Methods of Teaching Business Communication

An online review of Trees, maps, and theorems in June 2009 by Tom Johnson serves to illustrate what is in my experience a widespread misconception about the nature of noise.

Just last week, as I was staying at a hotel near Washington, DC, it took me several days to notice a sign placed in the shower. I had to get down on my knees to be able to read what it said.

“Data help prevent crimes before they happen” said this ad by IBM, which I spotted at O’Hare airport in Chicago. Can you prevent anything after it happens? I didn’t think so.

As we were revising a set of financial slides designed for the audit committee of a client, Geneviève and I were struck at once by three shortcomings, so typical of the business communication we get to witness today.

Every time I look at this sign, found at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, my right shoulder twitches and my right foot wants to tap dance. Why this unconventional, unintuitive graphical choice to represent a human being?

On vacation in Italy, I could not resist a visit to the Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca e della Città di Cortona. The new underground section had everything to seduce me… except for the captions of the artifacts on display.