I’m not cold, and you only think you are

graphic by Andrea Moschietto

If I’m cold, then we need to raise the thermostat; if you’re cold, you must be delusional because it feels fine in here to me.

By Richard Pachter

This is anecdotal, not scientific, but I swear that men and women perceive temperature differently.

Judi Smith, humorist Dave Barry's assistant, tells me it's not just a matter of perception.

"These goose bumps are real, " she declared, and I knew that she was not making it up.

But I see plenty of mostly young women wearing sandals, flip-flops or other minimal footwear, short skirts, sleeveless tops and bare midriffs, shivering and protesting about the frigid interior temperatures in their offices.

I'm certainly not complaining, but I would suggest that rather than bowing to style or the desire to be provocative, they put on some clothes — or something — to cover their extremities.

START WITH SOCKS
Shoes and socks might be a good start, although those shocking pink-painted toenails will be obscured. Long pants would help too, as would a top with sleeves. As proud as one may be of a belly-button ring, sacrificing coolness for warmth may be wise.

But that's just me, and I'm not usually cold, especially indoors in South Florida. After all, I went to college in and around Buffalo, so I know what cold is. (It's bad. Very bad.)

I also know what to wear. I'm not Mr. Fashion, but I usually toil in my cubicle (and wander the halls) in a short-sleeved cotton golf-type shirt, cotton pants, and the ever-popular leather-shoes-and-cotton-socks combination.

No danger of my being profiled in Esquire, but I don't complain about the thermostat either — unless it's too high and a torpid malaise sets in, especially after a big lunch.

But plenty of women in my workplace — including Judi Smith — dress warmly and still suffer from the chill. One even keeps a blanket stashed under her desk, which she occasionally pulls out and drapes over her lap, as if she were at the Army-Navy football game. (Hope her team wins.) I've also heard rumors of stashed space heaters, but that sounds a bit far-fetched.

After digging around a bit, I learned that according to a study ("Comparison of Thermoregulatory Responses Between Men and Women Immersed in Cold Water," Tikuisis et al, Journal of Applied Physiology, October 2000), the difference in the way men and women respond to the same temperature is a function of their size and percentage of body fat and not some hard-wired physiological variation.

MY WIFE IS PERFECT
Makes sense, but I refuse to get involved in anything involving the assessment of body fat. I've been married too long to fall into that trap (to a woman of perfect weight and proportions, of course).

And I'll concede there are some offices that even I find chilly. There is one meeting room where I expect one day to discover ice-cube trays placed on its oaken credenza in testament to its near-frigid Fahrenheit mark. Another conference room could easily have meat hooks with sides of beef hanging from its ceiling.

In this age of sky-high energy costs, one would think that building management would aim to conserve, or at least equalize, room temperatures to eliminate frigid zones.

But it may be futile. WFOR/WBFS Communications Director Lee Zimmerman reports that in an attempt to offset the hot lights, the television news studio is usually kept at 67 degrees, though visitors and staff often feel chilly. "I can't tell you how many times I've heard 'Why didn't you warn me? I would have worn a sweater,' from guests," he says.

NO TRAUMA
Dr. James Kraut, a psychologist in Coral Springs, reports that his office's thermostat is subject to centralized control by the building's custodial staff. "It's usually a bit cooler than we prefer. We tried closing vents, but it's just no use. I keep a sweater on hand, which I often have to offer to my patients," says Kraut.

Hopefully, none are traumatized by the experience.

The solution may require a bit of group collaboration, but ultimately, your "cold" may be my "hot." In that case, it feels just fine in here, so keep your hands off that thermostat, willya!

originally published October 10, 2005 in The Miami Herald

Asking for money

A few months back, I did a freelance job for a new client. They'd found me on the Web, read my stuff and wanted to work with me.

Their business was a bit technical, but they asked me to write about an upcoming seminar, keep it accurate but make it breezy and fun, with a little edge. Sounded like I'd be the perfect guy for the job.

They're based a few thousand miles away, though they supplied all sorts of source material. They answered as many questions as I had, and we bounced a few iterations back and forth by e-mail until they got what they wanted.

I cut them a bit of a deal on the price, as they'd dangled the promise of future jobs. But it was still worth my while and I had no complaints. They paid promptly and all were happy.

Shortly thereafter, one of the partners asked for a press release based on the article. I was happy to do it and explained that a press release needed to be "newsy" and that I'd have to basically start from scratch but I'd estimate about a two-hour job at my "normal" rate.

He was cool with that, I did it, sent it along with an invoice and waited. No feedback. Also, no payment.

Sent another invoice a month later. Still nothing. Today, I sent this e-mail to the partner, copying the requester:

Hi (person);

(Your partner) asked me to write a press release based on the article I wrote for you.

I explained that there would be an additional charge and quoted a price.

He gave me the go-ahead, I wrote it, sent it to him, sent an invoice and never received payment or any further communication from him.

If he's had an accident, is deceased or is no longer with you, I extend my sympathies.

Regardless, could you please see that I am paid for the work I was contracted to do and performed? I've attached the invoice. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Richard Pachter

I immediately received an e-mail from the requester. He said he was not dead but the invoice had been misplaced. Payment would be forthcoming.

I responded:

So glad that you are alive!

Will toast to your continued health upon receipt of payment.

best,
rap

Stand by.

UPDATE: Payment received.

Oh, behave!

Two new books examine the importance of accountability and civility in the workplace

BY RICHARD PACHTER

As President John F. Kennedy said, "Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.'' When good things happen, there's usually no problem identifying the responsible party. But we've all encountered situations where there are few clues at the scene of a crime — or business problem — that would readily indicate responsibility. Funny how some "leaders'' have never made mistakes or are never involved when their subordinates screw up.

Regardless, one doesn't have to be a leader to act responsibly. Good behavior involves accountability and civility. If I may have your permission, with the able assistance of my editors and this newspaper, I'd like to humbly present two new books that consider these important issues.



How Did That Happen? Holding People Accountable for Results the Positive, Principled Way. Roger Connors and Tom Smith. Portfolio. 272 pages.

Connors and Smith are consultants who provide "accountability training'' for individuals and organizations. The notion that such a thing is not only necessary but is apparently a thriving enterprise disturbs me greatly. But after leafing through their book, I'm impressed by the thoughtfulness, intelligence and pragmatism they bring to bear on this sticky matter. It's not a matter of "blame,'' which is simplistic and can be divisive and unproductive. Instead, they view the issue holistically and systemically, which is a far more productive approach.

The requisite examples and anecdotes are included, which work well, but their assessment tools are worth the price of admission, along with the remedies they suggest. But, as with most problems, recognition of the situation and a willingness to deal with it are the first steps toward a solution.



The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What to Do About It. Christine Pearson and Christine Porath. Portfolio. 240 pages.

You can rationalize and excuse all you want, but rudeness can hurt business. It's not just bad manners, according to Pearson and Porath, but incivility in general can be damaging -- if not disastrous. Customers, naturally, can be lost, but the deleterious effects of unkind and thoughtless words and deeds can have a major impact on all stakeholders. Life is too short to deal with nasty people but when there are choices, competitors gain an extra edge just by providing a respite from the rudeness.

The authors have ample data to back up their contentions, though almost anyone could intuit the fact that humans tend to void unpleasantness. They cite 12 percent of the workforce who say they've left jobs at which they were treated badly, but given the ability of some people to withstand pain and others' desire to remain employed at all costs, the actual number of those who've endured hostile workplaces might represent a much higher number. But some managers may not believe they have a problem, especially during this time of high and sustained unemployment. Regardless, this is a solid and thoughtful look at the little things that can make a big difference. The two Christines, Pearson and Porath, provide a useful summary at the end of each chapter and suggestions for assessing and addressing a variety of problems.

While every company may not be suffering from incivility, this book could help them avoid any such problems in the future.

published 8/17/09 in The Miami Herald

The Fune

Back soon

Please watch this in the meantime.

Get Back in the Box

To succeed, don't let yourself get boxed in
Innovation and most out-of-the-box thinking will fail if the fundamentals are ignored.



By RICHARD PACHTER

Get Back in the Box: Innovation from the Inside Out. Douglas Rushkoff. Collins. 336 pages.

The new age of marketing books is upon us. It has actually been going on for a while. The author of this latest entry, Douglas Rushkoff, is calling for a business Renaissance, or says that we're already in the midst of one (I'm not sure which). That's easy for him, since he's certainly the embodiment of, well, a Renaissance Man, having covered culture, media and technology as a journalist for NPR, The New York Times, CBS News and other venues, and has been a consultant to various organizations. He's also written graphic novels, the latest, Testament, is a science fictional explication of the Torah, which he refers to as ''a media hack.''

Whatever . . .

In this book, Rushkoff joins people like Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki, Daniel Pink and the ''Cluetrain Manifesto'' guys who understand that business has changed dramatically, mainly due to increased choice, media fragmentation and the Internet. But, like dinosaurs with a huge bodies and tiny brains, many firms just can't seem to move fast enough, or break their old, bad habits. Worse, they seek quick fixes, fast turnarounds and overnight transformations without making the fundamental changes or commitments required to really improve the ways they interact with their customers and employees. And when the needle fails to move after their half-hearted atmospherics fall flat, they're baffled.

Rushkoff's mission here seems to be to bring companies back down to earth. They should rely on their core competencies, and anticipate and fulfill their customers' needs based on their own knowledge, experience and insights. Innovation is worthless unless it's backed up with what made the business successful in the first place.

Rushkoff provides a pleasant narrative, contrasting companies that get it with those that don't, adding asides and insights on what they're doing right or wrong. He's witty and a bit silly (but with a purpose), as when he asks, ''Who would you rather be? Steve Jobs or Bill Gates?'' to illustrate the differences between Apple and Microsoft, and how it's important and powerful for employees and customers to be engaged and have fun.

And that leads to another point; Rushkoff makes a strong case for employee involvement and empowerment, correctly pointing out that customers, employees and vendors all hold important stakes in the success of a business. This may be painfully obvious to all but the most oblivious, but anyone working in an environment where morale is low knows the effect it has on every interaction.

He is also quite wary of consultants, particularly those who seem to ''understand our business better than we do.'' Executives who feel that way, he says, are in big trouble. If an outsider knows your business better than you do, it may be time to look for another gig.

Rushkoff is a good writer, but there is very little herein that I hadn't read elsewhere. Getting back in the box isn't a bad idea at all, but he clearly values the out-of-the-box stuff as much as the next guru, so the title is a bit of a misnomer. Perhaps a better one would have been "Before You Get Out of the Box," but maybe I ought to stick to my fundamentals, too.

Published 1/9/06 in The Miami Herald.

Business can rock

Two books extrapolate business insights and lessons from the world of rock 'n' roll.
BY RICHARD PACHTER

As much as I am obsessed with biz books, I often find business wisdom in tomes that seem to have nothing to do with commerce. A few years ago, for example, I reviewed a book about the underground culture of pick-up artists, since many of their principles and practices were applicable to sales, marketing, promotion — even human resources.

I once read a biography of Neil Young strictly for pleasure and realized that it, too, was a biz book, with lessons on branding, product development, marketing, logistics and more. Plus, he owned Lionel Trains at the time. I switched gears and reviewed the biography from a business perspective and got a lot of great feedback. The review was picked up by newspapers all over the country; even in Australia, much to my surprise and delight.

Here are two recent books from people who learned valuable business lessons from their rock 'n' roll experiences.



Jam! How to Run Your Business Like a Rock Star. Jeff Carlisi, Dan Lipson, Jay Busbee. Jossey-Bass. 254 pages.

Jeff Carlisi was a guitarist and songwriter in the Jacksonville-based band .38 Special. I'd worked with him a few times and was always impressed with his positive, professional demeanor. It should have been no surprise, then, to read this upbeat book that uses his career trajectory as the basis for some very smart and practical business and personal guidance.

Carlisi, now a principal in a corporate consultancy specializing in team building, is joined here by his partner, Dan Lipson, and professional writer Jay Busbee. The trio tells the story of how the band got started and developed, up until he left in 1997. Carlisi's carefully selected anecdotes emphasize hard work, collaboration, tenacity and other vital attributes. While there are few, if any, surprises herein, his breezy and entertaining text presents a solid primer for success in most any profession or endeavor. I'm sending a copy, in fact, to an itinerant musician I know who might benefit from learning these fundamentals.



Rock to the Top: What I Learned About Success From the World's Greatest Rock Stars. Dayna Steele. Brown Books. 135 pages.

Steele was a rock jock and radio station music director in Houston and her book is a bit more nuts and bolts that Carlisi's. She also utilizes an impressive résumé in an entertaining and instructive way, but her unique perspective -- from both the talent and the business end -- offers a view from each side of the stage.

The glitz and glamour of the music business during the latter part of the last century belied much its hard economic realities. Nowadays, it's far from uncommon to encounter entertainers who are more involved in their business than in their art. Steele's observations from the back and front of the stage are witty, incisive and applicable to a variety of situations. True tales of encounters with Michael Jackson, Sammy Hagar, David Crosby and others add flavor and atmospherics but the real value of this book is Steele's levelheaded and intelligent insights and extrapolations.

Gene Simmons, relentless marketer and TV personality, contributes the book's foreword and he was either paid a fortune to do so or recognizes and respects the author's expertise. My money is on the latter.

Published 05/25/09 in The Miami Herald