Tonkin to You!

We’ve all been there. Whether it’s yet another meme with bad grammar (learn “your” vs. “you’re,” people), misinformation sharing (check your sources) or just someone who is forcefully preaching an opinion we just can’t get behind, social media can drive to post things we regret. Some platforms are worse than others (hence the flight from some folks from Facebook and Twitter to the safety of Instagram), but the potential for mischief is always there. At times, it seems like our online interactions have reverted to become “anti-social” media.   I’m here today to advocate a better approach….for health, sanity, and professional well-being.   Let’s put the size of this problem into scope.   Just how BIG is social media in the first place? According to the Pew Research Institute, 70% of all adults in the U.S. use some kind of social media.   The number gets bigger when you consider just 30-49 year old group (82%) and really pervasive with the 18-29 crowd (90%) ( ht...

  Directness has never been a more controversial topic.  Whether it is the casualness of text-based communication (I’m looking at you, Millennials and GenZ) or the association of directness with confrontation in this politically-polarized time, it’s sometimes tough to advocate for getting to the point.  This conundrum is ironic.  We live in a world of viral videos, controversial news headlines, and a collective mindset that consistently urges us to “get to the point.”  We want our information yesterday!  It seems like nobody, ultimately, has time to wait for the details.   That point, in the world of business, has never been more true. Today, I am advocating for directness.  For a movement to state the “bottom line up front” (or BLUF as we managerial communications types like to “acronym it”).  Despite our parents’ warnings about being too direct, I present the counter point: Clearly stating one’s intentions, in many situations, is the u...

Today marked the beginning of the 2020 "Community Development Week" at Saint Francis University, where I teach in the Shields School of Business.  In a few short days, we'll be welcoming almost 400 freshmen to our rural campus amidst challenging circumstances.  Along with my colleagues in science, humanities, education, and healthcare, the mission will be to provide in-person education while facing a pandemic.  It's tough to imagine a time when higher ed has needed a superhero more. Five years ago, way back in 2015, I was preparing for the new school year (my second as a full-time faculty member) and getting ready to debut my new "Batman-themed" general education seminar.  In the midst of what should have been an occasion of expectation and excitement, tragedy struck.  In that time, I found solace and strength in the spirit of a superhero.  It seems appropriate today to try to do the same. The following is a repost from my long-inactive personal blog, dated...

Was what you "said" the same thing your audience "heard"?  Making the statement that "having meaningful dialog on social media challenging in 2020" is akin to saying that "pandemics sure are complicated!"  It's tough to imagine a time when more variables have come together regarding exchanging information.  Ironically, the pipeline is no longer the problem; from social media to texting and e-mail (and even...gasp....phone calls and in-person meetings), we've never had more ways to potentially connect...the real challenges are context and filter. Peter Drucker famously warned business professionals that communication takes place via the eyes, ears, and mind of the receiver, not the sender.  In other words, what you say, type, or record might just be meaningless if the target of your communications isn't receptive (or even speaking the same language).   Context, in this sense, is the channel or medium we're using....and different me...