If it’s neither informative nor entertaining,
what’s the point?
March 28, 2008
You’re sitting in your favourite bar, enjoying the company and a pint. You’ve been coming here for a while with a good core group of high-grade folks. There’s a game playing on the tube. The occasional dispute (sometimes quite heated) arises over whether the quarterback should have drilled one up the middle, or gone for the big boomer. Management gets challenged with every loss, and second-guessing is a natural state on Monday mornings. They should have signed the super-gene running back, or they should have done a better job in exploring and developing from the minor leagues.
For the most part, though, these disputes are good-hearted exchanges among friends, and no ill will is intended or taken. Some people are quite animated in their interpretation of what’s going on. Others opt to lurk quietly on the sidelines, enjoying the goings-on, and staying informed by those whom they see as more qualified commentators… people who take the time to perform due diligence on the stats for every player, and bring comparative insights from other teams. All this adds value to what is a generally entertaining experience. It’s engaging, and after all, engagement is everything. At least, that’s my favourite soapbox. Next week, you’re looking forward to going back, and starting all over again. Nice to have such a place to go. Nice to go (cue the Cheers music) “where everybody knows your name”.
Then one day, a couple of strangers come in, wearing masks to hide their identities. Never been there before, and not showing any signs of wanting to join in the fun. Insisting on anonymity, they sidle up to the bar and order a couple of drinks. They’re a bit mysterious at first, and you’re left wondering what they’re all about. In any event, the game starts, and all of a sudden, these two guys are jumping and hopping all over the place, shouting and screaming, and generally interfering with the group’s enjoyment of both the game and each other’s company. These fellows proceed to viciously bash the players and team management, using foul language and abusive tones. Now, they pick out one or two of your buddies in the bar, and proceed to name call, label, ridicule, and else wise harass anyone who moves in any way imaginable.
A few of you protest, defending your buddies, imploring these interlopers to ‘give it a break’. They don’t, and your buddies don’t show up the following week. You continue to protest, and all they do is shout in response, from behind their masks, “SIR, you’re going down, down, down”. Appeals to management to take control of the place go no where… free speech, they’re paying customers, they’re not breaking any laws, and so on. This course of events repeats itself, of course, and over the ensuing weeks, more regulars, including you, begin to trickle out.
Eventually, free speech results in the bar closing down for lack of customers. Sunday afternoons are spent mowing the lawn, or watching the game at home, or you just invite two or three friends over for a private viewing. It’s not the same dynamic, but it’s all you can do. Or maybe you lose interest in that team or the game altogether, since it’s not just the team that drew you to the bar, but also the combination of a good group of people with whom you could enjoy the ride, so to speak. After all, we are social creatures before all else. Win or lose, together, we will survive. Alone, we can only perish.
I had lunch in downtown Toronto yesterday with a couple of new friends. These guys run such a bar, not much unlike the one described above. It’s an active establishment, and has great potential to make an even better name for itself in the marketplace.
Here’s the thing. As the bar manager describes it, 1% of the customers lead the show, 9% engage them, and the other 90% tag along for the journey. They’ve recently renovated the bar and it looks quite spiffy, indeed. A few tweaks yet to make, but it’s functional and has a good feeling to it. I give ‘em good odds on making a living at it. We talked about a variety of things over lunch, including the presence of these ‘basher’ types. They are well aware of these people, and the threat they bring to the much sought-after environment of being both informative and entertaining. It’s clear to me that some of their best customers aren’t showing up anymore. Some of these are the people who have made the greatest contribution both to the body of knowledge about the game and to the entertaining environment of the bar, itself.
My new friends continue to noodle with ‘in-the-box’ and ‘out-of-the box’ ideas by which to address this dilemma. They shared an open willingness to listen to any ideas on the matter. Here’s what I suggested.
The building has an empty second floor, conducive to the creation of a second venue. Zoning poses no problem. Simply open it up, I say, as an upscale version of what’s downstairs, but apply a nominal cover charge (say $10-25 per year – not for the money’s sake, but for the identity captured in the transaction), payable only by credit card. The credit card must have a real person’s name on it. No masks allowed, everyone’s identity is known to all present. No identity, no entry. Lack of anonymity holds great promise for self-governance in people.
Those free to hide behind masks are free to engage in behaviour toxic to the public good. Let them stay downstairs and do as they will as long as others are willing to be their victims. Absent the victim, toxicity poses no threat. Masks removed, most people are, in my observation, reluctant to engage in childish behaviour.
I have little doubt that the most valuable contributors will migrate upstairs immediately. It’s always the best who leave a dysfunctional organization first, so keeping these customers should be a primary objective for anyone who wants, not only to stay in business, but to grow and prosper. If the 1:9:90 rule applies as described by my new friend, that 1% must be protected at all cost. Without them, the balance of this formula for success tumbles down a hill like a snowball out of control. Without leaders, any organization is doomed. Without information and entertainment, such an establishment serves no purpose.
I understand that this kind of organization makes its money based on volume of traffic. The greater the number of people who step into the bar, the more the gross, and the better the bottom line. The flip side here is that, if the drawing factor for 99% of the traffic is not highly valued… if the time spent on developing both informative and entertaining contributions is not valued… then the 1% will depart, soon to be followed by those whom they inform and entertain.
Perhaps this scenario should be considered not just in terms of its risk in the loss of volume, but rather for its reward in the potential for much greater volume stemming from the removal of this toxicity. Why should this environment be different from any other social dynamic? The options are really very simple. When you encounter toxic people, you have clear choices. You can: absorb their toxicity; cure them of their toxicity; walk away; or prevent them from approaching. I have no interest in the depression that comes with assuming another person’s social toxicity. If someone is not willing to identify him/herself, I can offer no cure. As a customer in such an establishment, I am left with but one choice, that being to walk away. On the other hand, if management can find and support a new paradigm and can muster the courage to follow through in its creation, they can prevent their establishment from becoming so toxic that it implodes from lack of substance. Moreover, with a little luck, success in this migration can leave the ‘snake pit’ downstairs empty, and free for re-deployment as a profitable extension of the new winning combination upstairs.
After lunch, I wandered north a couple of streets to pay a visit to a close childhood friend who has done very well for himself, building a number of successful businesses. When I told him where I’d been and whom I’d met, he merely sighed and said, “I don’t go there anymore. I don’t have the time to waste.”
What do you think? I’m sure that my new friends will be pleased to hear your opinions. Just use the Comment box below to share your thoughts on this important matter. I’ll be only happy to pass them along. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find yourself a regular at this new bar sooner than you think.
Dedicated to JohnED7. I miss you, buddy.
With respect,
Kevin Graham