There isn’t a lot of humor on LinkedIn.
That’s one reason it can be so effective.
Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s Chief Communications Officer, provided a Master Class this week.
It was Wednesday afternoon and the five-day soap opera surrounding the OpenAI drama in which Microsoft played a starring role had just been put to bed.
Shaw had just enough time to share a few thoughts before the holiday break.
The thumbnail intro to the post began earnestly: “There’s been a lot going on last few days, with more to do in the next few — so here are three lessons learned.”
In a three-minute video, filmed standing in front of his computer, Shaw starts in a sober tone.
Without mentioning OpenAI, Shaw says the tumultuous week taught him:
–Don’t confuse objectives and tactics.
–Understand the importance of relationships.
–Know things change and get chaotic. Plan for that.
He talks for about a minute and a half, expounding on the themes generally.
He then says the mistake he’s made is thinking turkey is the objective, not the tactic.
At that point you realize he’s talking about Thanksgiving, not OpenAI.
The OBJECTIVE of Thanksgiving is to get together and enjoy companionship. Don’t get distracted by brining or basting or deep frying the bird, he said.
RELATIONSHIPS are important, so think ahead of safe topics to discuss and who is going to do what. For example, if people get stressed, who will walk the dog?
CHAOS is inevitable. Be prepared. Make the gravy in advance. You don’t want to do it last minute. “Hot gravy over cold potatoes is great! Hot gravy over dry stuffing is great!”
“Gravy fixes everything!”
The video ends as it begins, in a quiet and reflective tone.
The post garnered 632 views and 61 comments. More than Shaw’s earlier post that aggregated the breaking news announcements from the OpenAI circus.
It was funny and memorable and provided unexpected life advice I plan to cite in the future:
“Gravy fixes everything.”
Ted Merz 