Outliers

Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell. I love this book. I am nearing the end and feeling very sad because I know this wonderful exercise of looking at the world differently is about to end. One of the more fascinating chapters explains what causes most airplane crashes. Apparently, "mitigated" language kills or at the very least causes some very bad accidents. Some cultures are so adept at communicating with nuanced speech (Koreans for example) that the listener must be fully concentrating to understand the true meaning...or gravity of the situation. In high-stress flight deck situations subtle suggestions like "maybe we should consider pulling up" can be missed resulting in fiery crashes.

Think about how many mistakes are made in ad agencies because employees are not crystal-clear about the deadlines, objectives or changes that need to be made. I was raised in the New York ad world where subtlety doesn't exist. You always know where you stand-sometimes uncomfortably. In Cincinnati, folks are very deferential and loath to challenge authority. I had to learn to listen very carefully but also push people to push back.

Communication is an art. Learn how to listen but also know when to say "pull up or we're toast!"