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The Corporate Disconnect

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  • The Corporate Disconnect

    When I was traveling for a living, I was a member of a corporate team. Many locations. I finally got in front of a contractor at one of the locations who got a belly laugh when I told him I was corporate. He said he forever had always wanted to be able to use my opening line: "Hi, I'm from corporate and I'm here to help." He just thought that was so funny, and in some cases it is.

    I'm a rare case, I went from local to corporate and then back to local. So I've seen it, been in both roles.

    I was called today to help edit a broadcast memo from corporate, for our local audience. I found that if the We and the You and the Us are removed, it becomes a much more palatable message for the audience. Picture this: "We" have done a lot of stuff already that "You" don't know about. This is an informational email/broadcast. So already, it's neurolinguistics, there's a line drawn - there's "Us" and "We" (corporate) and "You" (the folks who are lesser than "Us.") And "You" don't know as much as "Us," so we're deciding it's time that "You" should know at least a little bit of what "We" have known forever, apparently..

    So the local lady and I took out all of the We and You and Us and the same message became more informational without trying to (maybe unintentionally) declare who, with the use of words, is actually in charge. The use of words, and the effect they have... It's powerful, doing it right or wrong, it's powerful and a lot of it is subliminal. "We" fixed it for the newsletter. Without "Their" approval. After all, it's "Our" newsletter. And the message was the same without all of the inferred social ranking.

    Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

  • #2
    Originally posted by peewee View Post
    The use of words, and the effect they have... It's powerful, doing it right or wrong, it's powerful and a lot of it is subliminal.
    Yes it is. Words can be immensely powerful. Choose them wisely.
    I'm probably wrong

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    • #3
      Originally posted by tedly View Post

      Yes it is. Words can be immensely powerful. Choose them wisely.
      The one corporate statement that is like a mantra for hundreds of companies, I think it's the most misguided thing in the world - "Our employees are our most valuable asset." Whoever came up with that should be proverbially shot.

      Where exactly does that leave the "employees" when you analyze that statement?

      A better way by my imagination would be, "Our company is made up of the best people in the business." Look at the difference, and FEEL the difference, what is inferred.
      Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

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      • #4
        Yup, the first one, the employees are not necessarily part of the company, but something to be used and utilized. Second, the people make the company. Big difference.
        I'm probably wrong

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        • #5
          Originally posted by tedly View Post
          Yup, the first one, the employees are not necessarily part of the company, but something to be used and utilized. Second, the people make the company. Big difference.
          Words, that's all it is. The words chosen. It's huge.

          When I was in South Carolina I lobbied the location to study the "Employees .... most valuable asset" thing. To no avail. Everybody else says that, so that's what we're going to say too. I got looks like, why argue with a statement that works? Well, it doesn't work. It's not right at all, but so generally accepted and used. And it's just not a "whatever" thing. well, not to me. I'm stuck on words. And words are powerful.
          Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

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          • #6
            Anyone who doesn't think words and phrasing are powerful has never lived with a woman before. There are many ways to ask her to do one thing. Most will end up with you in the dog house, some will get the results you want. Very few will get the results you want and a kiss on the cheek. Try different ways of asking her to bring you a beer, see what happens.
            I'm probably wrong

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            • #7
              Originally posted by tedly View Post
              Try different ways of asking her to bring you a beer, see what happens.
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              Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

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              • #8
                I agree , subliminal.
                I waltzed into a guard unit in march of 1991, expecting to go to war under perfect leadership. First hours there, I was asked to bring apiece of paper to another office...
                m16s in the face. Not even training.. I was a high school aged long haired scary threat.

                Poisoned, electrocuted, jp4'd.. and ducked to the c5 engine exploding on the taxi way...
                before I even left for training.

                Air Guard is some kinda pretty boy local, or donut eaters...where crew chiefs are called "window washers". My only ranks, my age, left without enlisting. A fearsome time. I got into guts at "3 level."
                For the next 6 years, there was no we, us or you....the tight clan of the war mode just gathered when necessary.
                subliminal.
                good choice of words.

                There is something to earn, and identify what is learning...a shame about subliminal. ..but survivable.

                Do not fear what walks with missing chunks and never smiles... corporate is better than that.
                Last edited by Barry Donovan; November 14, 2014, 05:38 PM.
                Previously boxer3main
                the death rate and fairy tales cannot kill the nature left behind.

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                • #9
                  Subliminal is everything. That's what gets into your mind. And it's only words. What you choose to make of them. It's our choice. What did he/she just MEAN? It can be so misconstrued. It often is. Sometimes not, but often is.
                  Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

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                  • #10
                    How about "Have a nice day"? Who are they (usually shopkeepers or waitresses) to tell me what kind of a day to have. And I know they mean to be kind with their Xeroxed courtesy but the older I get the more it bugs me. I try to keep my good humor about it and tease back - maybe some of them will think before they speak. I suggest "Have a day" - not so different and no pressure to have their kind of day.

                    Dan

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                    • #11
                      You gotta admit, it's better than "Eat @#$! and die scumbag".
                      I'm probably wrong

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                      • #12
                        I worked 2nd shift most of my life, and the real stupidity is the folks in the office who think the factory sinks into the ground like Brigadoon just after 5PM. Thus the 2nd and 3rd shifters (and weekenders) trying to do their jobs have to work without support, service, etc. 1st shifters lock up tools, deny access to vital areas, and react goggle-eyed in genuine confusion when confronted the next day by angry co-workers they hadn't even realized existed. And from experience, I can tell you - being nice does not guarantee they'll remember next time. Painful and negative reinforcement by the injured parties in a vocal and disruptive style gets results. They won't like you, but they'll fear retribution from you. So be as ugly as necessary to achieve your directive. Your immediate supervisor will publicly try to get you to cool your jets, but in his private office you'll exchange high-fives and loud guffaws.
                        Act your age, not your shoe size. - Prince

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                        • #13
                          Them: " Have a nice day"... Me: " I'll try" ........ Them: "How are you today"... Me, feeling my neck for pulse, " Alive atleast"...

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                          • #14
                            "Have a nice day."

                            "Too late for that, I'm already out of bed."
                            I'm probably wrong

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by studemax View Post
                              the folks in the office who think the factory sinks into the ground like Brigadoon just after 5PM.
                              There it is. That's the BIG "it." I've seen both sides of it, and that's "it" right there. That's where it is.
                              Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

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