excellent job of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TIN5yMDld0" target="_blank">summing up how we view the next generation</a>:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>"What we mean when we say 'Millennials' is…people younger than us and we don't like them." </b></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;">— Scott Stratten</span></div>
<br />
The fact is, every age experiences a generation gap, where elders don't understand the younger generation. It's a time-honored tradition.<br />
<br />
In the first century B.C., Cicero, in his oration against Verres, a corrupt government official in Rome, lamented about the decay of society when he said <b><i>“O tempora o mores!”</i></b> which translates as <b>"Oh the times! Oh the customs!"</b><br />
<br />
And as we'll see, disagreements between generations over decisions and beliefs are nothing new. If you understand the patterns of inter-generational differences, you'll be better prepared for dealing with where we are today.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>Putting it in Context</b></h2>
Cicero wasn't the first to bemoan the changing values of his time. In "<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/985800?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents" target="_blank">The Generation Gap in Antiquity</a>" (in <i>Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society</i>) my old classics professor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meyer_Reinhold" target="_blank">Meyer Reinhold</a> wrote:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"As early as the 25th century B.C., the older generation in authoritarian Egypt had to 'work at it' to mold the younger generation in its own image."</blockquote>
<br />
And the ancient Greeks were familiar with generational strife too. Greek mythology brings us Cronus and his jealousy of the power of his father Uranus that ended with Cronus castrating him. And then Cronus devoured his own children after learning they would eventually overthrow him.<br />
<br />
The Jewish faith tried to codify filial piety with the Ten Commandments that emphasizes "honor thy father and mother."<br />
<br />
And Romans associated the term "youth" with shallowness, foolishness, and ineptitude.<br />
<br />
This kind of view from one generation to the next was something that each generation of elders and youth dealt with, and every society has struggled with it.<br />
<br />
But what are we to do with it, in our own time?<br />
<br />
The historian Robert Green was able to map out a pattern, which he said corresponded to four generations, that makes history move in four acts. (<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Laws-Human-Nature-Robert-Greene/dp/0525428143/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Laws+of+Human+Nature&qid=1553722998&s=gateway&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Laws of Human Nature</a></i>, Viking: New York, 2018. p. 541)<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The first generation is that of the revolutionaries who make a radical break with the past. Often in this generation there are some great leaders of prophets who influence the direction of the revolution and leave their stamp on it. Then along comes a second generation that craves some order. They are still feeling the heat of the revolution itself, having lived through it early age, but they want to stabilize the world, establish some conventions and dogma.<br />
<br />
"Those of the third generation — having little direct connection to the founders of the revolution — feel less passionate about it. They are pragmatists. They want to solve problems and make life as comfortable as possible. Along comes the fourth generation, which feels that society has lost its vitality, but they are not sure what should replace it. They begin to question the values they have inherited, some becoming quite cynical. Nobody knows what to believe in. A crisis of sorts emerges. Then comes the revolutionary generation, which, unified around some new belief, finally tears down the old order, and the cycle continues…"</blockquote>
<br />
Think about where that places us right now. If we go back four generations, we find the Silent Generation, who was born during the Great Depression and came of age during World War II; this group was naturally conservative and hesitant about things, but they valued stability, predictability, and material things. Then the Baby Boomers, who rebelled against the stilted norms of their parents and opted for personal expression and idealism that the 1960s brought.<br />
<br />
Following that period of upheaval, Generation X was practical and confrontational, valuing self-reliance but also addressing hypocrisy and impracticalities of their utopian parents' generation. Then come the Millennials, who lived through terrorism and the financial crisis; they went the opposite direction of Gen X's individualism and instead opted for security and teamwork, and avoided confrontation.<br />
<br />
So here we are in 2019, a product of the preceding generations. It's only natural that the older generation ― in this case the second generation in Greene's summary ― wants to keep things the way they are, while the fourth generation ― Millennials ― wants to disrupt.<br />
<br />
We've seen this play out in recent stories regarding the future of the entertainment industry. In one case, <b>Bob Greenblatt</b>, the CEO of AT&T's direct-to-consumer business and WarnerMedia Entertainment (new home of HBO) <a href="https://bgr.com/2019/03/05/hbo-vs-netflix-interview/" target="_blank">said</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Netflix doesn't have a brand. It's just a place you go to get anything."</blockquote>
Now, I don't know if '<b>HBO and chill</b>' is a thing, but one could argue that Netflix has a very strong brand. But even if it didn't, it's eating the lunch of the traditional media companies. Which, just like Cronus, has them panicked.<br />
<br />
Similarly, <b>Steven Spielberg</b> recently planned to <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/03/steven-spielberg-netflix-oscars-rule-change" target="_blank">propose a rule change</a> that would rule Netflix films ineligible to receive Oscars at an upcoming Academy Board of Governors meeting.<br />
<br />
At the same time, we're familiar with Uber and Airbnb, barging their way into cities, ignoring regulations, and upending traditional modes of doing business.<br />
<br />
Like any generational conflict, there are valid views on each side. But this setup of generation versus generation is nothing new.<br />
<br />
Millennials aren't any different than any other fourth generation of the past.<br />
<br />
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_Devouring_His_Son#/media/File:Francisco_de_Goya,_Saturno_devorando_a_su_hijo_(1819-1823).jpg" target="_blank">Saturn Devouring His Son</a> by Francisco Goya, 1823 (Wikimedia Commons - public domain)</i>

The Differences Between Generations Span Centuries

Listen to this commentary We've all heard the expressions before: "Kids these days" / "You don’t know how good you...

Tech Companies Are Ethically Challenged

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<br />
As a subject, ethics has occupied the thought of moral philosophers for over 2,000 years. And it doesn’t appear to get too much easier.<br />
<br />
But there are certain events, certain moments in time that we can point to, where we can see the stark difference between right and wrong. And our behaviors should be guided accordingly. For example, just today, the Chairman of House Homeland Security Committee summoned the chiefs of Twitter, YouTube, Facebook & Microsoft to Capitol Hill over their response to the New Zealand attack.<br />
<br />
The question is: are we holding others accountable for their behavior as well?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” </i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;">– Edmund Burke</span></div>
<br />
The world saw the impact of a terrorist unleashed in two mosques in New Zealand late last week. Rather than try to describe the situation in my own words, I’ll borrow <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/15/opinion/new-zealand-shooting.html" target="_blank">from The New York Times</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“On Friday, a gunman strapped on a helmet camera, loaded his car with weapons, drove to a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, and began shooting at anyone who came into his line of vision. The act of mass terror was broadcast live for the world to watch on social media.”</blockquote>
<br />
The original video was removed within the first hour, but by then, the damage was already done. Around the world, people copied and uploaded the horrific video to their own accounts and to additional platforms. And the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/15/tech/new-zealand-shooting-video-facebook-youtube/" target="_blank">tech companies had difficulty in taking them all down</a>.<br />
<br />
The A.I. that they’ve developed was too slow in flagging and shutting down violent videos. Some will say, “That’s just how A.I. works. It’s easier to match to known and expected things.” Maybe so. But share a nipple on Instagram or a copyrighted song on YouTube and it’ll get yanked immediately. Not to mention that <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/pranavdixit/facebook-can-now-automatically-detect-revenge-porn" target="_blank">Facebook says it can now detect revenge porn automatically</a>.<br />
<br />
And YouTube is notorious for letting nonsense and conspiracy theories flourish, through its recommendation system. For years, concerned employees raised flags and even demonstrated how popular such videos were. And they were met with the same response: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-04-02/youtube-executives-ignored-warnings-letting-toxic-videos-run-rampant" target="_blank">don't interfere with our cash cow</a> (more bovine references below). YouTube is powered by ads that run on popular videos.<br />
<br />
The sad reality is this:<br />
<br />
Tech companies don’t care enough about curbing hate speech and violence. If they did, they’d have made this a priority.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>“The first step in the evolution of ethics is a sense of solidarity with other human beings.”</i></b> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;">– Albert Schweitzer</span></div>
<br />
Tech companies have engineered a reality in which conspiracy theories and hate are allowed to fester and then go viral, both online and in real life. The power they have unleashed is beyond their comprehension (or at least their expectation). But hate and anger is what fuels the social web. And that drives clicks. And clicks drive revenue<br />
<br />
We’ve long believed that <a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2018/05/with-great-power-comes-great.html" target="_blank">with great power comes great responsibility</a>. And yet Mark Zuckerberg— who has operated Facebook by apology — wants to control the encrypted conversations of nearly a third of the world’s population.<br />
<br />
At some point, we need to hold such companies to account — not from a regulatory perspective, but from an ethical and human angle. Where is their moral compass?<br />
<br />
At this point, their True North seems to be profitability and user growth. They worship at the altar of the golden calf. Sadly, the only way they may pay attention is from an exodus of users and advertisers.<br />
<br />
Speaking of exodus, that just happens to be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Exodus" target="_blank">the book</a> in the Torah and Old Testament that includes a story about the people worshiping a golden calf while waiting for Moses to return with the Ten Commandments.<br />
<br />
<b>Update (4/3/2019):</b> <i>The New York Times</i> agrees that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/03/opinion/facebook-youtube-disinformation.html" target="_blank">it's all about greed</a>.<br />
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gerrit_de_Wet_-_The_Adoration_of_the_Golden_Calf_-_WGA25563.jpg">The Adoration of the Golden Calf</a> by Gerrit de Wet, first half of the 17th century (Wikimedia Commons - public domain)</i></div>
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Tech Companies Are Ethically Challenged

As a subject, ethics has occupied the thought of moral philosophers for over 2,000 years. And it doesn’t appear to get too much easier. ...

Lessons from The Brain Center at Whipple's

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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/fullmontyshow/lessons-from-the-brain-center" target="_blank">Listen to this commentary</a></span></i></div>
<br />
What is it about technology that makes us think we're inoculated from the errors, pains, and foibles of what it means to be human?<br />
<br />
I'm a big fan of the old <i>Twilight Zone</i> series, and I was recently watching it on Hulu. One of the episodes in the final season is called "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brain_Center_at_Whipple%27s" target="_blank">The Brain Center at Whipple's</a>," and while it was made in the mid-1960s, it is remarkably timeless.<br />
<br />
The episode opens with Mr. Whipple previewing a film with his Chief Engineer: an update that Whipple is making to the board of directors. He assesses the W.V. Whipple Manufacturing Corporation by the numbers: 283,000 personnel, 13 plants, and 34,827 people in one plant.<br />
<br />
He says, "<i>At Whipple's, we only take forward steps</i>," and proceeds to introduce the X109B14 Automatic Assembly Machine, proudly announcing that it will replace 61,000 jobs, 73 machines, and save the company $4 million in employee insurance, welfare, hospitalization, and profit-sharing. And that the entire company would be automated within six months, running from a so-called "Brain Center" filled with similar machines.<br />
<br />
He says all of this without emotion or regret, much to the chagrin of Hanley, the Chief Engineer, who does not approve of "<i>a lot of men out of work</i>." He cautions Whipple about taking men's livelihood and  reason for being away from them, and about Whipple's lack of goodwill and compassion through his "<i>heartless manipulation of man and metals</i>."<br />
<br />
Whipple's response is one rooted in numbers: "<i>I am here to provide efficiency. That is my only concern</i>." And in Whipple's mind, efficiency only comes from machines.<br />
<br />
The episode ends with the board removing Whipple from his job, due to overexertion and the inability to make sound judgments. Cut to his office, where a robot is now handling all of his duties.<br />
<br />
Rod Serling reminds us that this is "<i>the historical battle between flesh and steel. Between the brain of man and the product of man's brain</i>."<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>Ethics, Efficiency, and Empathy</b></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><br />
</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"I think technology really increased human ability. But technology cannot produce compassion." </span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">– Dalai Lama</span></div>
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This isn't the first example of humans grappling with technology. The term "robot" was first introduced in the 1920s in the play "<a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/the-origin-of-the-word-robot/" target="_blank">Rossum's Universal Robots</a>" by Czech playwright Karl Čapek. The word robota means "forced labor." And robots were certainly a central theme in Fritz Lang's 1927 silent film <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0017136/" target="_blank">Metropolis</a></i>. I'll spare you the recap, but it was about the conflict between man and machine and lives lost in the process. The film ended with an interstitial card that read:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Ovhq09wwGw/XJMC7-e3GkI/AAAAAAABD1Y/nVV84S6XYswxz7lyyHLLov7xjEzsMzCQACLcBGAs/s1600/Metropolis%2B-%2BEpigram.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Final interstitial from Metropolis" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Ovhq09wwGw/XJMC7-e3GkI/AAAAAAABD1Y/nVV84S6XYswxz7lyyHLLov7xjEzsMzCQACLcBGAs/s640/Metropolis%2B-%2BEpigram.png" title="The Mediator Between the Head and the Hands Must be the Heart" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mediator Between the Head and the Hands Must be the Heart</td></tr>
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In <i>Westworld</i> on HBO, we witness android hosts at an American Old West theme park that are programmed with narratives and interact with each other and guests. Meanwhile, guests can do whatever they want to the robot hosts, including murder and rape.<br />
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What is it about technology that makes us distance ourselves from the laws and customs that have been established for thousands of years?<br />
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Part of the answer lies in the drive within Mr. Whipple, who was only concerned with efficiency. Looking at the history of technology, in every case, tools — however crude they were — allowed humans to be more efficient. Stone-tipped spears were more effective at hunting. The wheel allowed us to move large objects more easily. The machine gun and chemical weapons made warfare much more deadly.<br />
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In every case of technology, it removed us one step or more from the task at hand: we didn't risk being maimed by a wild animal during a hunt, construction became less back-breaking, and we didn't have to murder with our bare hands.<br />
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But that distance created a barrier of sorts. Because we aren't so viscerally connected to those and other instances of the infliction of pain, we're less likely to have the empathy that Whipple's chief engineer noted was missing.<br />
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Fast forward to present-day. With artificial intelligence, mounds of data, the Internet of Things, and autonomous everything, we ostensibly have more technology at our disposal than ever before. As a result, we're experiencing a crisis of ethics that seems to take on a daily drumbeat:<br />
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<li><b>Elizabeth Holmes</b> ran a massive fraud scheme at <b>Theranos</b>, keeping people in the dark about the true nature of the blood test she supposedly invented. The lie was promulgated such that Walgreen's signed a major deal with them, and investors were blinded by their own greed, seeing their paper worth balloon. Even a board member like George Shultz chose to protect his investment rather than to believe his own grandson, the whistleblower behind the downfall.</li>
<li>The <b>Securities and Exchange Commission</b> is suing the former CEO of <b>Volkswagen </b>for the "massive fraud" behind the diesel emissions scandal. By using a simple bit of software, Volkswagen was able to make emissions cleaner during testing, but left drivers' vehicles as dirty as ever, when they thought they were buying cleaner vehicles.</li>
<li>And <b>Facebook</b>. Oh, Facebook. They've used <a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2019/03/whens-last-time-you-heard-proper-apology.html" target="_blank">half-hearted apologies</a> as their strategy for too long. And the <b>Cambridge Analytica</b> scandal brought even more focus to them, as did their inability to curtail the Christchurch shooting video. Facebook has made it clear that they continue to <a href="https://medium.com/@scottmonty/a-little-matter-of-ethics-93e92af331ee" target="_blank">worship at the altar of the golden calf</a> rather than try to protect users. As <b>Scott Galloway</b> recently said on the Pivot podcast, "<a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/358-pivot-with-kara-swisher-an-29927080/episode/live-from-sxsw-its-kara-and-30695455/" target="_blank">Have any two individuals done more damage while making more money than <b>Mark Zuckerberg</b> and <b>Sheryl Sandberg</b>?</a>"</li>
</ul>
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In every one of these instances, technology is at the core. But here's the thing: the technology isn't to blame. Humans are. In each of those cases, a human made the decision to say, "I have a choice between right and wrong. And I'm choosing wrong."<br />
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The technology just made it easier for them to accept what they thought: that they weren't causing direct harm.<br />
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I don't think it's any coincidence that there are three books that have just been released that all deal with this in one way or another:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Shiv Singh and Rohini Luthra</b>'s book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Savvy-Navigating-Companies-Leaders-Post-Trust/dp/1940858720" target="_blank"><i>Savvy: Navigating Fake Companies, Fake Leaders, and Fake News in the Post-Trust Era</i></a> addresses this head-on by looking at how technology has isolated us and engendered a dearth of trust in the marketplace.</li>
<li><b>Amy Webb</b>'s latest book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Big-Nine-Thinking-Machines-Humanity/dp/1541773756" target="_blank"><i>The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans & Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity</i></a> deals with the unintended consequences that we're dealing with, following the implementation of vast amounts of online technology and artificial intelligence.</li>
<li>And <b>Kate O'Neill</b>'s <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tech-Humanist-Technology-Better-Business-ebook/dp/B07GBHTX9K" target="_blank">Tech Humanist: How You Can Make Technology Better for Business and Better for Humans</a></i> gets to the core of what's needed: better-informed decisions based on how people are affected.</li>
</ul>
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Is it any wonder that we're trying to wrap our heads around this lack of humanity in technology right now? The engineers and programmers that have contributed to this phenomenon have been brilliant technologists in their own right.<br />
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But with any undertaking that affects such a mass of humanity — whether it's the 283,000 employees of the Whipple Manufacturing Corporation or the 2.3 billion people who use Facebook's services — needs to have a leader that understands how humanity may be impacted by decisions.<br />
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In case you haven't been following closely, my theme here is Timeless Wisdom: putting things in perspective and reflecting on how similar struggles were met in the past. It's borne from my own degree in classics and from a collection of Great Books of the Western World. And that's what's missing in a technology-heavy culture: the importance of humanities and a fundamental understanding or awareness of how human beings will react to various forms of technology that are introduced to them.<br />
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To study humanities is to understand humans, as flawed as we are. From head to heart. And we need technology that accounts for both.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” </span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">– Aristotle</span></div>
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Giovanni_Domenico_Tiepolo_-_The_Procession_of_the_Trojan_Horse_in_Troy_-_WGA22382.jpg">The Procession of the Trojan Horse into Troy</a> by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, 1760 (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)</i>
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