THE SOUND OF SILENCE

Simon and Garfunkel got it right – almost 50 years ago.

Extolling the virtue of quiet, their song foreshadows what the media calls “the ultimate luxury.” 

Hospitality chains now promote tranquil Zen-like retreats. 

Amtrak’s Quiet Car has an almost cult-like status – and, we suspect, a long waiting list. 

Hotels are installing double layers of drywall, triple-pane glass windows, extra carpet padding, and programmed TVs that won’t exceed a certain volume, all to stave off the number-one complaint of guests worldwide:  Noise.

Even somewhat-unlikely product manufacturers talk about the quietest dishwasher, the ultra-silent vacuum cleaner, the noise-cancelling headphones.

And who can blame them?  Forget the individual who’s always on the speakerphone – or the constant beeps of incoming e-messages.  Noise (from the Latin word for pain) has been linked to elevated levels of stress hormones, high blood pressure, sleep loss, heart disease, and tinnitus (a/k/a ringing in the ears).

Phew:  Enough to drive a non-curmudgeon to the Fijis.

In part, we in the marketing and communications biz are to blame.  Believe it or not, the 24/7 nature of what we do can be stopped.  Why not a one-day moratorium on all voicemails and emails, presentations and unnecessary meetings?  A quiet zone where we can, literally, hear ourselves think?  Or, simply, a silent period of X time where we can focus on what matters

This conscious quiet has its roots in science:  Two hours of silence daily helped mice form hippocampus cells, the brain part concerned with memory.  And its philosophical foundation goes way back:  Nineteenth century seer Arthur Schopenhauer noted, “Noise is the most impertinent of all forms of interruption.  It is not only an interruption, but also a disruption of thought.”

“Sshh” never sounded as sweet.

PSSST ... DID YOU HEAR ... ?

In most places, the grapevine works overtime – though its practitioners might not.

It’s human nature to gossip and complain, agree most psychologists.  Yet what’s not so humane are the times that management either doesn’t know or ignores the issues.

And if frequent enough, those bitches and moans just might lead to anonymous reviews on glassdoor.com, to workplace incivility, higher absenteeism (and lower productivity), and retention issues.  Not to mention legal actions.

New software provider Memo has it solved (it thinks).  It’s designed an anonymous e-forum to vent – and yes, management reads and responds.  Major employers like Amazon and Deloitte have subscribed.  Later this year (pre-IPO), Memo will launch tools that collect data on employee sentiment, moderate comments, and engage with workers.

Which is where we, as marketers and communicators, gotta step in.  Software that interacts with employees?  Seriously.  How about leaders who share issues, validate that problems are real and that solutions are in the works? 

Today, working for companies with a purpose is more than a candidate request.  Balancing (or blending, the word we prefer) work-life demands is not just the fervent wish of millennials.  And transparency, very soon we predict, will be mandated by potential new hires.  And why not?  Those companies with the highest morale and greatest collegiality, research shows, are also those where employees can respectfully complain.

Where is your company on the kvetch scale?

MAKE NEW FRIENDS ...

Any former Girl Scouts in our readership?

The phrase should be familiar – and it stayed in our memories after attending a GS Tribute Dinner a few weeks ago.   Where we were, indeed, meeting new acquaintances.

But ‘pinged’ in a different way.  There’s been much ado, for years, about networking:  the how-tos, not-tos, remember-tos, and business card-tos.  A number of MBA schools are now, in fact, teaching the soft skills of U.S. work connections to international students who don’t understand the intricacies of our culture.  So they learn, at lunches and after classes, the ins and outs of email greetings and small talk at networking events.

What, however, is lacking in many American skill sets is the art and craft of relationships.  A number of our colleagues, having found a new job, quickly drop all the connections they’ve carefully garnered to get employed.  Or they, suddenly, forgot the help and kindnesses of strangers. 

No, it’s not a complaint.  Rather, we’re pointing out that relationships in the workplace can make or break a career.  Genuinely caring about your compatriots is not necessarily a gender trait.  Nor is touching base frequently with peers, upper management, team members, and staff a brown-nosing activity.  It’s through the give and take, the honest exchange that, quite frankly, builds business and success.  Sharing knowledge, stories, and emotions gives us a personal face, one that’s okay to reveal in the workplace.

Technology makes it oh-so-easy to connect, hassle free.  Isn’t it time we take the IT out of our relationships?

THE MEANING OF PURPOSE

Pundits say the Millennials started it, “it” being the search for meaning or purpose in work and in life.

Others assert that, if we replace “purpose” with “mission,” the corporate purpose – or defining the reason for being – has been a mainstay of American business for decades.  It just got overlooked with new words, new fads.

Setting the “whys” aside, going beyond the bottom line has never been so popular.  Themes like sustainability and corporate social responsibility are endemic – and baked into almost every business’ Web site, annual report, news releases, and the like.  Changing the world is de rigueur these days, whether it was sparked by President Obama’s 2008 campaign rhetoric or through the latest malaises of employees.

Lofty goals, though, aren’t necessarily captured in words.  [Though many of us, at times, delightedly put on our wordsmithing hats.]  Case in point:  Peruse a few Fortune 1000 Web sites.  How many purposes are distinctive, differentiated?  Do the statements truly marry what the company does with its higher goals?  What words crop up … again and again and again?  Finally, think about credibility; can you believe, truly believe in the ‘purpose’ statement?

If ‘no’ is the answer to the last question, then consider, carefully, the reactions of Generation Xs and Ys.  If authenticity doesn’t ring loud and clear to them, the organization might need to re-purpose its meaning.  Or at least research and re-jigger it.  Besides, according to a study from a Yale professor of organizational behavior, not everyone wants to change the world – only about one-third of us do.

A thought:  Maybe, just maybe, the meaning of purpose should be in the business actions we share, not the words we say.