Sweet essay by Mena Trott, founder and CEO of Six Apart about communication, as in needing to do a better job of. The cynic in me says “Yeah, sure, they’ve grown to twenty-four people, they’ll have a new CEO soon;” the humanist says, “Right on, Mena, this is a great tone to take.”
Favorite passages:
“We were scared of seeming human; scared of being perceived as complaining or making excuses. We were scared of ruining the image of the sacred “Trott,” a perceived perfect entity that is so cute and sweet and productive. We were scared of saying the wrong thing that could affect a company that wasn’t just a hobby of a married couple anymore.
So we didn’t say anything.
I’ve always advocated personal voice as the strongest asset of a weblog. In the past year, Six Apart has lost its public voice. We wanted our products to speak for themselves and hid behind our busyness. This, I feel most responsible for, since I have always tried to be the eyes, ears and voice of the company. ”
Not saying anything is always tempting–no one can nail you for it. But no one can be empowered who is afraid to speak. And an environment where no one speaks is toxic, as well as know. So right on, Mena…and best wishes for the growth of your business.
Sweet essay by Mena Trott, founder and CEO of Six Apart about communication, as in needing to do a better job of. The cynic in me says “Yeah, sure, they’ve grown to twenty-four people, they’ll have a new CEO soon;” the humanist says, “Right on, Mena, this is a great tone to take.”
Favorite passages:
“We were scared of seeming human; scared of being perceived as complaining or making excuses. We were scared of ruining the image of the sacred “Trott,” a perceived perfect entity that is so cute and sweet and productive. We were scared of saying the wrong thing that could affect a company that wasn’t just a hobby of a married couple anymore.
So we didn’t say anything.
I’ve always advocated personal voice as the strongest asset of a weblog. In the past year, Six Apart has lost its public voice. We wanted our products to speak for themselves and hid behind our busyness. This, I feel most responsible for, since I have always tried to be the eyes, ears and voice of the company. ”
Not saying anything is always tempting–no one can nail you for it. But no one can be empowered who is afraid to speak. And an environment where no one speaks is toxic, as well as know. So right on, Mena…and best wishes for the growth of your business.