My niece Brooke, when she was two years old, knew when the adults were pulling her leg. "Granddaddy," she'd say, "you're talking jellybeans."
Microsoft is looking for an executive communication professional “to drive a compelling and consistent executive storytelling framework, create and manage high impact keynote productions, and coordinate the delivery of powerful demos which best showcase our exciting product lines.” Contact: johnwhi@microsoft.com.
As a leading expert in leadership communication and the revered facilitator of Leadership Communication Days 2014 (which you'd be an utter asshat not to attend, in Houston, Oct. 23-24)—I probably should pretend that I know exactly how to "drive" a "compelling and consistent executive storytelling framework."
But I confess! I don't! When it comes to "executive storytelling frameworks," I don't know the rhetorical clutch pedal from the figurative steering wheel from the metaphorical gear shifter!
Do you? Prove it!
Otherwise, we're going to have to face facts: Microsoft, you're talking jellybeans.
I can’t even drive a stick shift, much less a framework.
When I think framework, I think box kite. Maybe Microsoft should have asked for someone to “fly a compelling and consistent executive storytelling box kite.”
I was once asked to be part of project because they needed someone who could “write the framework” for the project. I sat through several days of meetings where really smart people said really thoughtful things. Then we established a “framework sub-committee” (of course) and convened another meeting to discuss the framework. That lasted another two days, with the smart people nodding wisely as they talked about what should be in the framework. Then the sub-committee handed it over to me and the two people who started this whole thing to get down to writing the framework.
It was at this point that I finally said, “Since I’m writing this thing, what exactly do you mean by framework?”
Thoughtful pause in response, followed by: “That’s a really great question. Let’s talk about that.”
Dilbert lost popularity when we realized it was journalism.