I just watched a Today Show segment with Dan Roth, Editor-in-Chief at LinkedIn on a popular morning news feature show.

Please accept me for the curmudgeon I am, but the last minutes of his chat covered the confusion and disruption possible from emojis.

Any one of them can mean one thing to a Gen Z’er and another thing to a boomer.

Like a smiley face emoji: passive aggressive to one and a pleasant sign to another.

He contends that emojis are the shorthand of today’s work communication. I contend that may be, but why chance, or have to be bothered by, possible mistaken meaning from one person to another?

Isn’t it a lot more effective to choose your own words to deliver the meaning you intended?

I think so.

How about selecting the most appropriate verbs (here’s 185 powerful ones)?

And that reinforces today’s urgency of crystal clear communicating, in real human language, as you want to be understood, without relying on the odds that you may or may not come across as effective. Don’t you want to be perceived equivalent to your formal / experiential education and work history?

I hope you said yes. I do every minute of every day.

So on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, among the people you will surround yourself with for a festive meal, and the discussion it entails, may I suggest you choose the words you want them to remember you by, as an originator of cogent ideas, by being real in your emotional and intellectual expressions, to be clear- and open-minded, and aware that not everyone may understand you and your intent.

I am reflecting this Thanksgiving week on the cadre of beautiful people of all ages, genders, nationalities, cultures, religions, and experience levels whom I choose to surround myself with. Not only the ones I schedule time to meld minds, without agenda, to see where we end up in deep conversation (you know who you are!), but to let you know I subscribe to servant leadership among my readers here,, connections, followers, and referral colleagues on LinkedIn.

I’ll say thanks in heartfelt words, to all of you, from the bottom of my heart. You are beautiful in your own right and add more daily joy to me than you will ever know.

Even if this is not your holiday, know you are especially appreciated at this time of the year. Every year.

I'll be back next Monday.