Apparently there is, and it’s 5:1. That is some researchers are arguing that for every barbed remark, or true-word-spoken-in-jest you have to patch on five positive (and presumably sincere) comments for that relationship to be repaired.
Viewing entries tagged
Management
In the accompanying blog I argued that Air NZ has just made changes to its trans-Tasman ticket pricing that have seriously undermined its customer loyalty program. I made the distinction between ‘reward’ and ‘loyalty’ programs and said that rewarding customers is always going to be difficult to sustain but that loyalty was easier.
Is a value statement just more cynical hissings from the corporate snake pit? More business monkey spank double speak? Or is it a valuable tool to help shape culture and create a competitive advantage?
The recent Walter Isaacson biography mentioned Steve Jobs’ tendency towards binary thinking – how he would put people in one of two camps, ‘very good’ or ‘very bad’.
Is this another powerful management technique from the polo necked guru?
No. He’s being a jerk.
My iPhone screen broke the other day. Fortunately I have opposing thumbs so I assembled the correct tools and sat in front of my computer closely following the steps of a YouTube video.
All was well until, just when my phone was in all its separate pieces and the dozens of microscopic screws were gently falling into the carpet, the man on the video deftly and invisibly tucked some tiny connector into some hidden slot and then continued on. But now the rest of the video was impossible to follow.

