RSS
STORE
As many of you know, I write a regular column for Ragan's Corporate Writer and Editor publication, titled "The C.R.A.P. Awards."
C.R.A.P. stands for "Corporate Rhetoric Awards Program," and the column showcases the worst writing in organizational communications. I'm never at a loss for nominees.
Well, yesterday, at Ragan's Summer Camp for Editors event in Chicago, I was talking about the column with Jean Clough, who was at the Camp teaching a digital photography workshop. Jean is an excellent photographer, a wonderful teacher, and an even better person.
"Your C.R.A.P. column inspired me and my husband to think about what the photographic equivalent would be," she told me. "And we came up with the P.O.O.P. Awards: Photos that Ought to be Outlawed Permanently."
POOP!! I love it. And in honor of Jean's brainstorm, what say we have a vote? What say we try to pick the most common corporate photo cliché of all time? The POOPiest of the P.O.O.Ps, if you will.
I'll list out what I think are the Top Five candidates. You can either vote for one of these, or add one yourself. Here are the five photos that I see in almost every corporate publication, and that I wish would be wiped out of corporate communication forever:
The Execution at Dawn photo. This is where you line up a bunch of team members against the wall and "shoot them." The only tension in this photo is, how does each person position his hands? Do you do the "fig leaf," and hold them in front of your crotch? Do you put them behind your back? At your sides? In your pockets? The drama!!!
By the way, this wonderful designer woman in one of my seminars gave me the "Execution at Dawn" name for that photo, and I would give her the credit for it, but I don't remember her name. Are you out there, wonderful designer woman?
The "Hey, we’re having a meeting!" photo, where you show two or more people—preferably middle-aged white guys in suits—at a long table, with at least one person leaning into a microphone.
The "grammar-school class picture" photo, where the "photographer" lines up way too many team members for a group shot, resulting in a picture where each person's head is roughly the size of a cheerio and you can't tell who anybody is.
The "employee at work" photo where an obviously posed worker is doing his best not to look at the camera.
And, of course, everybody's favorite, the "grip and grin" shots, where employees are given awards, and the photographer is able to catch that magic moment when both the presenter and the receiver of the award have their hands on the award at the same time.
Okay . . . vote for one of those . . . or add one of your own.
Subscribe to this blog's feed
Feels like Total Recall. Er, Philip K Dick?
Actually, with Steve's example it's a bit scary --- standing at the urinal...
Comments (9)
If we're voting for the most common, I would have to split my votes between the "Execution at Dawn" and the "Grip-n-Grin."
However, I want to add one that I might be the only one to have experienced -- or at least I hope so.
Years ago when I was the newsletter editor at a manufacturing plant for a large unnamed former monopoly telephone company (is that vague enough?), I was always summoned to the executive suite to take pictures of Employee Suggestion Award winners whose savings were greater than $10,000. At that level, they were given the award by the plant manager and I'd snap a Grip-n-Grin. But the humiliation didn't end there.
After the Grip-n-Grin, this plant manager always invited the award recipient to come into his office and to "sit in the big chair" while I took the person's photo. This guy really thought he was doing something special by allowing lowly vermin like manufacturing employees (please, no nasty letters -- I'm being sarcastic!) sit in the big chair. It was one of the most grimace-inducing moments I ever experienced and it happened over and over again. Just once, I wanted one of the honorees to say, "Yeah, I'll sit in your big chair. Just as soon as you sit on my big ......"
Posted by Robert J Holland, ABC | August 19, 2005 11:20 AM
Posted on August 19, 2005 11:20
Holy good lord, Robert. Are you serious? That is TOO FUNNY. Come on, now, son . . .go ahead and climb up in the big chair. Atta boy, get yourself right up there, now. How does that feel, huh? You look real big in that chair, son. Real big. What? You want to touch my blackberry? No can do, son. Get back to work now.
Posted by Steve C. | August 19, 2005 11:23 AM
Posted on August 19, 2005 11:23
I agree with all your nominations for POOPs. When I was a community weekly newspaper editor, I banned what I called stand-'em-up-and-shoot-'em-down photos (execution at dawn.) I also banned balloon launches, for which I took a lot of heat. Think about it, though; we were a non-color publication. Balloon launches resulted in tiny black and gray flyspecks in a gray sky with the backs of a lot of kids' heads in the foreground. I told my staff that the only balloons I wanted to see had to be pre-launch -- in the hands of a child with the child's face clearly visible. It's not inconceivable to find a balloon launch in a corporate environment. I'd put the same rules in effect there. (Execs are just big kids, right?)
Posted by Laura Hobbs | August 19, 2005 11:41 AM
Posted on August 19, 2005 11:41
Good work on the move Steve... I reckon you're gonna like the new set up!
Posted by James | August 24, 2005 8:50 PM
Posted on August 24, 2005 20:50
Sorry, but I'm voting for none of your P.O.O.P. candidates.
My personal P.O.O.P. candidates are:
--The ubiquitous check-passing photo, particularly when the check is so large it takes two people two hold it.
--The ground-breaking photo, with 10 guys in suits, ties and hard hats, all with feet poised on shovels.
--The ribbon-cutting photo with the oversized pair of cardboard scissors.
Please don't ask me which of those three is my favorite. I hate them all.
Posted by Joan Stewart | October 1, 2005 4:49 PM
Posted on October 1, 2005 16:49
Does anyone have a good suggestion for me? I am doing a series of interviews of donors for a college capital campaign for a newsletter. I talk to the people about why they decided to give, etc. and then inevitably end up taking their photo in their office surrounded by company stuff, or standing in front of the company sign, etc. Any better ideas?
Posted by gotlucky | October 4, 2005 3:04 PM
Posted on October 4, 2005 15:04
This is a suggestion for Joan:
Why not have them leaning against bits of stuff that their donations will buy? It means some effort on both your parts - but at least it wont be the usual suspects. So if they're donating capital to build a new library wing - piles of books, at the current library with them sat on top. Fun?
Posted by Jim Symcox | October 5, 2005 11:56 AM
Posted on October 5, 2005 11:56
Suggestion for Joan. Take their photo on the college campus. You're likely going to talk about who they are and what they've contributed. Perhaps showing them giving back even more by showing them ON campus -- by the college entrance sign, in the gym, by a historic building...
Posted by Lizz Harmon | October 31, 2005 11:03 PM
Posted on October 31, 2005 23:03
What about the one where the heiress is leaning over, cracking the over sized bottle of champagne on the aircraft carrier?
(They don't usually show the first picture, where the bottle won't break?)
And by the way, WHO picts these chicks?
Cheers!
Posted by Banner Boy | May 4, 2008 7:42 AM
Posted on May 4, 2008 07:42