July 31, 2010 by Gary Seigel.

You’re standing around the water cooler, and everyone’s talking about the Mel Gibson audiotapes that have been broadcast on TV. (You don’t watch TV. You didn’t hear any of the tapes. You could care less).  

At lunch someone asks, “So what do you think about Snookie on Jersey Shore?” Who?   

Then, a questionnaire is passed among the staff asking what is dubbed the question of the week:  Who should be the next Judge on American Idol now that Ellen has left?  

Ellen?  Ellen who? American Idol?  Never watched it. Why bother me with this trivia? What are you guys crazy?  Get back to work! Stop wasting my time! 

Most offices in businesses across America thrive on cultural gossip. For whatever reason – it relieves tension, it inspires laughter, even brings employees from different departments together for a common interest. Whether it’s a discussion of why a particular football player defected to another team – or should this celebrity dump husband #4 – gossip in the workplace thrives.  

How do you feel about that?   Ever feel like a cultural idiot?  When people talk about these TV shows, do you feel included?  Left out? Alienated? Superior? Inferior?  

Does it waste our time at work, lowering productivity, or does it build teams and keep the atmosphere light and friendly during these challenging times?  

Tune in this week to Dr. Brian and Dr. Gary’s insultant/consultant show, Sunday August 1, 2010, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consultantinsultant to learn some surprising insights from two different points of view. Call in and share your opinion. You never know what one of them might say. 

You’re standing around the water cooler, and everyone’s talking about the Mel Gibson audiotapes that have been broadcast on TV.

(You don’t watch TV. You didn’t hear any of the tapes. You could care less).

At lunch someone asks, “So what do you think about Snookie on Jersey Shore?”

Who?  

Then, a questionnaire is passed among the staff asking what is dubbed the question of the week:  Who should be the next Judge on American Idol now that Ellen has left?

Ellen?  Ellen who? American Idol?  Never watched it. Why bother me with this trivia?

What are you guys crazy?  Get back to work! Stop wasting my time!

Most offices in businesses across America thrive on cultural gossip. For whatever reason – it relieves tension, it inspires laughter, even brings employees from different departments together for a common interest. Whether it’s a discussion of why a particular football player defected to another team – or should this celebrity dump husband #4 – gossip in the workplace thrives.

How do you feel about that?   Ever feel like a cultural idiot?  When people talk about these TV shows, do you feel included?  Left out? Alienated? Superior? Inferior?

Does it waste our time at work, lowering productivity, or does it build teams and keep the atmosphere light and friendly during these challenging times?

Tune in this week to Dr. Brian and Dr. Gary’s insultant/consultant show, Sunday August 1, 2010, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consultantinsultant to learn some surprising insights from two different points of view. Call in and share your opinion. You never know what one of them might say.

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Posted in The Mouth Trap | 4331 Comments »

July 24, 2010 by Gary Seigel.

This week the Obama administration accepted full responsibility for the hasty firing of Shirley Sherrod, State Director of Rural Development for the United States Department of Agriculture. 

After an excerpt of her address to a March 2010 NAACP meeting was posted on the Andrew Breitbart Big Government website July 19, both right wing and left media commented on what seemed a blatant act of reverse racism.

Was Sherrod declaring she had misgivings about helping a farmer keep his farm because he was White?

 In truth, Sherrod, a black woman, described her understanding of the situation and her struggle to make a decision that would help the white farmer. Her speech was about racism – and not racist.

White House spokesperson, Robert Gibbs, said,

“I can’t speak for everybody involved, but I think we live in a culture [where] things whip around. People want fast responses, we want to give fast responses, and I don’t think there’s any doubt that if we look at this, one of the great lessons we take away from this is to ask all of the questions first and to come to that full understanding.”

As a result Sherrod’s ousting and the subsequent media blitz, the entire week seemed devoted to sidestepping, apologizes, angry vindictive against the left and right media.

And though a majority of politicians and journalists slammed the blogger for “jumping the gun,” Ann Coulter defended him. “He’s the victim!” she screamed.

The time and money spent to clear up an issue that might have been dismissed in seconds is symptomatic of our need to say things quickly without thinking them out first.

As a manager or supervisor, do you ever jump to conclusions? Have you ever fired anyone too quickly? Do you look at financial figures and immediately cut jobs cut marketing, cut inventory without carefully poring over the numbers?

What’s it take to change the way we think so we avoid making hasty, unfortunate decisions?

Tune in this week to Dr. Brian and Dr. Gary’s insultant/consultant show, Sunday July 25, 2010, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consultantinsultant to learn some tips for avoiding this misguided behavior.

Posted in The Mouth Trap | 4239 Comments »

July 3, 2010 by Gary Seigel.

“She is smart, “declares the Christian Monitor. “She is learned in the law. And she has the ability to function well under extreme pressure. She’s also funny.”

What Elena Kagan is not, apparently, is someone who talks too much, divulges secret agendas, and discloses her views on undecided issues that may be facing the Supreme Court over the next few decades.

This suggests a strange yet interesting dichotomy for most of us who communicate every day at work. What do we disclose when we are interviewed for a job? How much information do we share with co-workers on controversial policies or procedures?  When do I state my opinion? And when is it better to do the side-step shuffle – as many senators describe Kagan’s behavior. She is accused of choosing ones words too carefully, saying just enough about a point of view without telegraphing how she might vote in the future.

Have you ever faced a similar dilemma at work?

Many decades ago when I running for chairperson of an English department at a Los Angeles community college, I had to vote on a particular controversial issue. Hard to believe this caused a fist fight at a senate meeting, but here was the battle: Should we ditch the one year grammar program and replace it with a tutorial writing program that would eliminate the use of grammar exercises and instruction?

In other words, do we   seal the fate of two instructors who built this program from scratch and taught it for over a dozen years? If their program disappears, they will have to teach other classes, transfer to another college, and/or retire

The vote naturally impacted my future because I was up for re-election as chairperson. If I voted in favor of keeping the traditional grammar program, many teachers would boycott my nomination. And if I voted against the program, two very valuable and sometimes brilliant instructors would probably do everything in their power to undermine my authority, once I was elected.

Yes, it was a secret ballot, but as you know, in small departments, there are no secrets.

Do I side-step the issue and do a Kagan-esque dance that would keep me neutral (and keep my department guessing)?  Or, should I make my views known so I establish my perspective, risking my future as a college administrator?

What do we learn from these recent Supreme Court nomination proceedings and how might this influence the way we communicate with our boss and our co-workers?

To find out what I did – and hear Dr. Brian’s reaction – (we rarely ever agree) —- tune into the Insultant/Consultant Radio Show this July 4^th at 9:30 AM (PST)  Sunday morning

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consultantinsultant

Posted in The Mouth Trap | 4435 Comments »