Thank You Tim Berners-Lee

Not too long ago the World Wide Web celebrated its 20th birthday!  With how dependent businesses, students, families, governments around the world have become it’s hard to believe it’s only 20.

The ability to gather information, educate, distract (lots of distraction) and travel to distant places and cultures without ever leaving your home.  The Internet breaks down walls as never before and can bring to life places and people in ways that books or magazines can’t.

Learn more about the Civil War, see pictures of cats with silly captions, see the world’s great thinkers explain weighty matters, calculate how many micrograms in an ounce, watch art being made, brush up on your geometry, look up the box score of the 1927
World Series – you name it and there’s a good chance it’s available.  The only requirement from you, the user, is a bit of imagination (how to find things) and a discerning eye (recognize what’s fact and what’s fiction).

Much to the chagrin of some that are close to me, I find myself wandering in and out of the Internet from time to time searching, learning, crying and laughing.

Maybe it should have been named the World Wide Time Suck, but I suppose that’s not too scholarly.

Yesterday I found myself a bit off the beaten track and in the course of 30 minutes there were tears in my eyes – tears of sorrow and tears generated by some of the funniest improv comedy separated by just a few mouse clicks.

I double dog dare you not to cry during or after watching these two videos.

First the tears of joy…

Then the other kinds of tears…

Click here – CNN

So, despite being a complete vortex into which time disappears, as Warden Norton said in Shawshank Redemption, “like a fart in the wind”, (thank you IMDB.com)  I embrace the Internet and all it has to offer.  It can never replace human interaction, but it can be an enlightening, educational, virtual encyclopedia that can bring our world closer together.

Of course, it can also teach us those life lessons that you used to be able to only learn from the “older kid down the block”.

Like the time my son wanted to build a potato cannon and I had no idea where to begin.  Without the Internet we would never have had that time together launching russets.

You don’t need to be (or hire) a guru to be successful – just willing to engage

I read a great deal in magazines and on-line forums about the latest communications strategies, ideas, tools and their combined effectiveness.  What is collectively coined social media dominates the landscape.  How are companies using these tools effectively?  What works best?  Who are the creative leaders?  Opinions from experts and self proclaimed social media gurus abound.

I am not a social media guru.  I am, however, a big believer in the opportunity social media provides communicators to devise new and exciting strategies to build brand awareness with consumers directly.  Meaningful and honest communication can strengthen the bond between customer and company and social media can forge new ways to make that happen.

Recently I read the results from a survey that stated that 78% of executives surveyed thought a social business strategy was somewhat or very important to the future success of their business, but that most of those same executives are still in the early stages of making it a priority.

What was fascinating to read is that in another survey in the same article, social media was low on the list of marketing priorities for US and UK marketing executives for 2011 and 2012.  Only 27% listed social business as a top strategic priority. Nearly half admitted a social plan was necessary but not a strategic priority and 19% said social business strategy was simply not necessary.

However, most of the top priorities they identified that were important – customer retention, customer acquisition, branding can be positively supported and enhanced by a well thought out social media strategy. It’s not simple and it’s not free, but it is worth the effort.

There are many examples of companies using social media tools to enhance their brand, engage with consumers, host contests and even corporate community service projects.

Chase Bank launched an extremely successful community giving program on Facebook encouraging fans to help Chase donate $15 million to over 400 local charities with their votes on Facebook.  Chase Community Giving provided the guidelines and by using Facebook were able to hear and read about hundreds of local charities they would have never considered using the traditional grant making approach.  They also built a highly supportive and engaged community with nearly 3 million fans who now know that Chase is more than a just a big bank who doesn’t care.

Pepto Bismol’s YouTube channel is a great example of a brand having fun with video.  Not exactly the most glamorous product, Pepto Bismol connects their product with events that might cause you to use their product – like Cinco de Mayo.  They are currently running a contest on YouTube that involves the “Grill Fairy”  and your chance to win a new BBQ.

http://www.youtube.com/user/peptobismol#p/u/6/ZFxkd988ayQ

During Cinco DeMayo they blew up pinatas loaded with spicy foods.  It had little to do with an upset stomach, but it was damn funny and let the consumer know they are willing to have a bit of fun with their product.  After all, they are not working on a cure for cancer.

http://www.youtube.com/user/peptobismol#p/u/10/ObZZlbBLxbI

http://www.youtube.com/user/peptobismol#p/u/8/AakW4-2rxYg

The results are fun and they do an excellent job reinforcing it’s a necessary product.

Twitter provides users the ability to directly engage with companies and vice-a-versa.  Several of the leading airlines – Southwest, JetBlue and Alaska Air- have leveraged this channel to provide timely updates to flights and to solve customer service issues on the spot.  While Alaska Air started late, both Southwest and JetBlue have over 1 million followers, the vast majority of which are loyal, repeat customers.  Other consumer focused companies, including many with notoriously bad customer service – Comcast for instance have successfully used Twitter to enable a direct channel to their customers.

Last week I was at the downtown Seattle Nordstrom store with my daughter.  For those of you who have been to a Nordstrom store I am sure you have heard the paging of employees over the speaker system when a customer is on hold.  ”Jack Jones 62″, “Mary Smith 68″.  As I was riding down the escalator I thought they should toss in a famous person’s name from time to time just for fun.  Knowing @Nordstrom was active on Twitter I posted a Tweet.

Within minutes they replied! They were listening and responding – both of which are absolutely mandatory to any social media policy or strategy.  Mandatory, but you would be amazed at how many don’t want to or are afraid to engage directly.

Here’s the exchange in order of Tweet.  My first message was at 11:08 and the last post was at 11:39.

If they responded based on my annual spending at Nordstrom I  may still be waiting – but they didn’t and that’s the point.  Every customer is an important customer.

Nordstrom is legendary for great customer service and as a lifelong Seattleite the stories are a part of our cities lore.  We know the family, people and stories that made the company’s customer service reputation legendary. This little exchange didn’t cause me to spend any additional money during our visit, but it certainly reinforced to me their focus on customer retention, customer acquisition, customer profitability and willingness to use direct channels to speak to customers and potential customers.  Which if I’m not mistaking were the leading priorities for US and UK marketing executives in 2001 and 2012 according to the survey from emarketer.com – the same survey that said social media strategy and tactics were at the bottom of the list of priorities.

Maybe some of those marketing executives should re-examine their priorities.

Who Would You Want to be for One Moment in Time?

I was listening to a radio show over the weekend and the host asked an interesting question.

If you could replace any athlete in history for one play, what athlete and what play would you pick?  Being a sports fan, I thought it was a great question and I’ve answered it differently each time I’ve asked myself over the last day or two.

Franz Klammer in the 1976 Olympic Downhill – the gold speed suit, an entire country on his shoulders, pushing the envelope and in the end fulfilling his dream and winning the gold.

Franco Harris catching the “Immaculate Reception”, one of the most improbable and impossible plays in NFL history.  While I was an Oakland Raider fan as a child and wasn’t happy they lost the game, to this day it is one of the most amazing single plays during a game that meant something – a trip to the Super Bowl.

As a huge college football fan, I’ve often thought Doug Flutie’s “Hail Mary” against Miami in 1984 was a tremendous end to a thrilling game.  Miami was the team everyone (except Miami fans) loved to hate and BC played the game of their lives – it was one helluva game with an ending that was not only improbable, but impossible yet it happened.

There are many others like Mike Eruzione’s game winning goal against the Soviet’s in the 1980 Olympics, Kirk Gibson’s game winning home run in the World Series and more than a few big plays in Husky history – Spider Gaines catch to beat the Cougars in 1975 or Erik Folk’s game winning kick in 2009 to beat USC and wash away several years of frustration.  Bottom line, it was impossible for me to pick just one.

While the sports angle is great, I thought for this forum I’d open it up to include a specific event in world history.  Maybe replace Alan Sheppard for the first manned US space flight or Neil Armstrong walking on the moon?  How about being Martin Luther King, Jr. as he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech?

There are so many great moments, not just from a sporting event but in history to choose from that it’s one discussion with no right answer and no shortage of material from which to choose.

What’s the one person (athlete or not) that you would like to replace for one moment or play?

Alignment

How do you align an organization to achieve a common goal? 

It’s a question that the largest companies in the world, the newest small start-up to my own family grapples with on a regular basis. 

How can we get everyone pulling their oars at the same time and in the same direction for a common goal?

There are examples of organizations that externally exude alignment to their core values from top to bottom.  Maybe you work for a company where this is true?  I have, but I’ve also been with organizations where the opposite is true. 

I can tell you which one was more enjoyable!

Successful alignment is about knowing your ultimate objective and then communicating effectively.  I have opinions and ideas how that should look, but truth be told I don’t believe there is one strategy that works above all others.  I do, however, know a simple story that illustrates the type of outcome we would all hope to achieve within any organization.

Now there is some debate as to whether this actually happened, but I choose to ignore the naysayers and keep it posted on my wall as a good reminder.

It is well known that in a speech before a joint session of Congress in 1961, President Kennedy challenged Congress that landing an American on the moon and bringing them home safely should be a goal by the end of the decade.  Congress accepted his challenge and on July 20, 1969 we landed on the moon and, of course, they returned safely days later. 

One day, Kennedy visited NASA and during his tour he ran across a janitor who was sweeping the floor and asked him, “And what’s your job?”

The janitor replied, “Mr. President, I’m helping to put a man on the moon.”

Now THAT’s alignment!

This IS Intended to be a Factual Statement!

I think it is fascinating to read/watch the official response from an organization or individual following a public mistake. In the last week there were two examples that I think show how to respond and how not to respond to an error.

On the floor of the United States Senate Sen. John Kyl in a speech about the budget battle matter-of-factly stated the following; “…if you want an abortion you go to Planned Parenthood. And that’s well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does.” Of course anyone who knows anything about Planned Parenthood recognized the gross misrepresentation of the facts and the press was quick to point it out to his staff.

This is where it got interesting. Misstatements happen, but it’s the response that sets you apart. His staff issued a statement the next day that the Senator’s comments were “not intended to be a factual statement.”

That’s the best they could come up with? Try admitting your error and while Senator Kyl could never go so far as to praise their mission, (which is ok – stand up for what you believe) he could recognize their political differences while admitting his error.  For instance,  “While fundamentally I am opposed to many aspects of Planned Parenthood’s mission and services, I regret the factual error I made during my speech on the floor of the United States Senate regarding their services.”

Unfortunately for Senator Kyl and his staff, their response was immediately picked up by every major news organization including The Colbert Report where they did a masterful job of poking fun at the Senator and his staff. 

It’s no secret that news, good or bad, as well as funny videos or photos travel quickly around the world these days.  Easy to use Social media outlets have enabled millions of AP News correspondents wannabees who just can’t wait to Tweet or post the next funny/embarrassing/moving event.  Colbert is no different and has been fanning the flame to extend his reach Tweeting non-fact after non-fact with the Twitter hashtag #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement. 

Senator Kyl is leaving office next year after 18 years in the United States Senate and 8 years in the House of Representatives.  I’d wager a few dollars that the one thing anyone outside of the State of Arizona remembers about him will be this episode.  Not sure that’s how he wants to be remembered.

On the other hand, the United States Postal Service was also in the news last week and their response, as well as statements from the other organizations involved was wonderful. The Post Office unveiled a new Forever stamp featuring a close up picture of the Statue of Liberty. One problem – the photo they selected was of the Statue of Liberty replica at New York New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The Post Office could have played ignorant, blamed someone within or outside the department, but after printing over 3 billion stamps they recognized that the ‘blame someone else’ defense made little sense. Externally they faced the music and provided an honest statement that reinforced their history of achievement and accepted responsibility for the mistake. “We certainly regret having made the error. Our track record is excellent for this as far as we’re concerned. We’ve been issuing stamps since 1847 and very few errors have occurred over the years. The image is accurate, just of the Vegas version, not the one in New York, but we love the stamp and would have chosen this photograph anyway.”

After first reading the story and follow-up I commented to a colleague I would love to be in charge of communications for MGM today. What an opportunity! Not too surprisingly they took advantage of the situation for their benefit, but in a professional and creative manner. “We all thought that the Post Office was honoring just one great American institution, but in reality it was honoring two — The Statue of Liberty and Las Vegas — with just one stamp. Regardless of how it came about, New York-New York is honored to be the first Las Vegas casino resort to be on a U.S. stamp.”

The best, however, was saved for last and the response from the staff at Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty National Park where Lady Liberty resides. “As a 125-year-old, she is highly flattered to be confused with a 14-year-old.”

Who wouldn’t be!  (And That IS a factual statement!)

Internal Communications with a Heart

Recently I produced and edited a video for Premera Blue Cross that recounted the story of an employee who by pure chance decided to get breakfast one morning in the company cafeteria. While there she noticed a few co-workers, who she did not know, taking their blood pressure.

She decided to take her BP. The results were so high that the co-workers who were with her thought the machine was broken.

It wasn’t and at their urging she went immediately to her doctor’s office and eventually the hospital for treatment.

It’s a wonderful story with a good outcome – for now. But with all she knew about her own health history, why did it take this scare to get her back on track? More importantly, what if she hadn’t decided to get breakfast that day and take her BP? It’s impossible to know what the outcome may have been, but we do know that this simple and painless test got her re-focused on her own health.
It is astounding how much we can learn about our heart from a simple test like blood pressure machine and our risk for heart disease or heart attack. What’s more astounding is how few of us make the effort to monitor our BP other than at the annual (?) trip to our doctor.

Here’s the video.

Not long after finishing this video I received an email from a business colleague that he sent out to hundreds of friends in the area. By now I am sure it has gone well beyond his initial distribution list of friends, family and business associates.

Amazing story and to his credit well written and with a point.

The subject line simply said “heart attack!”

Dear friends,

I’ve rarely forwarded a chain letter, much less started one, but I’m writing this in the hopes that my friends and family, and their friends and families, and so on…, can learn something from a recent experience of mine. Some of you know a few of the details but I’ll give a quick summary and then share a few thoughts that I hope will help you and others avoid what happened to me.

The short version is that I had a heart attack a few weeks ago. The overwhelming reaction from everyone is that I am the last person they would ever have imagined this happening to. A very good friend of mine told me that the fact that it happened to me means that it can happen to anyone, and that I need to share my story. So, I’m on mission…

A few facts about me:
I’m 52 years old; 6′-4″ and 192 pounds; I get annual physicals religiously; I have low blood pressure and low cholesterol and no health issues; I’ve played sports and/or exercised at least 3 times per week my whole life; I eat mostly natural foods and drink only moderately; and I have no family history of heart disease. The picture of health, right? Wrong! I have coronary heart disease, but I didn’t know it.

What happened?:
Three weeks ago I was playing in a basketball tournament at the Washington Athletic Club and I came out near the end of the first half. Less than a minute later I felt dizzy and passed out. My heart stopped. My eyes opened, but I wasn’t there. People near me did all the right things – checked for a pulse (none), called 911, found an automated external defibrillator (AED) machine nearby, applied the pads to my chest, and administered a shock that got my heart beating again, but only for a few seconds. CPR was then started, about 30 chest compressions… then I took a deep breath. I’m told that I was without a heart beat for less than three minutes (after 3 to 5 minutes brain damage becomes an issue). It turns out that I had a 30% to 40% plaque buildup in a coronary artery and it burst, completely closing off the artery and stopping my heart (this is the definition of a heart attack and it’s the number 1 killer of men and women in the U.S.). The defib and the chest compressions opened my artery enough to get my heart going again, long enough to get to the hospital where they inserted a stent to fully open the artery.

What you can (MUST!) do:

1) Whatever your age is start or keep doing all the obvious things like watching your diet, exercising, not smoking, getting enough sleep, and regular checkups… Here’s a link for more info on this topic from the Mayo Clinic:

2) Get CPR training. It might help you save a life, and not just in the event of a heart attack. The Red Cross offers classes everywhere.

3) Think about where an AED machine might be appropriate in your workplace, or even in your home, and work to make it happen. Here’s a link for more info on AEDs.

4) Most importantly, and please listen to this: If you are in your 40s or older, if you don’t already have a relationship with a cardiologist, and even if you have none of the other risk factors for heart disease, go get a test called a Coronary Calcium Scan, also known as an EBT test. I’m no expert but my very highly regarded cardiologist is adamant about getting people in to have this scan. It is designed to show the amount of calcified plaque in your coronary arteries. Not every doctor is a big believer in this test but my doctor says that, in my case, the scan would have picked up significant calcified plaque, even 5 years ago, and I would probably have been put on a few drugs that could have drastically reduced my risk for a heart attack. The scan takes only 20 minutes from start to finish, there is no prep involved the night before, no dyes injected, nothing invasive. Depending on the results your doctor will recommend next steps, if any, and will use it as a baseline for similar tests in the future. At the very least this will get your family doctor more educated about your heart, or it will get you connected with a cardiologist who can guide you. Here are two links – one to a National Institutes of Health web site for more info on Coronary Calcium Scans; the other for a Seattle clinic that provides these scans. Call TODAY to get your scan.

I’m a lucky guy – living proof that a heart attack can happen to anyone. I just happened to have mine in a place that thought ahead far enough to have defibrillator machines within easy reach and people trained in using them (thank you Dan and Nic!). My prognosis is excellent because I was revived so quickly and I’m in good physical condition. The almost tragic story here is that this was probably preventable with a simple and relatively inexpensive scan. The cost for the scan is about $200 but it is not covered by most insurance plans. If you can’t afford it there are creative funding sources out there. Contact me and I’ll fill you in.

One thing that any one of you would learn through an experience like this is that a lot more people rely on you and care about you than you ever imagined. If you can’t make time to do the “4 step plan” for yourself, then do it for the people who love you. You have many fans out there, including me, who want to have you around for a long time. And if you are over 40, I pledge to bug each and every one of you until you at least take my advice and get a scan or talk to your doctor about getting the scan.

One final request, send this to 10 or 20 or 200 of your friends and family and ask them to do the same. If everyone on my list sends this to just 20 friends, who send it to 10 more, we’ve reached more than a million people right there. Spread the word and maybe save some lives.

Thanks!

Bob

Truth be told Bob (and Charlene), it is I who should thank you for telling your stories.

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

Too often we are quick to judge mistakes companies make without always knowing the complete story. I do try and hope I hope I am more than willing to give credit where credit is due. Today, credit is due.

The tragic events in Japan may have impacted Seattle as much as any other city in the United States. We have a huge Japanese-American population that is a hugely important part of the fabric of our community. In addition, the Port of Seattle (airport and water port) is one of the most important gateways to tourism and business to and from Japan. The earthquake and Tsunami are of great interest and importance to many families in Washington from Ichiro to students at the University of Washington.

News is readily available on-line, but with events such as this it’s hard to beat live TV. CNN and others are focusing a great deal of resources on the event and its aftermath, but for local knowledge and reporting Japanese TV would be the source I would want to listen to if I were Japanese and here in Seattle.

Little did I know but TV Japan is available on our local cable system – for an additional monthly fee. Today Comcast announced it will make TV Japan free for the next week and has removed the encryption for all its customers in Washington.

As I said, give credit where credit is due – great move Comcast.

The Bond Between a 16 year old Daughter and her Father

Gap – n. a wide divergence or difference; disparity.

That’s one definition of the word. Here’s another that reminded me of the gap between my 16 year old and me.

Recently we were driving in my car when Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ came on the radio. The song was being played on a classic rock station, which made me feel a bit old(er). (“Wasn’t that song released just a few years ago?”, I thought to myself – 1984 to be exact. How could it be a “classic”!).

More surprising than having the song labeled a classic, Eloise knew the song and was singing along! I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was not a station she listened to and until that moment in time I was certain she did not like Van Halen.

I asked her how she knew the song. “Oh, it was in a recent episode of Glee.”

Leave it to Hollywood to bring a father and daughter closer together.

Life’s Big Events

Certain events you just remember.  Graduation from college, your wedding day, the birth of your children and even the passing of a loved one.  There are also events that while not as monumental are a part of your permanent internal memory bank – first touchdown scored, climbing Mt Rainier with your brothers, meeting the President or even your first A at Whitman (it wasn’t an only child, but it didn’t have many friends either).

There are few monumental events that fit somewhere in between.  I’ll never forget the day the I-90 bridge sank.

It was November 25^th, 1990 – my 30^th birthday.  I was house sitting for friends in Medina. I remember watching the events unfold on TV, then would jump up to look out the window and see if I could catch a glimpse of the bridge sinking.  This marvel of modern engineering achievement is sinking – on my 30^th birthday no less!  I thought all hope was lost.

Another of those events occurred 10 years ago today – the Nisqually earthquake.  2/28/2001.

At the time I worked for The Ackerley Group as VP of Corporate Communications and was in our office on the 40^th floor of the Rainier Tower.

At the time of the earthquake I was in my office meeting with our CFO and one of his finance directors discussing our upcoming earnings results.  [Side note – Kevin our CFO is not a tall man, maybe 5’8”.   And Jerry, he was big.  Not only tall, but sizeable as well.]

As soon as the earthquake began my drawers started flying open and the three of us did our best 3^rd grade impersonation and huddled under the door jamb.  Harkin back a moment to the physical description of my two colleagues with me somewhere in between.  If I wasn’t picturing the building falling and the three of us landing on top of the building next-door, I may have laughed at the sight of us hugging, hiding under the door jamb for protection.  With 12 foot tall doors and floor to ceiling glass windows next to each office door, we learned later that wasn’t the best place to “hide”.

Soon after the shaking began the head of our billboard division began running for the front door.  I know this because he sprinted by the three of us at top speed.  We later learned Randy had run down all 40 stories to street level.  He was a big, strong former rugby player and to recall later the site of him sprinting down the hall headed for the door caused us all to laugh.  Mr. Ackerley’s long-time assistant was down the hall at her desk and as the quake subsided someone called to see how she was.  A faint voice from under the desk said, “I think I’m fine.”

Soon after the quake subsided we took a quick inventory of our office mates, Kevin and Jerry and I stopped hugging and we all wondered aloud, “what happened to Randy?”  Needless to say we closed the office early that day.

I’ll never forget looking out my window during the quake seeing other buildings come into view and then disappear from view only to return seconds later. Now we all know buildings are supposed to do this when under severe stress from wind or an earthquake.  However, it’s not the first thing that comes to mind for the average person hugging another man as the building sways back and forth.  I kept thinking about the shape of the Rainier Tower and pondered my soon to be dramatic exit from the earth.  “That pencil thin base will never last, I thought.”  Later on I learned that the corporate office of the structural engineering firm that worked on the building was located in Rainier Tower as well.  “Safest building in Seattle they said.  Huge counterbalance underground – it won’t fall.”

At the time I’m not sure that information would have helped, but I did feel better riding up the elevator from that day forward.

The worst part of the ordeal was trying to get in touch with my wife at home.  Lines were dead, our phone was busy but we finally connected and we were both relieved to hear all was safe at home and at work.  I may curse our 100 year old house for all of its “old house problems”, but it has survived several major quakes in the area and it safely protected my wife and children that day.

I know when the next one hits I’ll be happy to be safe at home – or anywhere in Rainier Tower.

When Management Whiffs

In business of communicating we sometimes face what we call crisis communications.  Crisis communications can erupt suddenly based on a rapid response to a natural disaster, sudden event such as the death of a company leader or a tragic event such as the shooting at Virginia Tech University.  Crisis communications can also be necessitated by the actions of the company or organization.  Maybe someone was caught with their hand in the cookie jar or the head of the finance department was led out of the office in handcuffs facing charges of tax evasion and embezzlement.

Companies and PR agencies spend a great deal of time, energy and money developing and refining crisis communications plans.  They run practice drills or simulations to make sure they consider all possibilities, the appropriate response and are their employees equipped to handle a crisis.

I hope the PR department of U.S. Steel has their handbook out today.

I read the following news article on ESPN.com and couldn’t believe that the leaders of U.S. Steel, a company so closely linked to one of the two Super Bowl teams, determined that this was a good idea.

U.S. Steel to workers – don’t miss work

CLAIRTON, Pa. — It’s only natural that Pittsburgh-area steelworkers would want to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday’s Super Bowl.

But a U.S. Steel memo says workers in the Clairton, Irvin and Edgar Thomson mills who miss work Sunday or Monday “without just cause” will face “severe disciplinary action.”

The United Steelworkers union has criticized the memo. A U.S. Steel spokeswoman tells the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the company doesn’t comment on employee relations.

The newspaper says USW International vice president Tom Conway responded to the memo with an e-mail — in black-and-gold type, the Steelers’ colors — that suggested adjusting schedules so volunteers who don’t want to watch the game can work during it. Conway suggested lost production during Sunday’s 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift could be made up later.

I believe wholeheartedly that getting behind the team, creating a supportive campaign on behalf of all U.S. Steel workers and – perish the thought – maybe giving them Sunday off to cheer for the team that wears the a logo on their helmet (a logo that was originally created for U.S. Steel to promote steel) might have been the right course of action.  Productivity is important, but I am certain that the employees would be happy to work an extra hour a day to make up the lost productivity to be able to take the day off and cheer for the single biggest icon in the city of Pittsburgh playing in what is arguably the biggest one day event in the world!

A real opportunity to build community, good vibes about a company and its community was lost forever.

I hope the U.S. Steel PR department dusted off their crisis communications plan for today they may need to see if it works.