Written for the leaders, owners and professionals of the 11 million businesses with between $50,000 and $50 million in revenue.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy recently issued a bombshell announcement that all corporate staff must return to the office five days per week in 2025 because “the advantages of being together in the office are significant.”  This marks an end to the company’s current three-day in-office hybrid schedule — and employees at other businesses are now wondering: Are we next?

It could go either way. Jassy’s move will likely sway some employers to follow suit … or require a mere four days, not five, and reassure workers, “We’re not as bad as Amazon though,” a former Slack executive told Axios.

However, rival tech firms might view this as a chance to recruit unhappy Amazon talent by promising to continue hybrid policies. Whatever you decide for your business, read our guide to Are Employees More Productive Working From Home?

Presentations: Obama’s speechwriter has a few tips

Gut checklist: A guide for trusting your instincts

The Bear: Don’t forget your bread and butter

(Courtesy Terry Szuplat)

Is a State of the Union address basically a high-stakes pitch deck presentation? Terry Szuplat, who wrote many of President Barack Obama’s speeches from 2009 to 2017, feels that business leaders could benefit from studying the rhetorical flourishes of political leaders.

In his new book, Say It Well: Find Your Voice, Speak Your Mind, Inspire Any Audience, Szuplat explores how to keep speeches authentic, cut through corporate jargon, and ensure words translate into action. He spoke to b. about how leaders can better persuade audiences.

b.: What inspired you to write this book?

Szuplat: I actually struggled with public speaking myself. I spent most of my life behind the scenes — in my case, writing speeches for other people. Then suddenly, you find yourself having to speak publicly, and it can be nerve-wracking, even anxiety-inducing …

We hear inspiring speeches from people in business, politics, and advocacy all the time, but for every one of them, there are probably tons of people who are too nervous to speak up.

b.: Why do you recommend the “50-25-25 Rule” (spend 50% of the time on planning, 25% on writing, and 25% on editing)?

Szuplat: One of the mistakes a lot of leaders make, especially in business, is when they find out they have to give a presentation or make a pitch, they immediately demand a draft on their desk by the end of the day. … They get their draft by the end of the day and are furious because it’s not what they wanted. Well, how could the team possibly know what the leader wants to say when they haven’t been told?

Speechwriters and comms teams are not mind readers. They don’t know what you want to say unless you tell them. Barack Obama would always build in time to speak with us before an important speech. … If the president of the United States had time to do that, then any CEO or business leader can make that time too.

b.: What helps you set a speech apart from the rest?

Szuplat: Don’t be generic, especially if you’re in the business world and one of several speakers or panelists. Don’t just say what everyone else is saying. Infuse your presentations and speeches with stories that no one else has: why you chose this line of work, why you’re involved in this company, or stories you hear from your customers. Personalize it as much as you can.

Many business leaders struggle with that. They tend to think they’re just there to give a presentation about the product or service, and while that’s important, research shows that the real way to connect with your audience is on a human level. You’ve got to talk like a human …

Many business leaders fall victim to corporate buzzwords and jargon, thinking it makes them sound smart, but it actually confuses the audience. If your audience is confused, they won’t buy your product or sign up for your service. I call it the Barbecue Rule — think about how you would talk at a barbecue with your family. You wouldn’t use all that jargon, but we do it when we come to work.

Say It Well is available now.

What does Terry Szuplat think about ChatGPT for speechwriting? Read our full Q&A at business.com

Text message marketing is a great way to connect directly with your customers, but to create a truly impressive text campaign, you need a top SMS marketing platform. The right tools can help tailor your messaging for your target audience, and detailed analytics let you fine-tune future campaigns to make sure they really take off.

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If you’re ready to bring your text message marketing to the next level, sign up for a free 14-day trial of Textedly at the link below.

(Source: Shutterstock)

 Dr. Ben Baran is an associate professor at Cleveland State University and co-founder of Elevating What Works.

Sometimes, a decision just feels right. That feeling is part of what we often call our intuition, and the tricky thing is that sometimes we should trust it — but other times, we shouldn’t.

One alternative to intuition is what’s often called the “rational” decision-making process. (This includes identifying the problem, figuring out your criteria for making the decision, generating alternatives, evaluating those alternatives, and then selecting the best option.) But intuition is helpful sometimes, and research provides useful guidance regarding when we should “go with our gut” or not.

Given that research, here are some general guidelines:

• Trust your intuition more in situations that directly relate to your expertise. If it’s not something you have experience dealing with, then perhaps work through the problem in a more methodical way. 
• Be mindful of what you know and don’t know. If you’re really an expert about something, you likely have a clear idea about the limits of your expertise.
• Even if you’re an expert, spend time examining the situation and its trends. Be wary of the illusion of skill and overconfidence. Humility helps.

This is also why it’s important to build expertise and experience, both for yourself and within the people who work for you. With increased expertise and experience, people are better equipped to make decisions intuitively.

(Source: Hulu)

You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs. And in Hulu’s hit series The Bear, you can’t earn a Michelin star without losing your sandwich shop’s working-class customer base.

In Season 3, Chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) pushes his culinary perfectionism to new heights. He demands adherence to a set of nonnegotiables — like “vibrant collaboration” and “push boundaries” — as he builds a pricier, ever-changing, beyond-artistic menu. His obsessions with garnish placement, napkins, and expensive ingredients become logistically and financially unsustainable; he grows untethered from the hungry, blue-collar community around him.

Ironically, Carmy’s original beef sandwiches — which he relegates to a pick-up window staffed by one overtaxed employee — are the only thing making a profit.

Aspiring to become better (or, in this case, the best) in your field is an admirable quality. But tunnel-vision pursuit of awards and prestige can neglect the foundation, ethos, and loyal customers that got you to the top. Just something to chew on.

Written by Antonio Ferme and Jake Kring-Schreifels. Comic by John McNamee.