For the Don Imus in you
Don Imus is, at best, a person that doesn’t think about everything that comes out of his mouth. Which if you’re a shock jock, is probably not that unusual. We can bat around whether he is a racist or not but at this point, at least from where I am taking this post, it doesn’t matter.
You aren’t a shock jock.
How do I know? Well, you’re reading this blog. And even recruiting’s biggest shock jock doesn’t really compare (sorry Animal).
What Don Imus can teach us however are things that we don’t think about when we say them can have long, lasting effects on our careers. What got Imus in hot water took about three seconds to say. To put that into perspective, these last two sentences took 12-15 seconds to read. Not very long.
Imus may survive because his job requires him to be edgy and to feel comfortable pushing that edge. You won’t likely be so lucky. Saying something offensive about your boss’s wife, the new secretary, or the delivery guy, even clocking in at three seconds, can add months of frustration and years of explaining exactly why you were let go from that company. And if you are the boss, you could look for some possible litigation love from your local attorneys.
No one wins when you let your lips loose while on the company dime. This is why I recommend you bring your game face to work and to company social events (including limited, if any, drinking). Sorry to be a buzzkill but a three second joke isn’t worth it. Especially if it isn’t that funny to begin with.
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Your HR Guy is a Human Resources Generalist practicing in the field. But don't let that fool you, this isn't a boring blog. I seek relevance and humor in a place we will spend much of our lives. Everything from workplace issues, job seeking and terrible bosses. Read more...
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Imus, in addition to being biggoted, forgot that its showtime at work.
We have certain boundaries and protocol that guide our daily actions, and those must pass the litmus test of what society considers to be acceptable. Imus’ comments do not/did not pass that litmus test.
Last, there is this simple theorem that many generation x’ers and y’ers have heard from their moms and dads - engage brain before mouth.
robert edward cenek, RODP
http://www.cenekreport.com
Uncommon Commentary on the World of Work
Haha, thanks Robert
Dear HR: Imus debacle has everything to do with bad timing. The line he used was truly offensive to all women. I was part of the generation that saw Title IX come to life and I still remember the beating women’s groups took for attempting to level the playing field (no pun intended) in college athletics. Now, Imus failed joke resonated because, the profound message the joke communicated spoke to the fact that we, as women, still have a long way to go before we can be judged by the content of our character and ability on the playing field. That was the message that companies like P&G and American Express ran from…it was not pressure from Jesse Jackson or the Rev Sharpton.. it was the huge business impact and image reparation required to explain their support to the women is never an equal message the Imus joke conveyed. And for Imus, becuase of YouTube, there was truly no place to hide once the cute joke got out of his mouth. So, to all the big mouths with aspirations to replace Imus…watch it! The rules of the game have chance for the better, so think it twice before calling anyone a “nappy headed ho”.
Good day!