BP Teaches Us Just How Bad Communication Can Be

Let's get to the point: BP was not only unprepared for the oil spill they have caused, but they deceived the public, and possibly themselves, about their level of preparation.
I will turn this space to Mr. Dick Polman, columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The utter incompetence of BP, combined with the company's mendacity, is stultifying.

Annual Report Language, Translated to English

Over the years, I have contributed to many annual reports. I know that they can be confusing to read given the language that is often chosen. As a public service to all shareholders and employees out there, here are translations of key phrases you will often see in an annual report.

1. We performed well in a difficult economy.
   Translation: As usual, we didn't make our numbers, but at least this year we have an excuse.
2. I am pleased to report that we continue to make excellent progress on achieving our long-term goals.
   Translation: We didn't make our numbers, but we got a little closer this year.
3. We were able to deliver shareholder value by managing our costs.
   Translation: We laid off employees to make sure that our investors received their dividends.
4. We have focused our business.
   Translation: We sold off the dogs that were losing money because we didn't know how to manage them. By the way, when our current lines start to lose money, we will sell those, too.
5. In these difficult times, we experienced a lot of pain over the past year.
   Translation: We had a second round of layoffs in order to increase our profits.
6. The pain was shared across the company.
   Translation: While we in executive management still received our bonuses, it was difficult to watch from our office windows as employees left the company for the last time.
7. Our portfolio contains legacy products with a long record of success behind them.
   Translation: A lot of our lines are outmoded, so nobody buys buy them anymore.
8. We have a healthy backlog.
   Translation: Our manufacturing is so lousy that we can't get product out the door, so the orders just keep piling up.
9. We have grown through acquisition throughout our long and proud history.
   Translation: We don't know how to innovate, and we put no money into research and development. We know only how to buy other businesses.
10. Our brand still appears fresh and new in the market.
    Translation: After all these years, they still don't know who we are.

The Pony Express — On its 150th Anniversary, the Myth Endures

On April 3, 1860, rider Joseph Fry departed St. Joseph, Missouri and launched the famed and legendary Pony Express. This enterprise was designed as a speedy mail service from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, and it became the west's most direct means of east-west communication before the invention of the telegraph.

Today, the legendary Pony Express name lives on in a variety of ways. There are many memorial statues in Sacramento; Nevada (two); Utah; Wyoming; Colorado; Kansas; and Missouri (two). St Joseph, MO boasts the original and most famous statue, which was dedicated on April 20, 1940. Eagle Mountain, Utah, located on the original Pony Express Trail in Utah, has several locations and events that commemorate the Pony Express. Plus Pony Express Boulevard in Eagle Mountain, Utah may be the only street built on the original Pony Express Trail that is named after the Pony Express, or so says Wikipedia. Pony Express Days, the annual community celebration of Eagle Mountain, are celebrated the first week of June of each year. There is also the Pony Express Elementary School located in Eagle Mountain.

In more ephemeral media, a TV show titled "The Young Riders," which ran for three seasons from September 1989 to July 1992, presented a fictionalized account of a group of young Pony Express riders. The cast included Emmy winner Anthony Zerbe, Stephen Baldwin as a young "Buffalo Bill" Cody, Josh Brolin as "Wild Bill" Hickok" (who, unlike Cody was NOT a Pony Express rider), and Melissa Leo, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2008 for "Frozen River."

Wait, there's more! McGraw Hill produced the game Pony Express Rider in 1996. And a school in Utah is named Pony Express Elementary. It is said that the school was built around the area where pony express rider rode through.

Oh, by the way, the Pony Express was a failure. But nobody tells you that.

It wasn't for lack of trying. The Pony Express was successful in reducing the time to deliver mail between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to about ten days. (Looking at that objectively, even from a 21^st Century perspective, that seems really fast for the time.) The Pony Express did successfully demonstrate that a cross-country delivery system was possible all year around. But like many businesses, it was done in by technology. In this case, it was the telegraph, which made transcontinental communication possible without paper. (See, mail was threatened even then.)

The Pony Express went out of business in October 1861. The company had grossed $90,000 and lost $200,000 (according to Wired magazine, the equivalent of $4.7 million today). The Pony Express announced its closure on October 26, 1861, two days after the transcontinental telegraph reached Salt Lake City and connected Omaha, Nebraska and Sacramento, California.

The demise of the Pony Express has not diminished its lore or its fabled standing in American culture. This all stems from the rugged individualism of the riders, strapping young men who could ride for hours through dangerous terrain. But in the end, these guys were no match for thin little wires carrying electrical impulses from coast to coast.

The short rise and quick fall of the Pony Express created three truths that exist today:

1. Legend is a powerful thing that can easily outlive facts, whether they pertain to an enterprise, an invention, or a person's military record.

2. Technology will almost certainly drive an existing business to its knees, especially if its mission can be fulfilled with fewer people.

3. Paper continues to be threatened as a communication medium, though its death is a long and tedious one.

Oscars, How Did I Hate Thee? Let Me Count the Ways...

1. SLOW, DULL, LOW-ENERGY SHOW. Last year's show was filled with verve and innovation, such as having five high-voltage previous winners pay tribute to each of the acting nominees. This year, they copied that only with the lead performers, not the supporting actors. Everything seemed to take forever.
2. WHERE'S THE LOVE FOR THE HONORARY WINNERS? How nice it would have been to have a tribute to the iconic Lauren Bacall and the legendary schlockmeister, Roger Corman? Instead, their awards were given in December, and they merely stood in the audience tonight. What a waste of wattage from genuine stars.
3. GOOD HOSTS GONE BAD. I certainly would not want to follow last year's host, Hugh Jackman. But the producers did no favors to this year's estimable and talented hosts, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. They were hardly on the screen, far less than they deserved, given how they sparkled in the few times they appeared. Such a shame. Thank goodness that they knew how to take full advantage of show-stopping show opener Neil Patrick Harris. What a terrific performance.
4. WHERE'S THE LOVE FOR THE NOMINATED SONGS? Miley Cyrus announced that this year's Academy Awards marked the 75th anniversary of the "Best Song" category. So they marked it by playing portions of each nominated song in clips from the films. Nice tribute to movie songs in its diamond anniversary. Co-winner T-Bone Walker didn't even care enough to give an acceptance speech. I can't say I blame him.
5. HARDLY A TRIBUTE TO THE TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES OF TELEVISION. The sound dipped noticeably at key moments of the show. Lights wiped out some of the clothing of the stars. There was noise in the background. Obviously television professionals don't care about the movies' biggest night... at least not tonight.

Congrats to the deserving movie makers who walked away with awards. For the rest of us who had to slog through the winners' biggest nights of their career, well, there's always next year.

Which is Best of the Oscar-nominated Films?

It’s all because of “The Dark Knight.”

Last year, the TV ratings for the Oscars were in the toilet again. After all, the Batman flick ruled the box office but gathered few nominations, so viewers were not engaged in the competition. Similarly, the highest previous ratings for Oscar telecasts were in those years when two box office champs prevailed: Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

To fix this problem, the Academy doubled the nominations for “Best Picture” to ten this year. So how did it all end up? Well, we got the five we would have had anyway, plus five more of varying quality or popularity. In other words, it was a wash.

I believe this was a pretty good year for the movies, as we got a nice variety of entertainment, uplifting messages, and advancement of the cinematic arts. If there was a year to increase the number of Oscar-nominated films, the films of 2009 were a worthy place to start. Here are my thoughts on the best of the nominated films, in ascending order. I am not predicting the winner; I am naming only my preferences. Also, in evaluating films, I take a page from critic Roger Ebert, who names his best film of the year according to a single criterion: Did it make him look at film differently?
Here is how I see the ten nominated films in terms of quality and innovation.

10. THE BLIND SIDE -- As Richard Corliss wrote in Time, “For evidence of Sandra Bullock's front-runner status in the Best Actress race, look at how she pulled her movie, indistinguishable from a dozen other sports inspirationals, into the Best Picture race.” How true. There is nothing cinematically exceptional, innovating, interesting or even particularly skillful about this movie. In fact, even its veracity is in doubt. It subject, football star Michael Oher, does not promote the film, softly citing its inaccuracies. Several people I know raved about the film. When I saw it, I thought it was made in the 1970s, hardly the standard for a “best film award.” The Blind Side stole a nomination from other worthier films (e.g. Bright Star, The Young Victoria).

9. A SERIOUS MAN -- You could have titled this “Jewish-American Beauty,” as it contains many of the minimalist plotlines and cinematic tics of that earlier film. A Serious Man, written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, centers around Professor Larry Gopnik, who is suffering all forms of tsuris. His wife, leaving him for a neighbor, asks Larry to move out to the local motel. Gopnik’s tenure is threatened by a student trying to bribe him AND blackmail him at the same time. His son and daughter are stealing his money. And this laugh fest is populated by some of the most offensive Jewish stereotypes I have ever seen. I guess the Academy believes that the Coens’ previous successes warrant an automatic nomination. They should think again.

8. AN EDUCATION -- Refer back to Sandra Bullock, as this film’s success rests on the charming performance of its star, Carey Mulligan. Based on a true story, Jenny, a 17-year-old schoolgirl who is bright beyond her years, is taken in by a older gentleman (Peter Sarsgaard), who seems to charm all around him. Soon the two are off to Paris and other adventures before Jenny receives some harsh life lessons. Mulligan is wonderfully believable, a star in the making who is sometimes reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. But a Best Picture contender? Not much there to support that.

7. UP -- Ah, now we begin to see the real cinematic achievers among the nominees. Pixar does it again, perhaps better than ever. Widower Carl Fredricksen sees his life withering away after he loses Ellie, his wife and the sparkplug of his life. In order to gain some control again, Carl decides to go on the adventure that he and Ellie never could. In the process, Carl learns what it is like to really live — a lesson that Ellie tried to teach him in their time together. If you think that animation is for children, experience the wordless, heartbreaking synopsis of Carl and Ellie’s life at the beginning of the film. And I haven’t seen a balloon look so thrilling since David Niven and Cantinflas traveled Around the World in Eighty Days.

6. PRECIOUS -- I got so lost in this for a while that I has to remind myself, “Wait, this isn’t a documentary.” Such is the skill of Lee Daniel’s direction that he makes this world of poverty so real. I stayed away from Precious for a while, worried that it was too depressing. Don’t make the same mistake. Unspeakably cruel at times, it shines a light on many inconvenient truths about our society. While filled with good performances, Mo’Nique shines as the mother who brutalizes her daughter in a wide variety of ways. Her final scene, staring into the camera and expressing all her guilt, fears, regrets and rationalizations is an acting lesson all by itself.

5. UP IN THE AIR -- A comedy that actually has cinematic value! Who’d have thought? Jason Reitman has created a small gem that may well turn out to be a classic among this crop of nominees. This film has it all: a witty screenplay, whipsmart performances, and movement. Yes, rather than merely talking us to death with its witty dialogue, Up in the Air actually moves us across the country , taking us into the zeitgeist of corporate downsizing. And George Clooney probably has proven, once and for all, that he is indeed this generation’s answer to Cary Grant. This may be the best, most modern film comedy that I have seen since Tootsie.

4. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS -- I haven’t liked anything Quentin Tarantino has done since Pulp Fiction. But like that earlier work, Inglourious Basterds creates an crackling cinematic energy. You must first suspend your belief, as it is, at heart, a revenge fantasy against Hitler and his Holocaust. Once you accept that conceit, the film is radiant. The art direction is luxurious, creating elegant settings to support the ambitious scenario, especially in the climatic movie theater scene. Christoph Waltz is brilliant as Hans Landa, the SS officer who veers as effortlessly between four languages as he does from comic looniness to sadistic madness.

3. THE HURT LOCKER -- Director Kathryn Bigelow creates a timely, timeless tale of the Iraq war. You will be tense throughout The Hurt Locker, which is evidence of Bigelow’s genius. She takes you into the center of a most maddening job — defusing incendiary devices. She shows how these experts may not know the intentions of those around them; even a simple cell phone may ignite the bomb under question. The only aspect of this film that doesn’t place it at the top of my list is its screenplay, which allows little story or character development. Otherwise, it is a great use of film medium, especially the art of editing.

2. AVATAR TV is eating into film receipts, as audiences can be entertained for free at home. Hollywood responds with spectacle and a larger-than-home life experience. The year? No, not now, but 1959. The film that turns around Hollywood’s fortunes? Ben-Hur.
I believe Avatar is as significant in this era as Ben-Hur was in its time. James Cameron uses all available film technology to fashion a unique work that is best experienced on the big screen. He did his homework, too, creating creatures, a new language and a culture that is literally out of this world. Say what you want about the man; he bets big and wins big (re: Titanic). But he is certainly no screenwriter. That is why my favorite of the nominees is…

1. DISTRICT 9 -- Director Neill Blomkamp debuts impressively with his allegory about extra-terrestrials held prisoner in South Africa. His documentary style places us at the center of the action. He also gets more on the screen for his $30 million budget that Avatar does for its estimated $300 to 500 million. Also, the Oscar-nominated screenplay has more wit and character development than one normally sees in a sci-fi flick. One feels sympathy for the trapped aliens who want desperately to return home. In one poignant scene, an alien trembles fearfully when forced into a weapons experiment that will surely kill him. And the main earthling, Wikus (brilliantly portrayed by Sharlto Copley), makes us part of his own descent into alienation. In creating a world gone mad, District 9 did it better, and with fewer resources, than nearly any other film I have seen.

Oscar nominations, like all lists of “the best,” open up lots of debates. I expect to hear from many readers questioning my judgment and perhaps even the origins of my birth as a result of these opinions. Not to worry. The Academy’s collective opinion will hold far more sway than mine will. Furthermore, public opinion counts most of all, as that determines which films get made. So if you like a particular type of film, support it with your ticket dollars. And vote often. I still contend that a movie ticket is one of the best entertainment bargains around.

Gumby and Avatar: Lessons for Communicators

How ironic that I saw the film “Avatar”
the same weekend that Art Clokey passed.

Mr. Clokey’s name is not as familiar as that of his famous creation, Gumby, the flexible toy and cartoon character. But that’s because Gumby lived for decades in many incarnations. He was first famous in moralistic cartoons from The Lutheran Church. Later his fame was revived by comedian Eddie Murphy on “Saturday Night Live” as a vulgar, cigar-chomping show business loudmouth.

“Avatar,” of course, is the feature film phenomenon from creator James Cameron that is earning record revenues worldwide, the most since… well, since Cameron’s previous blockbuster, “Titanic.”

How are these seemingly disparate works similar? Both use film technology (admittedly, sophisticated vs. primitive) to create stunning and unique worlds that defy our notions of the physical world. And this appeals to the child in all of us. Consider these words by playwright William Kozlenko, from his essay, “The Animated Cartoon and Walt Disney”:

“The psychologist will undoubtedly tell us that this interest in make-believe reveals a desire to revert to an adolescent state; an inclination to escape from the rigors of a disordered existence. From another point of view, this interest may be traced to a latent desire on the part of adults to relive the imaginative experiences of their childhood. In either case, however, the element of escape is perhaps the touchstone of the whole matter. The uniqueness of the animated cartoon lies in the fact that, of all film forms, it is the only one that has freed itself from the restrictions of an oppressive reality.”

Said differently, animation allows us to soar and dream. Look at the way Gumby experiences space travel in this clip from the mid-1950s.

Now look at the world created by Cameron in this trailer from “Avatar.”

In both cases, the artists put their characters in the worlds of their own creation, unencumbered by material and logical conventions.

We as communicators — speakers, story tellers and media artists — have the same opportunities. We can insert our audiences in a separate time and place through the brilliance of our language, the vibrancy of our stories, or the luminosity of our visuals. It is why Art Clokey’s Gumby, in its simplicity, lives on today with affection and why James Cameron strikes gold around the world with striking images that speak to many people across their disparate cultures.

For those of us with only language in our arsenals, it tells why the work of such disparate wordsmiths like Shakespeare, Shalom Aleichem and Martin Luther King live on today. Even without the tools of celluloid or pixels, such artists reach deep into our minds and souls to make their messages shine brightly.

Godspeed, Mr. Clokey, and thanks for passing this way. Continued good luck to you, Mr. Cameron. You bet big and you win big because you know how to tap into our most basic needs.

The Rocchi Awards for Best and Worst Communicators of 2009

It is that time again, Dear Readers. We are close to the end of the year, and I am ready to crown my best and worst communicators of 2009. There was an abundance of candidates for the Rocchi Award for Worst Communicator, while it was harder to find effective communication. So, for good or for ill, here are my choices, as voted upon by my panel of experts. (Okay, I am the panel, but hey, I spend a lot of time studying communication, so I’m as qualified as any group of people!)

WORST COMMUNICATOR – Dishonorable Mention

My goodness, but the poor and ill-advised communication from a wide array of politicians was stunning this year. Here is a sampling of ne’er-say-wells:

• President Barack Obama, last year’s best communicator, relinquishing his title through his inability to articulate the case for healthcare reform, allowing his opponents to highjack the discussion.

• Sarah Palin, last year’s runner-up for worst communicator, with her ham-handed explanation of why she was resigning as governor of Alaska. She couldn’t blame that one on Katie Couric.

• Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, resurrecting long-discarded Hispanic stereotypes by saying to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor during her confirmation hearings, "You'll have lots of 'splainin' to do." Shades of Ricky Ricardo! With that phrase (combined with a condescending tone), he played right into the worst stereotypes of the Republican Party as an exclusive country club.

WORST COMMUNICATOR – Runner-up

Carrie Prejean, the former Miss California, was roundly criticized for speaking against gay marriage in the question-and-answer portion of the Miss USA beauty contest. Personally, I thought she should have been able to say whatever she believed in that situation and inject some honesty in that otherwise faux and homogenized event. But she quickly overstayed her welcome and became a tempest in a D-cup. This self-described Christian complained incessantly about the attempts to silence her as she appeared ad nauseum in the same “mainstream media” she sought to denounce. If she was so persecuted, why did we see so much of her?

Speaking of seeing so much of her… (segue to the sarcasm…)

It became hard to reconcile her squeaky clean, church-going image with the nude photos that surfaced, which was later followed by a video of her “pleasuring” herself. Miss Prejean, remember the Biblical injunction against those who would cast the first stone? No, didn’t think you did. Watch your step next time as you ascend that soapbox.

WORST COMMUNICATORS -- Winners

Remember how Spider-Man was advised “With great power comes great responsibility?” Well, NBC, the National Broadcasting Company, officially abdicated its responsibility as a broadcaster by eliminating quality from their lineup. Slowly but surely, the network has become a purveyor of pap by concentrating on weight loss competitions, one-time events and other inferior programs. However, their greatest crime was to give up five hours of quality programming every week, Monday to Friday, from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. and turning it over to Jay Leno and his pale imitation of the Tonight Show. I am not a Leno basher by any means (I met the man in person once, and he was an absolute prince), but it was unconscionable to give up prime-time real estate to his un-entertaining variety show while a cable network is picking up NBC’s discards like “Southland.”

Even Jay looks guilty and weary on his show. He probably is aware of the crime for which he is an accomplice. NBC is creating a template for the demise of the once-great networks. Maybe Comcast will treat this jewel with more respect if the FCC approves the acquisition.

BEST COMMUNICATOR -- Runner-up

I wrote earlier in 2009 – in the same post criticizing Senator Tom Coburn — that “Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina was a model for his party, and perhaps all citizens, in his decorum (during the Sotomayor hearings). He clearly had issues with Sotomayor, but he was able to express them in a courtly and respectful manner, calling to mind a level of discourse that we once had in this country until we Rush-ed in another direction. And as a former Judge Advocate General (JAG, like the TV show), he was well-qualified to question Sotomayor on legal issues.”

Joe Klein of Time magazine, in his own year-end review, also gave Graham kudos: “He faced down his home-state party on climate change and the need for civility in politics.”

In a year marked by knee-jerk partisanship, Graham used high-minded language to rise above the fray.

BEST COMMUNICATOR -- Winner

Let me compare two scenarios:

1. A certain leading golfer is revealed to be having a number of extramarital affairs, and he loses his standing with the public as well as a number of lucrative endorsements.
2. A famous TV star is threatened with the disclosure of several relationships with staff members. Said star meets with the extortionist, has him arrested and, in turn, shoots up to number one in his time slot.

David Letterman, along with his press advisors and his lawyers gave us a masterpiece in press relations this year. Lynette Rice of Entertainment Weekly wrote that “Letterman has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to preempt the scandal by getting ahead of it, both by using his sincere mea culpas and by poking fun at his predicament.” Indeed, Letterman controlled the situation rather than letting it control him. As a result, he and his show are leading in key audience demographics for the first time in years.

Tiger Woods is not the only person who could have learned from this approach. Presidents Nixon and Clinton could have benefited from it, too.

I wish the good had outweighed the bad in 2009, but let's hope for better in 2010. Let's all do what we can to improve communication in the second decade of the 21st Century.

Celebrating the Birth of Christ

It is the morning of Christmas Eve. The neighbors’ houses are brightly decorated, the cards are mailed, and our gifts are wrapped. My wife, Marie, is preparing a seven-fish dinner Christmas Eve dinner, an Italian-American tradition that she has adopted for our family over the last 10 years. But in this moment in the early hours, I find my time to reflect on what this season means to me.

Like many men of my Boomer generation, I struggled with religion, particularly my Catholic Church. I dealt with the inconsistencies and hypocrisies that exist in all religions, yet I found myself always drawing back to church and my desire to lead an ethical life. I saw so-called religious people — many to whom I am related — profess disdain, if not outright hatred, for people who were different from them. When I talked about helping someone who was down, the response that shot back at me was, “Who helped ME?”

Through them, I questioned, “Is this how people who call themselves Christians are supposed to act?”

Finally, somehow inspired, I found I could come to terms with the role of Christ in my life by concentrating on a single passage from the New Testament (John 15:12), in which He says:

“This is my commandment,
that ye love one another,

as I have loved you.”

That single sentence is everything for me. It informs my thoughts and actions. It causes me to ask myself how I should treat my fellow humans, regardless of their colors. Regardless of their facial features. With no mind of their gender. And without judgment of whom they choose to love.

When I am in want, I hope that someone will reach out to me, whether I need a consideration, an opportunity or a kind word. Do I, in turn, give my own gifts to others? Do I give from my abundance or from my leftovers?

When someone commits a wrong, how willing am I to forgive?

Am I even willing to let another car in front of me when I am in a long line?

When I vote, is it in habitual response to an ingrained ideology, or am I really choosing someone who will make life better for all of us through the judicious use of public service?

Years ago, when I worked as a young intern on a local religious program, I had the pleasure of meeting spiritual counselor Tony Campolo. He has always been unlike most evangelical Christian ministers in that he spoke in common language, spreading a message of love and humor. In recent years, I saw him on a national political talk show when the subject was religion in public life. He said —and I’m paraphrasing here, as I don’t remember his exact words — that nowhere in the New Testament did Jesus comment on gay marriage, prayer in school, or keeping our wealth. However, He did speak frequently of looking after one another. No one else on the panel could respond to Tony or dispute him.

As I have experienced more than 50 Christmases and am well past the ephemeral enjoyment of toys, I give much more thought on the birth we are supposedly celebrating. The Jesus Christ I know, love and admire is not a figure of retribution but one of love, a traveler and teacher who reached out to all. I see Him more often in the actions of community workers than in those of politicians, more sincerely in Mother Theresa than in televangelists. I hear His message more strongly in Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” than I do in many sermons and hymns.

In this year-end celebration that is common to so many of our cultures, let’s reflect on our roles in this imperfect world. If you profess to follow a Perfect Master like Jesus, Buddha or Mohandas Gandhi, this can be a season of renewal and a time to recommit to their principles.

I wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.