Todd Chandler 2/12/13 Todd Chandler 2/12/13

Pick Up the Phone

I received an email the other day that irritated me. It was only two sentences long. The first describing a problem that needed to be addressed, and the second was a pointed question, “Are we going to do anything about this?” I have a bad habit of responding to closed-ended questions with a simple “yes” or “no” response. I have a low tolerance for stupid questions. In this case my border-line, smart-ass reply would have been “no.” The issue was done, and not one likely to be repeated in the future if not addressed. I didn’t see any value in follow-up. The sender of this email wasn’t really asking if anything was going to be done about this. He was requesting that something be done about that. If I had sent my standard curt response, it would have let to a long chain of emails of him trying to persuade me that something needed to be done, and to me trying to persuade him that it would be best to just move on.

Email is a helpful communication tool. It can share information quickly and efficiently, it can recap discussions and decisions, and it can be used to brainstorm and collaborate. But it a horrible tool for debates or discussions where two sides see things differently.

So, I picked up the phone and called him. We had a healthy discussion and decided on a next steps that made sense to both of us.

“In the end, it came down to two 70-year-old men, talking on the phone.”

The recent fiscal cliff disaster was averted when Biden and McConnell hammered out the solution to the by picking up the phone and talking to each other.

If your communication requires some give and take and a little more conversation, skip the email and pick up the phone.

LISTEN TO THIS | Fogarity

I’m a podcast junkie, and LISTEN TO THIS is a recap of my favorite tidbits, soundbites and short bursts of brilliance from this week. After digesting several hours of podcasts, here are my top 3 must-listen-to moments.

HE CURSED AND HE STOLE

THE MEMORY PALACE | After Party

Lewis Keseberg was the last man out of woods alive from the infamous Donner Party. He was accused of murder and cannibalism. Nate DiMeo says he was not a good man, but that he never resorted to cannibalism. Keseberg’s version of what happened climaxes in an emotional reunion with Eliza Donner, the 3-year-old survivor. Whether Keseberg actually ate those people or not, this is a compelling example of every story having two sides. The entire episode is only 14 minutes. Listen to it all.

WHY IS THERE SO LITTLE CRIME?

FREAKONOMICS RADIO | Fear Thy Nature

I used to work with a guy who always said, “The situation defines the person.” This Freakonomics episode explores how our behavior changes when we’re placed in different sets of circumstances. The two main examples are the interactive theater experience Sleep No More and the Stanford Prison Experiment. I enjoyed the descriptions of performances altering our actions, but my favorite sections are the recaps with Steve Levitt. At 22:44 he expresses doubts with the Stanford Prison Experient results, and poses this thought at 32:45, “When I teach my class on the economics of crime to the undergraduates at the U. of C., one of the points that I stress over and over is that the puzzle is not why is there so much crime, the puzzle is just the opposite, why is there so little crime?”

MORAL LOGIC OF ASSHOLISM

LEXICON VALLEY | Who You Calling A**hole?

I’m thrilled Lexicon Valley is back from it’s summer break, and this episode was facetiously foul-mouthed as they interviewed Geoffrey Nunberg, author of Ascent of the A-word: Assholism, the First Sixty Years. Make sure to catch the explanation of the difference between profanity, obscenity, and vulgarity at 5:38.

LISTEN TO THIS | Get Out in Front

I’m a podcast junkie, and LISTEN TO THIS is a recap of my favorite tidbits, soundbites and short bursts of brilliance from this week. After digesting 17 hours and 48 minutes of podcasts this week (I broke a 1,000 minutes!), here’s my top 3 must-listen-to moments.

LAST TEXT OF THE DAY

HERE’S THE THING | Fred Armisen

Listening to Fred Armisen describe his relationship with Portlandia co-creator Carrie Brownstein, reminded me of the importance of having someone “to be not great around.” The warm, genuine moment starts at 27:15.

FILTER FAILURE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | The Hobson & Holtz Report - #668

At 15:34, Shel Holtz walks through a study that explores the myth of information overload. I like the way he frames it up with examples of dire warnings about too much information throughout history. It was refreshing to hear that participants did not feel overwhelmed, but instead felt “empowered and enthusiastic.” The trick to handling so much information is to learn to filter for specific interests and adjust the flow to match your individual speed.

GET OUT IN FRONT

RODERICK ON THE LINE | The Conditions of Love

John Roderick is captivating storyteller. In the last three minutes, he tells the tale of his first cross-country meet. Start at 102:15 to hear his vivid lesson about the importance of pacing yourself.

Podcast Test Drives:

Enough - I’m working my way through many of the 70 Decibels podcasts. Myke Hurley and Patrick Rhone recently updated the format of the show. I like the discussions on my first two samples, so I’m keeping it in the line up.