Communicate Your Success

Jonathan Richardson September 4th, 2006

Winner:

This week’s winner is the Pensacola News Journal. While major newspapers like the Times or the Post have years of experience in the news via web model, many local papers have lagged behind in offering online content to readers. Along the Florida panhandle, the News Journal is the only major newspaper to offer full access to online content and RSS subscriptions to each section. Rather than shunning new distributions methods for their lack of income generating potential, the PNJ has gone full steam ahead. In addition to basic access to stories, the paper’s Web site also allows users to leave comments at the bottom of each story and has begun producing podcasts on sports, life, and recaps of the top news of the past week.
Loser:

My loser for this week is Radio Shack.The AP reported Wednesday that Radio Shack Corp. fired some 400 workers from its headquarters in Ft. Worth. What makes them a loser is the fact that termination notifications were sent via e-mail.

I don’t care how large or small or technically advanced a company is, when you fire an employee, you tell them to their face. I’m willing to guess these employees weren’t hired by sending an e-mail to Radio Shack that said “I have decided to work for your organization, please find suitable working space in your office to which I may report Monday morning.”

And what about leaving an organization? I doubt there are any managers who want to open their inbox to find an e-mail from an employee who decided to move on. “Dear boss; Unfortunately I have to quit. Thank you.” This would create headaches for management and possibly make the employee less promising to a new employer, ’cause who wants to hire you when a reference says they wouldn’t take you back (because, off the record, he left without notice).
I will spot them a few points for bringing the layoffs to everyone’s attention before the axe fell (I’ve worked for a company that told me everything was fine, right up to the day workers came in to remove the fixtures and inventory) but that doesn’t excuse the dehumanizing way in which the company went about terminating its employees.

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