Guide to understanding smiley faces and other business secrets.

“In business you can never learn anything more important than successful communication skills.”

-Max Markson





I use IM (Instant messaging) software a lot. It is one of those fantastic business tools that makes e-mail feel like a black Model T. (That is a car produced 100 years ago, not Tyra Bank’s nickname.) You see, my kids have never heard of a Model T Ford. Likewise when they text me “Dad, AWC (((H))) I had to look into what they were saying. It was nice to know they went easy on me, it means “after awhile crocodile with a hug.”

I recently had a Russian translator ask me through IM “why do you keep calling me Russian, my name is Dymitry?” You see I was always jumping on and saying “RU there?” He probably thought for weeks, “this ungrateful American clod, he does not even know my name, he just refers to me as “Russian!” RU is short code for “Are You” not Russian. I taught him something new and almost weekly I learn new short code myself from the younger set.

I sent some licensing ideas to a sharp entrepreneur yesterday and I thought I made her sick when she responded ROFL!!! I was relieved to look up; I actually made her “Rolling on the floor laughing” with my brilliant idea and not “Rolfing in the toilet with that sick lame idea!”

Call it the curse of the 2-in-1 keyboard, caffeine or just a very serious generational problem of wasting keystrokes, if you want to communicate with the younger market you better know short code and smiley faces. You need to keep up or get left behind. Ok Chairman, loosen that tie and learn some code to call your next board meeting and see how many members get what the heck you are talking about. If all your members think your Blackberry is suffering from swimmers keyboard, maybe it is time to get some younger fingers in the board room. Younger blood might also bring fresher ideas and fatter margins. :@ )

If you don’t see the benefit of communicating with Gen Y on their terms, this can at least keep you from starting an international incident or learning what your teenager really thinks of you.

Here is a link to a short code dictionary and smiley face translator:

http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp#r