The Recession Hits Home

Dear Mr Jimmy Clark, Have you any idea what people, especially writers think of publishers? Well it’s not often pleasant. Mr Hyatt has humanized that opinion and I’m sure that whatever field you work in you will blend better with a twitterer rather than someone whom you know nothing about. Twittering is a place where psychology reigns supreme and I can see it becoming vital to a workforce.

As for lack of concentration, I’m not Buonarrotti but I am a fine artist and twittering has never interferred with my concentration- if anything it stops the mind from stagnating being kept continuously on toes, it sharpens not only your memory but your wit and above all it keeps you sane when everything else seems to be falling to pieces. By the way do you know Aesops’ Fable about the grapes and the fox?

I think we were well into these tough times long before twittering. It seems a bit unrealistic to use twitter as a reason for them.

I use several tools, twitter included, to stay current with what is happening with people, clients, and peers. Many times this information is useful for my clients. Had it not been for following Michael on twitter, and his blog, I would not be aware of the issues facing the publishing industry. This information has been helpful to me as well as my clients.

I love the way your blog and tweets have given us a glimpse into the man at the helm of my publishing company. You lead by example and your example has helped me open myself to my readers. Keep it up, Mike!

4 brief points come to mind.

1. Most presidents and CEO’s don’t twitter or interact with others in much of any way. That’s the traditional way of staying at the top and out of touch, and without community.

2. While I run an international brain based center myself, (and work crazy long hard days) I choose to hear ideas that engage people at every level. Twitter allows that exchange, and I value it, as I value your chances to speak out because this fine blog exists for that purpose.

3. While it is so sad to see jobs lost, fine people often reinvent great careers – and show the world that faith leads the brain more to create than to criticize others. Research shows the two CANNOT co-exist – so we’d best choose creativity over criticism.

4. Systems that once held jobs safe security in tact, are fast yielding to uncertainty. Amazing opportunities for great minds like exhibited in many of these comments, come with changing horizons. Every time we take hold of courage, build new neuron pathways forward, and move on in life, the brain rewires itself (literally) for more of the same success!

May all in this community find God’s extravagance for their lives, create wonder in His hope, and turn criticism into what we can each do (as the power of one) to bring about a finer way.

Nuff said — and a good discussion on a difficult topic! Stay blessed!

I found the article about the layoffs on the front page of Drudge. Located in the article was this blog site, which I read, which lead me to the Thomas Nelson web site, which led me to the catalog tab, which led me to hear the great 4 songs on the catalog page. If anyone can tell me the names of the songs and the artist, i will buy that music,if available from Thomas Nelson. I will also look for other books that might interest me to purchase for gifts for the family. Life is hard and funny. To the families that recently lost their incomes; don’t get caught in the sway, stand tall, ask for help when needed and make sure to give back when you get back on your feet. Always think of your future 7th generation, peace to all.

Mike, your tweets inspire me to want to live my life well every day. Your joy is clearly evident (and contagious), but I doubt that has anything to do with your salary. I’m sure your job actually places a huge burden on you, but you clearly know the truth of being content in all circumstances. Thanks for making yourself vulnerable via Twitter/blogs so that we all can learn from you.
@_HeatherWilson

From all the “Tweets” I’ve seen you publish, Mike, you show yourself human and caring of others. You were very concerned, for instance, when Books a Million made cutbacks. Would you care less for your own flock? My first impression is that you would care more.

In social media, such as this blog, peoples’ voices are heard on both sides. I’m glad former and employees and the rest of us are able to speak their mind here.

It is time to quit blaming. Our country is in a financial crisis and it is time to try to pull together.

I appreciate your blog and your comments on Twitter. Your love for your company is evident and your ability to lead inspires many. My very personal thought is that I admire the discipline of many as they comment on the events of their day. It encourages me to persevere.

Dad,

As you know, the day before TN made the cutbacks, I called you crying because Nathan has just gotten laid off from the company he was working for. At that time I didn’t know TN was doing layoffs the very next day, but I can only image what was going through your head as I was sharing my anxiety with you. When you told me about the upcoming layoffs, I could hear the immense internal struggle within you. Here you have your daughter on the phone with the fresh, raw emotions of her husband losing his job knowing full well 55 more families would be in the same situation the next day.

I know you wanted to make it all better. Not just for me, but for all the families at TN as well.

Not that anyone on this blog has said this, but if there are any people that think this was easy for you, that you didn’t care about the families, that they were just numbers, etc, etc, there is only one plain and simple fact about those people…They do not know you. Anyone who thinks you were not affected by these layoffs on many levels is very misinformed. You love and care for each employee of TN. Truly, you do.

You and the ELT did everything you could to avoid this. This is just an effect of our current economic situation.

I love you & am praying for you and every family that was affected by this. I can identify with many of them. It is a difficult time, but thankfully we have something much greater within us that can sustain us. I pray each and every family recognizes that.

I think it’s awesome that you twitter, Mike. I would echo what many people have already said. I just think it’s great and I think you should keep doing it. I also appreciate your blog. I pray for everyone at Nelson right now including you. Times are tough, but Jesus is still Lord.

Hey Mike,

I feel as if the spirit of my question was missed. I didn’t mean to imply that you or your executive team should stop Twittering. All I did was raise the question whether or not the act of Twittering creates a distraction to clear, uninterrupted thinking.

That’s a fair question, one that I ask because I don’t Twitter and cannot speak from experience. Furthermore, I’m thankful that you are experimenting with this medium by keeping your ear to the pavement. If it’s working for you and the team, wonderful.

At the same time, to this Twitter-free writer, who watches ideas flit away at the drop of a hat, I cannot personally fathom staying in the creative “zone” with an estimated 65 or more tweets interruptions during my work week–not to mention the time spent reading tweets from fellow Twitters. No doubt there are others who can–or think they can–juggle the added stimuli without loss of momentum. More power to ‘em.

As for the idea a number of readers have raised that Twittering helps create a sense of community, maybe so. In pre-Twitter days, community in the business environment was partially accomplished by standing around the water cooler or hanging out in the break room swapping the latest happenings. I get that need for building community.

Then again, if an employee was found standing by the water cooler ten times a day–however briefly, that might raise a few worthy questions about time management . . . which goes to the heart of my point: how much of a distraction does this new tool create?

I’ve got to believe that even the gentle purring of a cell phone in the pocket of an executive, announcing the arrival of a new Twitter post, is bound to break the flow of the meeting. Is it any wonder why we’re prone to exhibiting the habit of half-listening to each other when we’re actually face-to-face?

Thanks for your insight.

Jill,

It sounds simple to play the class warfare card and discuss CEO pay. It sounds simple and plays on people’s envy to say things like “less than one week’s notice”. Here’s the facts; we told everyone on Tuesday, but this was expected broadly across the organization. Some were suprised it was “them”, but nobody was suprised it happened. My department is taking care of these great people with severance packages of no less than a month and up to six months full pay and benefits in a package that’s structured to allow them to simultaneously draw unemployment. This stretches each person’s salary the equivalent of 2 – 10 additional weeks depending upon their salary level. We are providing professional outplacement to each person regardless of rank, and we follow up on each person weekly to see how they’re doing. I’m on the front lines counseling people every day and re-crafting exit packages so that they help each person to the fullest extent possible. Read the comments of the people who identify themselves as former Nelson employees and hear the positive things they have to say as to how well they were treated when they were let go back in April, or this week. I’ve run the numbers on executive pay cuts, and there aren’t enough executives whose pay I could cut to save more than 5 jobs. When I’ve done that, what do I do about the other 49 people? If you think any of us are getting off easy, I’ll trade you the tough conversations I’VE had this week, and the sleepless nights, and Mike’s, and the ELT’s if you think we’re getting off easy.

I’m sorry but you’d think from 99% of the comments that Mike lost his job. Did he and other top management offer not to take their bonuses last April that most likely could have paid for the 20% of the employees salaries? Did management consider taking a salary freeze of their 6 & 7 figure salaries so other families could keep feeding themselves and stay in their homes? This is supposed to be a Christian company, right? It would be nice to see it operate on Christian principles. I’m sure Mike’s a nice guy; but my God, can we give the twitter & blogging praise a rest and think and pray for those left in the cold before Christmas?

Twitter is a must for any leader. Period. Social Media provides an unprecedented opportunity for the leader to put a face on his corporation. The bigger the corporation the more vital the need for a face to the internal fans (the employees) and the external fans (the customers). The adage “the bigger we are the smaller we must become” has never been more true than in this present financial crisis.

The old school (non-twitterers, if you will) automotive industry, music industry, financial industry and the government, only to name a few, have lost touch with their customers. And when corporations lose touch, the death knell will be tolling in the distance, or in the case of the aforementioned, wailing at the funeral.

Never has it been more important to engage our clients in this digital world. Social Media like Twitter and Facebook is simply people having conversations online. In 2008, if you are not on a social networking site, you are not on the Internet! It is a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. The old model was a monologue and the new model is a dialogue.

78% of people trust the recommendations of others. In the monumental paradox of change, trust is now built more effectively online than face to face. It is cost effective and it is a must.

It is especially a requirement to the 75 million strong Millennial Generation under the age of 26. A staggering 98% of them are on a social networking platform of some kind. 98%! They make up one of the hottest potential markets for 2009 and beyond. And they know your face because they see it on Facebook via your Twitter feed.

I applaud you and other leaders, Mike, who are brave enough to look around the corner and embrace technology instead of branding it as useless and wasteful.

May your tribe increase!

Randy Elrod

I would like to offer a very simple thank you for your Twittering. It is nice to see a perspective from someone in leadership even if your tweet is about a random happening in your day. It’s nice.

I’m glad I discovered this website. Reveals the human behind the organisation. Wishing you well from this side of the Atlantic (London).

@Just Observing: With all due respect, you have no idea what I or management did or didn’t do. Suffice it to say, we took the actions you suggested—and more. No, we didn’t publicize it.

May God bless you, your staff, and your company.

Sir,

While you say that you had to make these “reductions” due to the economy and defend your use of social networking 10 minutes a day to stay in touch it seems that more of this lies with you than you are accepting.

I recall that you stated earlier that you reduced your offerings by half but that strikes me as putting your eggs in one basket. I suppose it is fine as long as you only turn out successful offerings. But we know that is not the case and your declining sales are partially the results of that questionable decision. Blaming the economy is a cop out!

It amazes me that all of these people can continue to sing your praises and commend you and your “courage” when you tweet that you are well rested and back from a vacation the very day (and Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas) that you are FIRING 50+ people. I am sure that many will be better off in a new environment but there are many who will suffer. As you stated, having assured your staff, personally, that there would not be any forthcoming layoffs, it strikes me that you admittedly lied and that is hard to forgive or forget in a leader. Of course circumstances can change but please.

Trust, like china and glass, is easily broken and difficult to mend, maybe you should read Poor Richard for ten minutes one day! Shame on YOU!

As for your, we did not publish what we (you and your exec’s) did or didn’t do, I notice that you still did not say that you personally felt any kind of pain from this besides your anguish. I think that had you said (or been able to say if you really did, which I find hard to believe) that you took a personal hit before cutting your lower and mid level employees living (I am sure that some were productive in both the cut and keep categories) in this troubling time some of that praise would be due.

Perhaps you should get down to business and publish good books rather than good chat/blogs/tweeting But from where I sit it, I am going to twitter this, “I am putting my boots on it is getting thick!”

To Mike and Jim Thomasen: I appreciate the fuller response to my challenge in the follow-up. My response wasn’t intended as “Playing the class card” and I apologize if my response above seemed rude as that was truly not my intent.

As a new writer seeking to be published, I feel a little insignificant here, but I’d like to say that the twitter from a CEO at Thomas Nelson helps us to know that these gifted men at the top are real Christians, real people, and not mysterious executives who have no touch with the rest of us. I think it shows a genuine desire to connect with us and include us in communication. How could anyone suggest Mr. Hyatt stop? Thankfully, he knows what he’s doing and won’t.

Michael, My prayers to the families affected. Difficult, difficult.

I wonder if Canada played a role in these layoffs? When R. G. Mitchelle closed their doors and filed for bankrupcy, Thomas Nelson was owed C$1.25 million.

That’s a huge hit for any company to try to absorb.

~A wondering Canadian writer~

When Mike had to lay people off earlier this year, I contacted him and his HR people to see which laid-off editors they would recommend to assist me on a freelance basis to help polish up a book I was writing.

Mike and his HR team immediately provided me with a list of names and I was able to put some money into a-just-laid off editor’s pocket.

My point is, any writers reading this, if you need some editorial help-and ALL writers do!–think of contacting Mike and getting the names of those who were just laid off. They are a wonderful, talented group of people and by hiring them, you are putting legs on your faith…and money (and hope) into their pocket!

@Bonnie: Yes, indeed, it was factor. R.G. Mitchell’s bankruptcy negatively impacted several Christian publishers.