Reading Response Week 3
The readings I did for the week were very helpful in establishing a good understanding about the Jet Blue crisis. I feel that a plan should have been in place considering they are a airline. Airlines especially should have a plan in place for weather, considering weather is something that can change any given minute. I know that sometimes weather can be unpredictable, but the airline should have brought the passengers back to the terminal, and not have kept them on the runway.
After reading the articles the information on the crisis was very helpful and informative. I had actually studied the crisis in a consumer class I took in the spring. I know that many people were very shocked to see the CEO of Jet Blue to make such an incredible turn around. Mistakes are bound to happen in any company, some mistakes may be small and some may be bigger, but regardless mistakes do happen. I have learned with past experience it is how you handle your mistakes. I believe Jet Blue did a great job handling their crisis. I am sure from now on they are much more efficient with their passengers. The Jet Blue crisis was a starting and a turning point for the very immature company. The CEO did the right thing by approaching the problem first hand. One thing I do have trouble understanding with the problem is the fact that they did not handle the crisis in a timely manner.
The 10 rules for effective language are somewhat common sense, but also a lot of times overlooked. The rules should be used not only with companies but also with many people’s daily lives. I found many of the rules very helpful when talking publicly to make sure you can accompany all of your crowds.
I am very excited to write my own public release. All the readings will definitely help to make my press release much more efficient
Comments
Comment
I also thought that the readings this week were very helpful in establishing an understanding about the Jet Blue situation. When I first heard about the Jet Blue crisis back in February, I did not really understand the issues with the company. All of the readings in this class have really explained the whole situation and made it clear to me how the company could have eliminated all the problems with having a plan before a crisis occurs. Weather is unpredictable, and it is smart for an airline company to have a set plan for all of the crisis possible with weather. Jet Blue could have avoided a lot of problems with a plan, and since they did not have a plan before the crisis, they tried to make the most of the situation by making it up to their passengers.
Response
I agree, any company that may have to deal with weather conditions must have a plan in mind for such a situation. If JetBlue would have considered this they may have been able to avoid the payout of millions of dollars to the customers. I don't not know much about the JetBlue crisis other than the articles that I have read for this class, but since you had taken the consumer class and discussed this topic, you have an advantage over the rest of us. Based on what I have read, however, it seems as JetBlue did not handle the situation in such a good way, but you seem argue otherwise. I know they handled the situation the best they could when it took place, but they should have originally had the plan in the first place. Like the readings told us, companies, as well as individuals, should evaluate a number of different possibilities before they choose the best, and most ethical plan of action. JetBlue did not do this so it cost them money as well as business. They lost credibility as a company because of the crisis, but witht the Bill of Rights, they are trying to get things moving smoothly again. Maybe the crisis will be good for them in the long run because they can learn from their mistakes.
Reply
The Ten Rules of Effective Language are a good tool for society to follow, especially communication. However like you said a lot of the times they are overlooked, especially in the case of JetBlue. Without any significant communication, the company was putting itself on the like they were gambling in a sense. I was not too amazed on how the CEO turned around his way of thinking. He did what he was supposed to do in the beginning but failed to live up to it. I do think the company has come a long way from where it was at, but there still are problems that need to be fixed and business ethics to be enhanced.
Small Words
I agree that the Ten Rules of Effective Language are a great tool for society to follow in communication. I wish they were followed far more often. When I was reading Luntz’s paper, I noticed how most of these rules were common sense but still overlooked. I would say one of the most important is the first rule, use small words. I have noticed many people use large words or even euphemisms to communicate something important. Many times I feel these attempts take away from the meaning of the word and begin to take away the creditability of the author.
Reading Response Comment
I agree with you about the 10 rules for effective language. I too found these to be pretty much common sense, and feel that many people may overlook these when composing their documents. I think that if people would take the time to use them it would be easier for them to address multiple audiences and they could even increase their communication skills on a personal level as well as professional level. As a result I am excited about being able to apply these rules in our next project. Although I am not sure whether or not I am going to like it much, it will be interesting to learn how to write a document that I have never thought about composing before.
10 Rules
You make a valid point that Luntz's rules are often common sense. However, it's amazing how often business writing doesn't follow them. Often the logic of business and legal teams to provide very complex words that confuse audiences or create deliberate ambiguity. Imagine how easy this would have been in the JetBlue case. An analysis of Richard Nixon's biography once revealed that he never uses subjects, writing instead things like "Mistakes were made" which don't clarify much for anyone. There are a variety of ways to create deliberate ambiguity which companies and politicians often use. Luntz's rules, though they are about controlling language, avoid this approach.
Luntz also makes an interesting point here and elsewhere that you have to choose the right words to convey the message. Choosing different labels will affect people's perceptions (and this is not about lying or spin, since language is always doing this anyway.) For instance, Luntz recently argued that "Global Warming" is an ineffective label because warming sounds good. Who doesn't like warmer weather? In fact, Putin is on record as being excited about global warming because Russia could stand to be a few degrees warmer. Maybe something like "Catastrophic Climate Change" would better convey the urgency of the situation.
Words are important
I agree that Luntz's 10 rules are common sense. However, I would not be surprised how many companies loose sight of those 10 basic rules when communicating in and out of the company. It seems society as a whole has lost sight of the simple rules. When the CEO of Jet Blue gave his interview he did an excellent job at communicating simply, speaking Aspirationally, remaining credible, and providing context while explaining relevance.
I also noted Luntz' point about the term "Global Warming" as an environmental scientist I understand Global Warming better than the average American and nothing frustrates me more to hear people say, "I like warm weather" in response to Global Warming. Just the term "Global Warming" brings about so much controversy. The example of the lawyer who created "accidental manslaughter" in the murder case is another example of the significance of word choice. That term has never been used or was used again, but it conveyed the message that he wanted to portray about the case. It was really a genius tactic to use in the case!