The following discussion is semi-serious, so you may just want to skip it, although it is an attempt to set the stage for some of my attitudes and antiquated observations for later dissertations on the state of electronic communication and human relations.
This is something of an older generation’s observation on the wonderful world of electronic communication, as we know it today. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have a computer – actually three, multiple wireless telephones and wireless communication for my computational needs, such as they are, and two cell phones. Not that I know how to use all the stuff, but at least to indicate that I have it.
I have some technology knowledge and capability that spans approximately 40 years in the electronics industry – specifically 10 or more in the communications and the data products elements of those markets. This “knowledge is somewhat questionable and antiquated, according to my “curtain climbers” and many past employers. “My God, I can’t get no respect!
In the early days I was part of a team that started a communications company, and we had contacts with Don Ameche, Alex Bell and an Italian guy named Marconi. They were on our Board of Directors along with a couple of Cal graduates, which was two too many and one guy from Stanford name Dave something. The Stanford guy didn’t have any money but he and his partner let us use their garage. We had a small loan from the Bank of Italy and were close friends with an Irishman named Gianneni.
If you have no idea who Don Ameche was, then get on the web and it will tell you that he was an actor who played Alexander Graham Bell in his life story. (If you don’t know who Alexander Bell was, I will assure you that in the 13th century or there about he conquered 90% of Europe. For you wine lovers, he was better known because he was ”round and purple” and went by what is better known as the name “Alexander the Grape.” Bell supposedly discovered the telephone, but there are some Italians who would disagree. He formed the Bell Telephone company. Sound familiar? They were the first to develop the basic methods of how the various corporate entities could be allowed to screw up our communication system, as well as nail the consumer to the wall. “Watson! Come here. I need you!” Go figure that one out.
We had cornered the market for used tomato cans, thanks to our banking connection, and waxed string, which really got the attention of the venture capital groups. We submitted a business plan and the Cal guys jumped in, took the total offering, gave us $37.50 for 10% of the company and we were off and running. That was the only reason they were on the board, because they really wanted to protect their investment. The last of the big spenders. It might’ve been the same year they built their first football stadium, but they really didn’t have a team and I had to lend them an ax, which they didn’t return, and of course they have tried to keep ever since. But that’s a different story for later date.
If you have no clue what the hell I’m talking about, then go buy about 20 feet of string, put some wax on it or make it wet, drill a hole in a tomato can, or whatever, pass the string through the hole you drilled and tie a big knot on the string. You now have the rudimentary technological elements of the telephone and a land-line, which you can speak over. It won’t take any pictures, nor will it tweet nor text. There is no provisional answering machine. If you’re still lost, watch for Progresso Soup ads on TV, likely defined as “Ring–Ring.”
Some years ago, I was defined as something of a corporate troubleshooter, euphemistically known as “gunslinger” (Magnum 44 and all). I had to get involved in a company that was underperforming, also known as “on its fiscal and performance ass.” We had just let the CEO go to “find greener pastures” and my assignment was to try to define what some of the problems might be beyond the obvious – marketing, sales, costs, distribution and all that meaningless stuff. Notice I didn’t say engineering, because there’s never really any technical problem in that regard. HA!
After reviewing a number of major problems and issues over a couple of months, and more importantly, talking with what I like to call the working stiffs, I discovered a singular surprising lack of communication. Nobody knew what the hell was going on, what the goals and objectives were, how they were performing and most importantly, what they needed to do to improve. Ouch! Does that sound familiar?
I asked the ex-CEO’s senior administrative assistant (currently politically correct) to bring in the staff meeting minutes over the past three months. Her comment was “There aren’t any, because there weren’t any staff meetings.” Okay! There’s nothing wrong with that approach because I’m an advocate of the concept called MBWA (a.k.a. management by wandering around), which is more effective than sitting in your office with your fat ass waiting for the phone to ring. Plus, it makes you visible to all your fellow workers and gives them the opportunity to come up and tell you how screwed up things are, including you. As Blue-eyes had often commented, I really am weird because even then I got my own coffee, simply because I believed we paid these talented people too much to run around getting coffee for other people and besides, to me it was a little more than demeaning.
I worked closely with this long-time professional assistant, trying to determine how effectively the past CEO had communicated. She said “Rarely in person, mostly by e-mail!” I said “Say what?” and her reply was the same. “By e-mail.” I asked her, “What did he do all day?” Her comment was “I think he was working on long-term strategy.” My opinion at this point was that she had more brains and talent than the guy we fired.
I went to the trusty computer and discovered three months of communication between the various organizations, which struck me as being nothing other than “let’s cover our ass as best we can” and see what happens. I immediately called a meeting of the seven top executives of the company and started the conversation with “Let me introduce you people to each other because clearly you haven’t had a face-to-face meeting of this entire group for better than three months, maybe never and you may well have sunk this company as well as your future with our Corporation.” Three of these people fainted on the spot. I’m joking! Well not really, because in some instances my form of corrective action is to take the culprits to the back parking lot and shoot-em. But first I used to say “Okay punk, make my day!” Now I’m kidding!
The trusted assistant – well she stayed and ended up as the Vice President of HR, had a bunch of stock, and eventually retired with her husband to Hawaii where they started up a “shaved ice” thing in downtown Kona. I’m not kidding! She sent me a certificate guaranteeing that I could get all of the free shaved ice that I wanted for life, as long it was only once a day. Smart and talented lady.
This situation was the first indication I had of the negative and possibly dangerous aspects of electronic communications as an end-all versus face-to-face conversations. It is directly related to decision-making, team-building and a general understanding of each other as human beings. It can often be determined by such mundane and dumb things like body language, eye contact and overall physical reaction, like in make the bastard sweat… There are necessary concepts on subjects such as the “like or dislike” on an individual basis, as well as a collective basis, and a team can only determine this by working personally with each other. I know, you’re thinking what a bunch of pontification and BS.
I fired four of the seven vice presidents within the next two weeks. I found them totally incapable of verbal communication. We found a new president and the company doubled in size within the next six months. This was a major lesson for me, and one I did not hesitate to impart to our other corporate entities. Face-to-face and verbal communication is a necessary human event and extremely important for understanding each other, whether we agree or disagree on direction and objectives.
Moral of story – There used to be a cartoon character by the name of Pogo and one of his great comments was “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
J.J. Addingnuttin 