Ethical Business Practices #1
Quotes in the media.
The following is widely considered to be an ethical practice. When you see an executive quoted in the media, e.g. "CEO Joseph Blowinski of New Hair Solutions said 'Baldness is a curse that can be cured by modern science,'" they usually NEVER said that. Someone in the company crafted the quote and got the CEO to sign off on it.
When I first heard this it sounded sleazy, but it's common practice. Many CEOs and other executives need help with appropriate quotes so they don't sound like bozos. They may be great at what they do, but they might not be great communicators.
This is considered the same as speech writing. George Bush, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and the Pope don't write their own speeches. Someone else, with more experience and time, writes the speeches. That doesn't make them any more or less valid or sincere. An ethical person wouldn't give a speech they didn't agree with regardless of who wrote it. Similarly, an ethical executive wouldn't sign off on a quote they didn't agree with.
Make sense?
The following is widely considered to be an ethical practice. When you see an executive quoted in the media, e.g. "CEO Joseph Blowinski of New Hair Solutions said 'Baldness is a curse that can be cured by modern science,'" they usually NEVER said that. Someone in the company crafted the quote and got the CEO to sign off on it.
When I first heard this it sounded sleazy, but it's common practice. Many CEOs and other executives need help with appropriate quotes so they don't sound like bozos. They may be great at what they do, but they might not be great communicators.
This is considered the same as speech writing. George Bush, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and the Pope don't write their own speeches. Someone else, with more experience and time, writes the speeches. That doesn't make them any more or less valid or sincere. An ethical person wouldn't give a speech they didn't agree with regardless of who wrote it. Similarly, an ethical executive wouldn't sign off on a quote they didn't agree with.
Make sense?







Comments on "Ethical Business Practices #1"
-
BFU Rector said ... (Sunday, October 16, 2005 1:33:00 AM) :
-
Ted Demopoulos said ... (Monday, October 17, 2005 6:56:00 AM) :
post a commentJust make sure you have a good writer.
A CEO had his quote pasted all over his company campus:
"The past is the centerpost of moving forward for our company." P.P.
Well, maybe he did write it himself.
That's a good one!
Just because someone is a good executive doesn't mean that they're good at everything.
Also, maybe it is a good reminder that no one can proof read their own stuff, no matter how short.
Ted Demopoulos, Demopoulos Associates, "We do what you pay us for" :)