Blackballed - You Are the Brand
Posted by Douglas Sorocco at October 30, 2005 12:37 PM
I guess I am in a branding mood these days.
I just ran across a similar post by John Windsor over at Corante's BrandShift blog.
John rants about a recent airplane experience where an executive sitting next to him didn't exactly leave a good impression of the executive's company. It's a funny read for anyone who travels on business fairly often, with the "punchline" being:
The only thing I could think about was my loss of respect for the Fortune 500 Company she worked for. The company had just lost a potential customer because of one executive’s unrelated actions.
John's post reminded me of a recent experience I had that was eerily similar. It is so similar, it makes you wonder how many times such "employee brands" actively work against the "corporate brand".
So, onto my experience: I was traveling out east to a business meeting a day early and so I was traveling "lawyer incognito" -- i.e. I was in jeans and a sportshirt.
It turned out the person next to me was a young associate lawyer with a BigLaw firm -- her briefcase was plastered with the firm logo, her legal pads were festooned with the firm logo, and she was writing with a firm logo'd pen. It was almost like she was a pro athlete with a sponsorship deal.
She was also sick -- coughing, sneezing and generally moaning about her predicament. I thought I would be nice (Okie friendliness) and offer her a couple of tissues I had in my Booq bag (remember, I was traveling incognito) as well as a couple of cough drops.
She wasn't all that impressed.
In fact, she shrieked at me that she would never accept anything "of the kind I was offering" from someone like me. Everyone sitting around us heard her, the flight attendants heard her and, more importantly, the general counsel of a Fortune 100 company heard her.
So, she suffered through the flight coughing and sneezing on everyone -- and no, she didn't cover her mouth when she coughed.
After getting into Baltimore, the general counsel walked up to me and commented about her rude behavior. I remarked that "life is too short" to worry about it but that I would be mortified to have her as an employee in my firm. The GC asked me if I was a lawyer and laughed when I mentioned that I was and that I was the hiring partner for my firm. We ended up trading business cards and it may turn out that we can do business with one another. If not, at least I met an interesting person to have dinner with when I am out east.
As we were walking through the airport, the GC remarked to me that he would be sure to "blackball" the young lawyer's firm from ever doing any work for him. I asked him why, afterall the young lawyer was sick, probably stressed and the firm shouldn't be held to blame for her poor attitude.
The GC's response: "everything she does reflects on the abilities, culture and ethos of her firm. You don't engage the marketing materials, you engage the people. If she is the type of person the firm thinks is 'top notch,' the firm doesn't have a clue."
Wow. His comments will make me reevaluate whether or not to buy logo'd merchandise for our firm in the future - but, more importantly, they will be in the forefront of my brain when making hiring decisions in the future.
Our people are our "brand" - I know what branding message I want to be sending, and it isn't what we saw on that flight. Are your employees/associates/team members getting you blackballed?
J. Matthew Buchanan 
Stephen M. Nipper 
Douglas Sorocco 
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Comments
Matthew Goeden Says:
October 30, 2005 03:41 PM
It seems like everybody has a negative BigLaw firm story. I posted a negative BigLaw firm story regarding interaction with law students --> check it out here.
Anyways, I certainly do not want to work with/for non-nice and/or rude people.
btw -- I like the use of the 8Ball (a common guest on my blog) and the Booq bag, whose products I love.
Cheers,
Matthew Goeden
Phil Gerbyshak Says:
October 30, 2005 04:42 PM
It's interesting how after so many posts like this one, that people don't pay more attention to their own behavior. Self-regulation has never been more important than the times we're in now, when if you give someone your name, they can go to Google and find out much of your life's story, and "blackball" you with all of their network in a matter of moments in 1 brief e-mail.
And yes, it does make you think about who you give logo wear to, doesn't it? Instead of allowing anyone to buy it, perhaps an "are you an idiot" test to see if you would behave like a jerk to people before you get to buy logo wear. Makes me laugh at how a former company I worked at gave EVERYONE logo wear, and how most people wore the stuff when they were doing yard work or working on their car, and never anytime else.
K. Says:
October 31, 2005 09:40 AM
What? You mean firms don't make hiring decisions based strictly on merit? I'm shocked! SHOCKED! ( you mean there's gambling going on in this club? etc etc )
Seriously, people get hired for all kinds of reasons. I would suggest that, "okie friendliness" aside, your kind offer of help was perhaps influenced by the young associates attractive "brand"? Her reaction was also influenced by your "brand" at that moment. Had you been sporting the CEO "brand" I'm sure the reaction would have been a bit different.
Can we imagine a world beyond brand? One in which action matters more than appearance? Just a (re)thought.
K.
Ginnie Says:
October 31, 2005 03:56 PM
I had a similar encounter while attending a Patent Bar Review course - 3-5 BRAND new associates from a law firm, one we had worked with before, were at the course and proceeded to complain during, ignore, or entirely skip the review course. Of course, I promptly notified my group of their behavior, noting that if I had any say in choosing outside counsel - I wouldn't choose this firm (or at least these associates).
I guess if you never know who your inventors should be, you never know who your clients should be either!
T. Says:
November 2, 2005 07:12 PM
I agree that this associate's behaviour was heinous, and that it may have a lot to say about her and her firm... but as a 3L and potential BigLaw Associate, it is horrifying to me to think that every sickness-induced bad mood might cost my firm business. I mean, can all you lawyers out there honestly say that you're "on" 100% of the time? I recognize that she was not only "not on" she was "way off" ... but still.
I do appreciate the larger point about "engaging the people" though. Maybe this will just cause firms to supply their associates with pens and legal pads emblazoned with *the other guys'* names, for use when they're having a bad day...
Ginnie Says:
November 3, 2005 10:52 AM
Re: T's post -
While being sick may have exacerbated her behavior - IMHO odds are the woman is a elitest, arrogant, spoiled B* on wheels ALL the time. It is her default behavior - not the exception. Under stress - you go to your default behavior. Not that she may not modify her behavior, IF the other person is viewed as important enough. That said, we all have moods, and she was apparently in a very BAD one that day.
A naturally polite person would have thanked the seatmate for the offer, whether accepted or declined, because they would have appreciated the offer. Rather than implying that they don't take things "from people like you" (eeew, ick, gross..).
Again, IMHO ...
That said - everyone have a better day than she was having
Anon Says:
November 21, 2005 04:11 PM
As a young female law student, I probably wouldn't accept anything from a strange older man sitting next to me on a plane either....
ChrisM Says:
November 22, 2005 04:07 PM
My firm is very much into plausible deniability. Whenever I go into the field, I’m stripped of everything that could identify me as a (blank) attorney. Kind of like a CIA agent being air dropped into Cambodia.
Douglas Sorocco Says:
November 23, 2005 07:53 PM
Anon - I think you missed the point. Best of luck in law school and afterwards.
Anon Says:
November 29, 2005 12:56 PM
I got the point Doug. But I don't think the writer has a clue what it is like to be a young woman - defenses have to be up 100% of the time. It's not personal. We learn to ignore male strangers...and what they're offering. I don't think you understand my point.
Nutherpointofview Says:
November 30, 2005 02:43 PM
Anon -- as an older attorney and much older woman who at one time was concerned about strange older men, I can see a small inkling of your point, and believe me, things were much worse for women older than you. But what is wrong with just declining assistance without all the rudeness and nasty remarks? Does being young and attractive excuse poor behavior or is it that you just don't see it as poor behavior? Maybe I'm glad to be old. But as has been said before - I wish you good luck.
Dave Says:
December 8, 2006 07:56 PM
Let me offer another version of the snakes-on-a-plane/lawyer-on-a-flight account that may prove redemption is possible (I use this anecdote in seminars to law firms)
On a flight a few years back my seatmate was a high powered litigator from a major NY firm. Cuff-links, wingtips, power suit, the whole she-bang. I mentally rolled my eyes as the guy plunked down next to me as I expected the standard dog-and-pony look-what-I-can-do show.
Instead, the guy was the epitome of niceness. He jumped up to assist the attendant in closing the overhead compartments. He courteously left the center rest free for my arm. He proceeded to ask me some open-ended questions and expressed genuine interest in what I did for my company. Hell, he even picked up a soother an infant had dropped from the seat across the aisle. The guy actually wiped it off with a napkin and gave it back to the mother.
When I commented on what a nice guy he was, he told me his story.
In his words:
“I wasn’t always like this. There’s nothing more intimidating to most people than a) a New Yorker b) a New Yorker who’s a lawyer and c) a New Yorker who’s a lawyer and a litigator. I beat the hell out of everyone as I climbed my way the way to the top of my firm. Manners? Those were for suckers. I used to enjoy harassing people in the courtroom and out on the street. Car service guys. Coffee shop waitresses. Hotel staff. What’s a few tears and some red faces? A squeaky wheel gets the grease and the way I squeaked, I got a hell of a lot of grease. Sure I pissed a lot of people off but I was a pit-bull for my clients and the money came rolling in. Rough around the edges? Hell, I didn’t even have edges!
The only person whose opinion really mattered was my wife. We had been married for 20 years and she was the best thing that ever happened to me. She put up with my crap because I guess she was used to it.
So one time I had to go to San Francisco on business and my wife wanted to come along to do some shopping. As usual, I harangued the staff at the airport counter for an upgrade on the flight, and when we arrived, I took a run at the car rental staff as well. By the time I was finished with the girl at the counter, I had another upgrade and she had a quivering lip.
So we are walking over to the full-sized lot and wife grabs my arm and stops me. She looks me right in the eye and says…you’re an asshole. You leave this trail of destruction behind you wherever you go and I have to tell you something… I am really ashamed of you. I never want to travel with you again.
My wife had never said anything like that to me in my life. I was severely shocked. It was a pretty quiet ride to the hotel. So I thought: I’ll show her. She wants me to be nice? I’ll be sickingly sweet nice.
My routine at a hotel is usually the same. I go up to the first room they put me in, and turn right around back to the front desk and complain for a better room. This time, I see this girl at the front desk who seems a little tired. I asked her how her day was going. She smiles and says she’ll be glad to go off shift. I ask her if I can get her some water or a coffee from the hotel lounge. She gracefully declines. I tell her my wife and I have just arrived from NYC and she says she would love to go there one day. I give her my business card and tell her to look us up and that I can recommend some great places to stay and some nice restaurants if she is interested. Guess what? We get the nicest room at that hotel I’ve ever had!
So now I’m thinking…maybe I can get nicer stuff from people by being sweet that I can by beating them up. So the rest of the trip, I’m smiling, I’m courteous, I’m handing out compliments, and people are actually talking to me. I start getting great service, some upgrades and my wife is happy …it’s great! And that was 10 years ago."
Then he looked over at me and laughed…
"yeah…that was 10 years ago and the best part is…I’m still a nice guy…but I don’t do it for upgrades or stuff anymore. I do it because I guess it’s the right thing to do."
Dave Says:
December 8, 2006 07:56 PM
Let me offer another version of the snakes-on-a-plane/lawyer-on-a-flight account that may prove redemption is possible (I use this anecdote in seminars to law firms)
On a flight a few years back my seatmate was a high powered litigator from a major NY firm. Cuff-links, wingtips, power suit, the whole she-bang. I mentally rolled my eyes as the guy plunked down next to me as I expected the standard dog-and-pony look-what-I-can-do show.
Instead, the guy was the epitome of niceness. He jumped up to assist the attendant in closing the overhead compartments. He courteously left the center rest free for my arm. He proceeded to ask me some open-ended questions and expressed genuine interest in what I did for my company. Hell, he even picked up a soother an infant had dropped from the seat across the aisle. The guy actually wiped it off with a napkin and gave it back to the mother.
When I commented on what a nice guy he was, he told me his story.
In his words:
“I wasn’t always like this. There’s nothing more intimidating to most people than a) a New Yorker b) a New Yorker who’s a lawyer and c) a New Yorker who’s a lawyer and a litigator. I beat the hell out of everyone as I climbed my way the way to the top of my firm. Manners? Those were for suckers. I used to enjoy harassing people in the courtroom and out on the street. Car service guys. Coffee shop waitresses. Hotel staff. What’s a few tears and some red faces? A squeaky wheel gets the grease and the way I squeaked, I got a hell of a lot of grease. Sure I pissed a lot of people off but I was a pit-bull for my clients and the money came rolling in. Rough around the edges? Hell, I didn’t even have edges!
The only person whose opinion really mattered was my wife. We had been married for 20 years and she was the best thing that ever happened to me. She put up with my crap because I guess she was used to it.
So one time I had to go to San Francisco on business and my wife wanted to come along to do some shopping. As usual, I harangued the staff at the airport counter for an upgrade on the flight, and when we arrived, I took a run at the car rental staff as well. By the time I was finished with the girl at the counter, I had another upgrade and she had a quivering lip.
So we are walking over to the full-sized lot and wife grabs my arm and stops me. She looks me right in the eye and says…you’re an asshole. You leave this trail of destruction behind you wherever you go and I have to tell you something… I am really ashamed of you. I never want to travel with you again.
My wife had never said anything like that to me in my life. I was severely shocked. It was a pretty quiet ride to the hotel. So I thought: I’ll show her. She wants me to be nice? I’ll be sickingly sweet nice.
My routine at a hotel is usually the same. I go up to the first room they put me in, and turn right around back to the front desk and complain for a better room. This time, I see this girl at the front desk who seems a little tired. I asked her how her day was going. She smiles and says she’ll be glad to go off shift. I ask her if I can get her some water or a coffee from the hotel lounge. She gracefully declines. I tell her my wife and I have just arrived from NYC and she says she would love to go there one day. I give her my business card and tell her to look us up and that I can recommend some great places to stay and some nice restaurants if she is interested. Guess what? We get the nicest room at that hotel I’ve ever had!
So now I’m thinking…maybe I can get nicer stuff from people by being sweet that I can by beating them up. So the rest of the trip, I’m smiling, I’m courteous, I’m handing out compliments, and people are actually talking to me. I start getting great service, some upgrades and my wife is happy …it’s great! And that was 10 years ago."
Then he looked over at me and laughed…
"yeah…that was 10 years ago and the best part is…I’m still a nice guy…but I don’t do it for upgrades or stuff anymore. I do it because I guess it’s the right thing to do."