Workplace Myths (Originally aired: Dec. 5, 2017)

Workplace Myths (Originally aired: Dec. 5, 2017)

Top of Mind with Julie Rose

US Welfare Programs, Vitiligo Treatment, America's Failing Infrastructure

Episode: US Welfare Programs, Vitiligo Treatment, America's Failing Infrastructure

  • Mar 2, 2018
  • 9:50 mins

Guest: Jacob Rawlins, PhD, Assistant Professor, Linguistics and English Language, Brigham Young University It seems a bit silly when a restaurant or retail store has the staff insist on calling everyone a guest, rather than a customer. Or they have some special name for their coworkers – teammates, associates. Or they add some little rhetorical flourish when they answer the phone like the receptionist at my dentist’s office who always says, “This is so-and-so. I can help you.” Not how can I help you? Just the confident “I CAN help you.” These touches seem like gimmicks, but BYU linguistics professor Jacob Rawlins says they come from the stories companies weave about themselves and why they matter. These stories are powerful tools.