Clueless in Amtrak?

"Ridiculous!" "Inconsiderate!"

I heard these comments, and others, as I took my seat yesterday on the scheduled 2:00 regional Amtrak train from Washington to Philadelphia. Those comments weren't directed at me, thankfully, but rather to a woman one row ahead of me, on the other side. She was watching a movie on her laptop computer, and the sound carried throughout the car.

After deliberating a few moments, I got up and approached her. As I did, I noticed with some puzzlement that she actually was wearing headphones, and that they were plugged into the laptop.

"Excuse me," I said to her politely, "but the sound is kind of loud. Is there a way of lowering the volume?"

Seeing her puzzled look, and remembering the headphones, I suddenly had an idea. "Could you check to make sure the headphones are plugged into the correct jack?" I continued. There are two of them, microphone and headphone, and they look alike."

She looked at me, then at the computer. We unplugged the headphones from the one jack and replugged them into the other. Immediately the sound stopped from the laptop speaker, and instead went through her headphones. Until I spoke to her, she had been unaware that her actions were annoying others.

This phenomenon is known in communications theory as the "blind spot." Sometimes we do things or say things that affect others (usually negatively), but about which we're unaware. In this case, the woman's blind spot arose because no one (until me) told her that the sounds were bothering others.

Be aware of this blind spot when you yourself communicate with others.

How to handle the exit interview?

In a recent article at Tech Republic, I discussed steps to take if and when you resign. Since that time, I've gotten comments and questions on one specific issue: how to handle the exit interview, in particular the inevitable question "what suggestions do you have?"

Some people suggest being frank about sharing issues. On the one hand, maybe your comments will be considered. On the other hand, maybe those comments will be seen as "bridge burning.

How about this option? Instead of dwelling on your concerns and complaints, can you identify something your soon-to-be-former employer did RIGHT? Focus on that point, and say, "This is something I really appreciated, and it would be good to have more of that."

Of course, you have to be sincere. Don't fake it, because people can tell.

The Starbucks "we're closed" experience

• You're trying to run away from a knife wielding attacker, but you're unarmed and your legs have turned to rubber, rendering you defenseless
• You've entered the movie theater to see Iron Man, but the movie never starts
• You just began your final examination, but just realized you can't answer a SINGLE question

Have you ever had dreams like these? I had a similar one last night: I'm in line to buy ice cream. There are 10 or 12 people in front of me. I look down to check my watch, and when I look up again, the ice cream window is CLOSED.

They say dreams speak to what is real, and in fact something like this happened to me a few months ago, only it wasn't at an ice cream place. Rather, it was at a Starbucks at a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike. I was about the fifth person in line, with another six or seven people behind me. All of a sudden, a Starbucks barista comes forward, tells everyone "We're closing" and shuts the gate (and it was right at their closing time). Those of us in line are left looking at each other in amazement.

What arguments can one make on either side for why they were right or wrong for closing this way, with people in line? What alternatives could they have considered?

On the one hand, Starbucks wants to be considerate of its employees. They have schedules and families, and an expected closing time. On the other hand, how do you think all of us, as waiting customers, reacted? We spent time in line, getting there before their closing time, expecting to get service. But we received none. Is it possible the negative reaction from the customers outweighs the benefits to Starbucks of closing "on time"?

I actually wrote a letter to Starbucks, suggesting an alternative: if customers are in line, stay open until all of the ones who entered the line prior to closing are served. At closing time, instead of shutting the gate, maybe the barista could put an orange cone in back of the last person in line. Then, he or she could tell the line that they were welcome to stay in line, and that they would get service. However, no one else would be able to enter the line.

Does that sound like a good solution? What others could you think of? More importantly, can you apply this lesson on "expectations" to your own job situations?

New article at Tech Republic: "10 ways to develop customer self-sufficiency"

Here's my latest entry at Tech Republic, on developing customer self-sufficiency:

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=353

Saving time: benefitting from the "80-20 rule"

Most of us have too much to do and too little time to do it in. May I suggest a tool and technique that can help in this regard: the 80-20 rule?

I first learned about this principle years ago, from a book by consultant Alan Lakein, entitled How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life. He gave examples of this principle, such as

• 80% of a company's business comes from 20% of its customers
• 80% of a company's complaints from from 20% of its customers
• 80% of a company's sales comes from 20% of its product line

I could go on, but I think you get the point: A small number of "things" exerts a high degree of influence.

How does this principle apply to you? Think about all of your assignments. Chances are, a small number of them have the biggest impact on your job. So, to maximize your effectiveness, focus first on those 20% of things that bring 80% of benefit, not the other way around. Notice, I didn't say to IGNORE that other 80%, just to give first priority to the "big 20%" first.

The snappy answer that (maybe?) I could have given?

Back to the Computerworld article, in which I discuss career suicide. As I said in a previous post, I did not report back to "Carl" about what the other executive said about him, that is, the comment "Why should I care what 'Carl' thinks?"

I have a different question now. I did not say anything in response to this question, but merely thanked the person and hung up.

What if I had said instead, "Well, I thought Carl was well respected in the organization, and that his opinion would mean something. Was I wrong to think that?"

Would this response have been appropriate?

Should I have told?

In my Computerworld article "5 Easy Steps to Career Suicide," I relate an incident in which I call a client company and reach a person there that I haven't done work for previously. I tell that person that "Carl" (my client contact, and therefore a co-worker of this person) has been pleased with my work. The person said in response, "Why should I care what Carl thinks?"

In other words, one person in the organization is "dissing" another person to me, an outsider. This remark demonstrates a lack of unity and professionalism on the part of the person I called.

As you can guess, that call really went nowhere. Afterwards, I didn't do anything in follow up. However, I'm wondering if I should have told "Carl" what this person said. On the one hand, it's good for him to have a "heads up." Also, that person never really expected that remark to be confidential. On the other hand, might "Carl" "shoot the messenger?" And, does it make me a tattle-tale?

What do you think?