I keep a sheet taped on the wall of my office titled: Questions You Should Ask Yourself… by the late, great Chuck Schnake.  The list primarily deals with client relationships.  I look at it just about every day, and more than simply reading the questions, it makes me wonder what Chuck would do in certain situations.

One situation that comes to mind is the recent Toyota recall effort.  Toyota has been in the news for months with unresolved problems with several models.  And it seems like there’s been a lot of talking, but little action from Toyota.

Recently, Toyota’s U.S. president and COO broadcast this Open Letter to Toyota Customers.  The letter was distributed through advertisements in major newspapers, including The Oklahoman.  I assumed the presence of this letter meant action was not far away.  

I guess I was wrong.  The media world is still buzzing about Toyota’s inaction.  Just this morning I heard another report about it.

In this instance, Chuck Schnake would have said two words: deeds first.  Or at least, he would counsel Toyota to back up their words with some quick deeds.

It seems like many individuals and organizations get caught up in the media frenzy.  They talk a lot and make statements, but too many times we don’t see the deeds that they promise in their words.

In Toyota’s case, the company’s reputation (sterling until recently) has been tarnished.  Some quick deeds could stop the bleeding and show their customers they are serious about quality and safety.