We went to a swanky restaurant this weekend to celebrate my birthday. Watching and listening to the patrons can be as filling as the meal. To be able to stare and not get caught can be an art form – of which my better half fails miserably. He turns not just his head, but his whole body at our point of discussion. Not to mention, he can not whisper, not that too many men truly can. Guess the junior high years of trying to communicate with girlfriends make the female persuasion become whispering experts. A conversation can continue just with a glance. We don’t talk then about what we are experiencing. Our candid banter of visual and auditory revelations is done after the event in the car. The restaurant filled our bellies while the ride home filled the vehicle with lively conversation.

There are some conversations you have in public. There are some conversations you have private. This lesson is learned usually through making a mistake. You can lose money. You can lose an employee. You can even lose your reputation if thought is not placed into the who and where your candid conversations take place. Do you know who is on the elevator before you talk about the VP of operations? Who are you sitting beside at the local coffee shop while you discuss privy information? We are in the communications industry where bank accounts are grown or depleted based on the correct tagline. Your reputation is your thirty second spot. It’s not about what your employees are saying about you, but where are they selling it?

[tags]communications industry, restaurant, coffee shop, conversation, employee, hiring revolution[/tags]