What do Kim Kardashian, Courtney Love, and Amanda Bonnen all have in common?
In a recent interview with Brian Walter, Attorney Francine Ward explains that all three women have been sued for something they’ve said on twitter.
Courtney Love, the infamous rock star (formerly married to Kurt Cobain) and movie actress, had the first twitter law suit ever in 2009, as a result of inappropriate , derogatory rants against a clothing designer . It was settled just recently for $430,000, “an appropriate way to say she’s sorry,” the designer’s lawyer admitted recently.
Also in 2009, reality-TV-star , Kim Kardashian, tweeted some very inappropriate statements about Dr. Sanford Siegal’s cookie diet, claiming it was “unsafe” and “unhealthy.” She got sued, and that case is pending.
Though not a celebrity, Amanda Bonnen, who lives in Chicago, and is apparently just a normal human being like you and me, tweeted comments about her landlord’s negligence, claiming mold grew on the floor of the apartment. The landlord sued, stating that Bonnen’s rants would affect his ability to rent to other tenants. This case was dropped, but Amanda still had to pay a lawyer to defend her in court., and without the celebrity salary/status of a Courtney Love or Kim Kardashian, defending oneself in court against slander/disparagement or defamation of character can be a costly enterprise.
What do you think? We offer the following ideas:
It’s one thing to make a comment out loud about a how often your car stalls or customer service at your local market, but as soon as you have mouse in hand and put it in writing, the playing field changes significantly.
Lawyers get involved.
Do you do write negative comments on Yelp? Ever send a hotel a scathing review? Do you tweet with buddies and come up with nicknames for airlines whose pilots have nervous breakdowns? Unhappy with a product – do you skype, facebook, or tweet sarcastic rhymes or jokes defaming that company’s reputation?
Yes, truth is a defense.
But it doesn’t matter if it’s true or not.
The fact is defending oneself in court can cost a bundle and be time-consuming.
How do you avoid it? Tune in this Saturday morning to the Insultant/Consultant show and find out how two guys – with mouths the size of Arkansas – avoid writing tweets that could land them both in big trouble the size of Texas. Below is the link..
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consultantinsultant/2012/04/07/post-a-complaint-can-you-be-sued-for-tweeting
Sometimes we call them entertainers, jovial bulldogs, angry jokesters, even office clowns.
In any case, like Limbaugh, these abominable showmen – and they are usually men – have no blather control. They just say whatever is at the top of their heads and think they’re funny.
Office clowns can be popular with their boss and in fact can make the company loads of money. (Limbaugh is so popular he attracts more listeners than anyone else in the history of radio.)
That is until Sandra Fluke.
Chances are when Rush Limbaugh insulted Sandra Fluke on air in early March, calling her a “slut” and a “prostitute” over her advocacy of contraceptive coverage, he did not intend to start a war. Yes, he kept slamming her for three days before issuing his statement of regret—but I don’t think he sat down the morning of his radio show and said, “I want to make certain several dozen advertisers grow so angry at me that they’ll quit my show and stop paying me big money.”
That was the surprising impact. The incident has even fueled a major national debate on what some people have called the “Age of Incivility.” On air, can we say whatever we want to say and get away with it?
Office Clowns
You may be asking the same question at work. Ever have an employee who feels immune from disaster? “Hey, I make this company millions. I should be able to say what I want! Can’t you take a joke?” But at some point water fountain talk –a joke about women, race or weight – offends an employee or a client, and the corporation faces a lawsuit or loses an important account.
Can we afford to keep the clown in the office?
In 2012, it’s not uncommon to hear of people losing their jobs for speaking, tweeting, or emailing foolish, dumb remarks that offend others and hurt people’s feelings, ultimately impacting the company’s bottom line.
This rarely happened decades ago. Why now?
The New Age of Transparency
Have we just developed thinner skin or do we live in a corporate culture where consistent rules and laws on harassment institute unrealistic standards?
Would Rush Limbaugh be fired if he worked for you? And if you had an employee – like Rush – who was your #1 Salesperson – earning the corporation millions – how would you influence and tame the wild beast?
Tune in to Blogtalk Radio, The Insultant/Consultant show, Tuesday March 20, at 7:00 AM PST to hear more information on how to be effective and funny, not harassing or bullying at work.
Join us March 20, 7 AM PST http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consultantinsultant/2012/03/20/do-you-have-a-rush-limbaugh-at-work Call in Call in to speak with the host
(347) 327-9830
Firing an employee for wearing a Green Bay Packers Tie?
Sports can raise emotions. It can also lead to poor decision making.
Wrongful termination? Insubordination? Firing a high performer?
Were other sales people selling as many cars? Was there a dress code?
Did the Chicago Bears organization complain? Should you take all directions from your boss?
It is clear Mr. Stone refused a directive from his boss. That may be a termination offense. Yet, in today’s workplace, perhaps context and performance should be included. Were customers complaining? Has Mr. Stone broken other rules? All we know from the article is he is a high performer.
I may have used the issue for publicity to draw more customers. “Come buy a car from our ONLY Green Bay Fan!”
It is advisable to make these decisions after the heat of the moment has passed.
Contact us at DrBrian@DrBrianGrossman.com about leaderships and communication solutions at your company.
Your boss decides to cancel a project that you had been working on for weeks.
Frustrated by her decision, you snap back in an email to a colleague, calling it an “idiotic” decision.
Of course, it’s forwarded to your boss, and she writes: “I don’t appreciate being called an idiot!”
And in your defense, you re-frame what you said. “I didn’t mean it was idiotic. I’m sorry you read it that way. It just wasted a lot of my time, and I felt it was well….thoughtless… to cancel the project…”
“So are you saying I’m thoughtless too?” she asks.
Better stop the email conversation right there before you dig too deep a hole.
When we’re angry, we tend to snap and write things we regret afterwards because it’s hard –at that very moment—to envision the consequences. (We’re so buried in the emotion.)
So if you say something unfortunate — what do you do?
You can immediately apologize. “I am so sorry I said that. I was upset and please forgive me.”
But, it might be too late.
The boss will not forget what you said, nor will she ever trust you again.
“Sometimes you just have to say what you’re feeling,” a client told me recently. “You can’t just keep sidestepping the issue.”
Calling people names, however, is what three years old do – and that kind of adolescent behavior in business has dire consequences, especially when we put it in writing.
It’s there forever.
The email can be put in your file.
It can be forwarded to others.
And it can be used against you.
Even if you survive it, people treat you differently when they think you’re prone to misjudgments and verbal tantrums.
This doesn’t mean we have to say absolutely nothing or spend weeks searching for the right word or words.
But, we shouldn’t be Trigger-Happy either. Here are five rules to follow:
1. Never write when you’re angry. Put that emotion in your back pocket. It’s like playing poker. Don’t show your cards.
2. Filter your own emails. Develop a healthy sense of doubt. Check for words like “need” and “should” and “must.” If someone needs criticism, do it live — make it a conversation.
3. Avoid BIEs (Beer induced emails).
4. Always include some personal kindness in an email. Use “hi.” Sign your emails with “Thanks” or “Best regards.” Be engaging, not dismissive.
5. Never put anything in writing you wouldn’t want to see on the front page of your local newspaper.
When dealing with emotionally charged issues like the cancellation of a project, acknowledge your feelings. “Truly, I worked a whole week on it, and I’m disappointed that I can’t finish it.” Discuss this in person, and if necessary follow up with a written summary of the meeting. Most importantly, find out why this project was cancelled before you rush to judgment. Often we react badly because we don’t ask the right questions or don’t understand what’s behind the decision.
“Could you tell me why the project was cancelled,” might be nine words that can save you from sabotaging your job, perhaps even your career.
Tune in this week to Dr. Brian and Dr. Gary’s Insultant/Consultant show, Sunday January 30, 2011, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consultantinsultant to learn some tips for avoiding this misguided behavior.
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It is holiday time! Office parties, formal corporate events and other spontaneous activities.
Business parties can help you be promoted, or they can lead to being remembered for a mistake until next year, or being fired.
Below are some quick tips to have a fun, successful experience at business holiday events:
Make sure your company has a plan for designated drivers and/or a cab service. These tips can help you have a fun, successful holiday party experience.
Dr. Brian offers coaching and training to help you communicate with anyone, anywhere, anytime! E-mail Dr. Brian at DrBrian@DrBrianGrossman.com
You’re standing around the water cooler, and everyone’s talking about the Mel Gibson audiotapes that have been broadcast on TV.
(You don’t watch TV. You didn’t hear any of the tapes. You could care less).
At lunch someone asks, “So what do you think about Snookie on Jersey Shore?”
Who?
Then, a questionnaire is passed among the staff asking what is dubbed the question of the week: Who should be the next Judge on American Idol now that Ellen has left?
Ellen? Ellen who? American Idol? Never watched it. Why bother me with this trivia?
What are you guys crazy? Get back to work! Stop wasting my time!
Most offices in businesses across America thrive on cultural gossip. For whatever reason – it relieves tension, it inspires laughter, even brings employees from different departments together for a common interest. Whether it’s a discussion of why a particular football player defected to another team – or should this celebrity dump husband #4 – gossip in the workplace thrives.
How do you feel about that? Ever feel like a cultural idiot? When people talk about these TV shows, do you feel included? Left out? Alienated? Superior? Inferior?
Does it waste our time at work, lowering productivity, or does it build teams and keep the atmosphere light and friendly during these challenging times?
Tune in this week to Dr. Brian and Dr. Gary’s insultant/consultant show, Sunday August 1, 2010, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consultantinsultant to learn some surprising insights from two different points of view. Call in and share your opinion. You never know what one of them might say.
This week the Obama administration accepted full responsibility for the hasty firing of Shirley Sherrod, State Director of Rural Development for the United States Department of Agriculture.
After an excerpt of her address to a March 2010 NAACP meeting was posted on the Andrew Breitbart Big Government website July 19, both right wing and left media commented on what seemed a blatant act of reverse racism.
Was Sherrod declaring she had misgivings about helping a farmer keep his farm because he was White?
In truth, Sherrod, a black woman, described her understanding of the situation and her struggle to make a decision that would help the white farmer. Her speech was about racism – and not racist.
White House spokesperson, Robert Gibbs, said,
“I can’t speak for everybody involved, but I think we live in a culture [where] things whip around. People want fast responses, we want to give fast responses, and I don’t think there’s any doubt that if we look at this, one of the great lessons we take away from this is to ask all of the questions first and to come to that full understanding.”
As a result Sherrod’s ousting and the subsequent media blitz, the entire week seemed devoted to sidestepping, apologizes, angry vindictive against the left and right media.
And though a majority of politicians and journalists slammed the blogger for “jumping the gun,” Ann Coulter defended him. “He’s the victim!” she screamed.
The time and money spent to clear up an issue that might have been dismissed in seconds is symptomatic of our need to say things quickly without thinking them out first.
As a manager or supervisor, do you ever jump to conclusions? Have you ever fired anyone too quickly? Do you look at financial figures and immediately cut jobs cut marketing, cut inventory without carefully poring over the numbers?
What’s it take to change the way we think so we avoid making hasty, unfortunate decisions?
Tune in this week to Dr. Brian and Dr. Gary’s insultant/consultant show, Sunday July 25, 2010, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consultantinsultant to learn some tips for avoiding this misguided behavior.