Writing Boots

On communication, professional and otherwise.

I should probably hold this item for Halloween, but what the hell

10.04.2010 by David Murray // 4 Comments

A 50-year-old communicator I know has been out of work for more than a year.

This is a high-profile guy who directed internal communication at a number of Fortune 100 companies and also worked at a big-name consultancy. He spoke at industry conferences and wrote articles and even a book for communication trade publishers.

After dozens of fruitless interviews, he's tired of hearing the mantra: "You're just not the right fit for the team." (He's never sure what it means, though he's had plenty of time to develop some theories.)

So he and his wife bought a bar and grill in a local strip mall, and they take it over this week.

He's not the only blue chip employee communication pro I know who's under- or unemployed despite a solid resume and a 150-plus LinkedIn connections.

He's sorry to be throwing away more than two decades of communication experience.

"But I'm too old to sit around," he says.

And, much too young.

Cheers, mate. May your customers treat you better than the communication business and the economy have.

Categories // Uncategorized Tags // economy, employee communication, employee communication director, job market

Comments

  1. Steve C. says

    October 4, 2010 at 1:51 pm

    My dad owned a tavern/bar and grill, so please give your friend this advice: He has to be on site all the time, or his employees will steal him blind, by dipping into the till, taking home food, giving away drinks, etc.
    In the bar and grill business, employees are definitely NOT your greatest asset.
    Steve C.

    Reply
  2. Steve C. says

    October 4, 2010 at 1:51 pm

    My dad owned a tavern/bar and grill, so please give your friend this advice: He has to be on site all the time, or his employees will steal him blind, by dipping into the till, taking home food, giving away drinks, etc.
    In the bar and grill business, employees are definitely NOT your greatest asset.
    Steve C.

    Reply
  3. Steve C. says

    October 4, 2010 at 1:51 pm

    My dad owned a tavern/bar and grill, so please give your friend this advice: He has to be on site all the time, or his employees will steal him blind, by dipping into the till, taking home food, giving away drinks, etc.
    In the bar and grill business, employees are definitely NOT your greatest asset.
    Steve C.

    Reply
  4. Tom Keefe says

    October 6, 2010 at 3:40 pm

    My brother and his wife ran a lake-side restaurant/bar, with him taking the afternoon/late night shift.
    They’re now divorced, an affair one of the more tangible reasons. Late nights and booze, away from the spouse, can be deadly.
    The restaurant business is very tough. I wish your communicator friend the best. Tell him to make time for him and the wife to be together–even if the business suffers a little.
    The marriage is more important.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Now Available

An Effort to Understand

Order Now

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE BLOG UPDATES

About

David Murray writes on communication issues.
Read More

 

Categories

  • Baby Boots
  • Communication Philosophy
  • Efforts to Understand
  • Happy Men, and Other Eccentrics
  • Human Politicians
  • Mister Boring
  • Murray Cycle Diaries
  • Old Boots
  • Rambling, At Home and Abroad
  • Sports Stories
  • The Quotable Murr
  • Typewriter Truths
  • Uncategorized
  • Weird Scenes Inside the Archives

Archives

Copyright © 2023 ยท Log in

  • Preorder An Effort to Understand
  • Sign Up for Blog Updates
  • About David Murray