#Microblog Monday 318: Trade Secrets

by Mel

4 comments

1 a { 09.28.20 at 7:18 am }

Working in a crime lab is nothing like CSI. And if I have to examine your stuff (for fingerprints), it’s going to be ruined when I’m done with it.

2 loribeth { 09.28.20 at 9:39 am }

I worked in the corporate communications department for one of Canada’s largest banks/companies for 28 years — much of that time with the staff newsmagazine. One thing that struck me when I was talking with people (both inside & outside the bank) about my job: either they thought we had a huge staff with capabilities far beyond what we could really do — or the reaction was, “Wow, the bank has someone who does this?” We did have “people who do this,” but there weren’t that many of us, and I was always amazed by both the volume and quality of stuff we managed to churn out with very limited resources.

Also, because we worked in communications/public relations, and for a very profitable company, people expected our offices to be very glamourous and very high-tech and that we had lots of money to throw around. It wasn’t, and we didn’t. Our company was notorious for pinching pennies 😉 — and we were a “cost centre” versus a “profit centre,” i.e., we cost the bank money, we did not make money for them (not in a direct way, anyway). So they didn’t want to spend any more money on us than they had to. The senior managers of our department had email long before the rank & file — I did not have email at work until the year 2000. And this was the communications department!!

Also: I did a lot of work for some of the bank’s top executives, including the president/CEO, so people assumed I knew him/them personally (there were four during my time at the bank). I did meet all of them, more than once, but for the most part, it was our department’s senior VP who talked to the CEO and then passed the word down through the ranks as to what he (it was always a “he”) wanted, and I (and my colleagues) would do my best to create what was wanted/needed. It was a lot of guesswork/throw something at the wall & see what sticks (as it went up the chain of multiple approvals). There were certain projects, especially speeches, where it would have been really helpful to interview the CEO myself and get a feel for his “voice,” instead of getting vague directions through four layers of management — but that was just not how it was done.

The one CEO I did the most work for was a very nice man. I have to admit, I was a little hurt when all my bosses got to attend his retirement party and I did not, when I was the one doing most of the actual work.

3 Mali { 09.28.20 at 5:00 pm }

I knew that about foaming soap. It’s such a rip off. I buy one bottle of foaming soap, use it for the mechanism, then refill with 30% transparent (ie not creamy) flowing soap and 60% water, mix it up, and voila! Foaming soap.

I’m going to have to read the rest of the thread now.

Not sure that I have had any industry secrets, except, you know, those covered by the government secrets act.

4 Lori Lavender Luz { 10.02.20 at 11:01 am }

Looks like the rest of my day is now planned. I love learning stuff like this!

A surprised me with what she said.

Like you, I have zero big reveals in my lines of work.