Whether being praised or skewered I wouldn’t want to do anything else by Jon Hansen

As many of you probably already know, I am co-authoring a book with Buyers Meeting Point’s Kelly Barner.  It will be out before the end of the year, and I promise you that it will be a great read.

Besides complimentary writing styles, it is also our differences that make the collaborative partnership work really well.

For example, and as Kelly has often pointed out, I am the one who is more inclined to poke the proverbial alligators or stir up the old beehive with a stick.  Or to put it another way, go where angels and those with fewer concussions are less likely to tread.

Over the past year, Kelly has cited several examples of this swashbuckling (my word not hers) tendency to fly in the face of conventional thinking. The most recent being referenced in her Buyers Meeting Point post from earlier today:

“I was also pleasantly surprised to hear Birch mention Jon Hansen’s recent blog post on social media profile pictures. (You can read it here). If you haven’t praised or skewered him yet, you still have time. Everyone else has… Employers and prospective employers alike are looking at your digital footprint. You absolutely have the right to make full use of all sharing platforms, just keep in mind that you will be held to account if what you share rubs decision-makers the wrong way.”

No doubt I appreciate her giving her readers the option to either praise or skewer me, regarding my post on the importance of using the right profile image for your social networks.  She has great etiquette and a true sense of accommodating fairness.

While I would not go so far as to suggest that Kelly is tame in her willingness to tackle tough subjects – far from it as she definitely knows her stuff and can articulate her position as well as anyone I have ever met – she will often times take a more conciliatory tone.  Think of it terms of the collaborative efforts and singing styles of Lennon and McCartney.  I can remember reading an article many years ago stating that McCartney brings to the partnership a subtle and somewhat softer muse, while Lennon is the brash lyricist with an edge.  I will let you draw the suggested parallels with Lennon and McCartney, but you get my point.

Of course there are exceptions to the rule.

In her May 21st, 2014 post A Battle of the Sexes, or Just a Battle Kelly, in coming to my defence for a post I had written asking the question Are Women Really Better At Negotiating Than Men?, bravely challenged some of the more vociferous of the 19,000 people who read (and disagreed with) my chosen topic:

“So Breslin, Gates, and Usheroff can write articles about the role of gender in negotiation. I can be quoted as saying that women are better relationship builders. No issues. But if Jon Hansen writes a piece with the exact same title he is sub-human. Would it change anyone’s opinion to know that I didn’t write the quote I am credited with? I cite it all the time because I think it is interesting – Dr. Tom DePaoli wrote it in his book, “Common Sense Supply Management.” Does that mean it is no longer a valid statement? Or worse, that it is somehow inappropriate? . . . Agree or disagree, I don’t see the problem with raising a topic.”

In the end, our complimentary styles that are at once both similar yet different, means that whether I am praised, skewered or demoted to sub-human status, the facilitation of needed discussion for even the most controversial of topics will happen . . . hopefully to the benefit of all.

I did mention that we are writing a book together didn’t I?

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