Apple’s employee letter is less effective because it’s a rambling mess

Apple’s employee letter is less effective because it’s a rambling mess

In June, Apple CEO Tim Cook told Apple employees that starting in the fall, they’d need to return to the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Many employees signed a rambling and disjointed 1300-word letter of protest. I’ll show how it could be better. The employee plea isn’t effective Consider a ROAM analysis of the…

2016 was a good year for me, if not for the world (plus, top posts)

2016 was a good year for me, if not for the world (plus, top posts)

It’s been a hell of a year for dead artists, democracy, truth, and corporate stupidity. When I started 2016 I had a plan. I would complete the manuscript for Writing Without Bullshit, HarperBusiness would publish it, and I’d use the bullshit in the election season to promote it. I had no idea that this crazy election would…

Post-election, Microsoft’s Brad Smith shows tech CEOs how to lead
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Post-election, Microsoft’s Brad Smith shows tech CEOs how to lead

What’s a leader to do in the wake of a divisive election? For Silicon Valley CEOs from Apple, eBay, Facebook, and LinkedIn, the answer is smile, give us a all a hug, and tell people to get back to work. But Microsoft’s President Brad Smith showed us how a leader ought to lead in a crisis. This election is…

Apple gets half of America to take its side — and it’s not done
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Apple gets half of America to take its side — and it’s not done

Apple has already convinced half of America that it has a case to defy the FBI. Now Tim Cook has extended the company’s clear, jargon-free communication to its own employees, and to the public with an Answers page. According to a survey of over 1,000 people from the Pew Research Center, 51% of the respondents think Apple…

Apple’s Tim Cook shows how to communicate in a crisis
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Apple’s Tim Cook shows how to communicate in a crisis

Apple’s in a bind. The FBI wants them to crack the encryption on a San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone. Apple believes that’s a dangerous precedent. Apple CEO Tim Cook’s open letter is breathtakingly simple and clear. Learn from it. Here’s Apple’s logic: Breaking encryption creates a “back door.” Any such back door would inevitably get out. Thieves…