Friends of Dave #86: R-E-S-P-E-C-T
No, you don't have to be a diva to deserve a little respect.
We lost another musical icon this week with the passing of Aretha Franklin. Whether you are a fan of hers or not, you cannot deny that her talent and style had a long lasting impact on popular culture and all genres of music. Yes, Aretha Franklin was worthy of much R-E-S-P-E-C-T....you can skip down to the "Last Word" if you are looking for a great piece about her.
Respect is a funny thing in that the more you demand it, the less you seem to get. It's almost as if the fact that you expect it or ask for it makes people not want to give you your propers when you get home so to speak. I have found that outright respect is usually something one earns through a combination of their achievements, their talents and their actions, with a little bit also gained by simple longevity and experience. A title or role seldom comes with it automatically attached. No doubt, earning someone's respect takes some work.
That all said, it seems to me that as human beings we all deserve a certain measure of basic courtesy and respect that we shouldn't have to earn. Each of us walks the Earth with our own feelings, priorities, goals, responsibilities, strengths and challenges. We carry these with us in our all of our daily interactions and, for the most part, everyone does a pretty good job coordinating their needs and burdens with those of others in order to keep harmony. That alone is deserving of respect because that takes work.
I say this because I have been increasingly noticing a deterioration of basic respect in professional interaction. Maybe it's due to changes in how we communicate with one another particularly over social media and electronically. Maybe it's a charged political environment. Maybe it's generational. I'm not 100% sure what it is, but I am seeing a change where people have become so wrapped up in their own stuff that they simply don't have the same respect for others that they once did.
This must be a "thing" because I have seen a bunch of stories lately talking about the negative effects of "ghosting" in the workplace. If you are unfamiliar (or don't have teenagers in your house), ghosting is a term, primarily associated with dating, where after a few dates you simply stop interacting with someone when you no longer want to see them. No break ups or confrontation -- you just ignore them or don't respond to any communication from them.
Sadly this technique for confrontation avoidance is now becoming more common in the professional world -- whether it be through the job interview process or in simple business dealings. There is engagement, discussion, going back and forth on a number of issues for follow up and then, poof! Nothing. No regard for the other person's time. No regard for what they are trying to accomplish. It's unnecessary, unprofessional and yes, disrespectful.
Let's hope that this is more of a phase and not a permanent shift in how people professionally operate. Don't ghost people and remember to make it a point to show them some respect....just a little bit....just a little bit...And with that, I've got some great stories to sock to you this week.. Take care, TCB.
XOXO
Dave
WATCH: Dave's Pick of The Week
That Better Call Saul Photocopier Sales Interview... — www.slingstonegroup.com
Leave it to AMC's Better Call Saul to deliver an inspiring lesson in objection handling, storytelling and expert salesmanship. A MUST watch for you sales execs, marketing storytellers, lawyers, investors and job seekers.
A Few For You to Think About...
The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
Why don’t successful people and organizations automatically become very successful? If you aren't careful, success can lead you into an undisciplined pursuit of more success. That's when success can be distracting and become a catalyst for failure.
Great story here by VC Fred Wilson underscoring the inherent importance of urgency if you want to get what you want.
Much of US Electric Grid Could Go the Way of the Landline Phone As renewable energy picks up and electricity demand drops, it's getting way more expensive for a large part of the grid to produce electricity, and that's a problem for everyone.
A Few For Your Day Job...
Inside chat app Symphony's battle to avoid becoming Bloomberg roadkill
One of these days I will write an unhinged preamble rant about startups who are undeservedly overhyped as the David to their category's Goliath....until then, this is the best article I have read about the relentless, ongoing battle to unseat Bloomberg as the financial services industry juggernaut. You FinTech folks will appreciate how little innovation is really happening here.....
Read this checklist before you go “whale hunting” for big partners
I'm not just sharing this because I had a funny chance encounter with the author, Boston VC David Frankel, at the offices of Bain Capital a number of years ago. It's a great cautionary tale for those in business development or who is in charge of partnerships for their organization -- whether it is a startup or a big player. Partnerships can be distracting if not done right.
The Most Commonly Cited Barriers to Innovation in Large Companies? Internal Politics
Influencing the culture at established companies can seem, at times, like trying to walk into an art museum and just make a few small tweaks to the marble statues: no one wants you to do it, and almost anything you do will provoke a strong reaction.
Most of you will be nodding with approval of this one. Great read.
And Now Your Random Selections...
Why We Have Yogurt To Thank For Human Civilization
And here I always thought it was bacon....
Your sense of smell controls what you spend and who you love
Explains a lot about how I am currently feeling about the teenagers in my house...
Does America Want More From It's Toilets?
Why does Japan get to have all the fun?
And The Last Word....
Aretha Franklin’s American Soul
“I don’t care what they say about Aretha,” Billy Preston, who died in 2006, once said. “She can be hiding out in her house in Detroit for years. She can go decades without taking a plane or flying off to Europe. She can cancel half her gigs and infuriate every producer and promoter in the country. She can sing all kinds of jive-ass songs that are beneath her. She can go into her diva act and turn off the world. But on any given night, when that lady sits down at the piano and gets her body and soul all over some righteous song, she’ll scare the shit out of you. "
Long one, but worth it if you have the time.