Author Archives: Rusty Rueff

About Rusty Rueff

Rusty Rueff, author of purposed worKING. Rusty Rueff is the former Chairman Emeritus of The GRAMMY Foundation in Los Angeles. He most recently completed the successful 16 month leadership role as Coordinating National Co-Chair for Technology for Obama (T4O) for the reelection of President Obama and ten-years of Board service and President of the Board of Trustees of the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Corporately, most recently Rueff was the Chief Executive Officer at SNOCAP, Inc. until the acquisition of the company by imeem, Inc. in April 2008. Before joining SNOCAP in 2005, he was Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Electronic Arts (EA) from 1998 until 2005. He was also with the PepsiCo companies for more than ten years, with the Pratt & Whitney division of United Technologies for two years, and in commercial radio as an on-air personality for six years. Rusty holds an M.S. in counseling and a B.A. in radio and television from Purdue University. In 2003 he was named a distinguished Purdue alumnus, and he and his wife, Patti, are the named benefactors of Purdue’s Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Visual and Performing Arts. He is a corporate director of Glassdoor.com and runcoach. He is the co-founder and Executive Committee Member of T4A.org, serves on the Founding Circle of The Centrist Project and a founding Board Member of The GRAMMY Music Education Coalition. He is also the co-author of the book Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business. Rusty and his wife, Patti, reside in Hillsborough, CA and Charlestown, R.I.

day 56: Work Words, part 2 – Replacement Words

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Yesterday we learned the simple truth that God does not want us using foul or abusive language in life or at work. A simple lesson for sure but not an easy one to follow and practice. It just seems like adding that certain word for emphasis or explanation helps make the point. But, when we take this path we are making both emotional and intellectual choices that have consequences. I think in most cases we are also taking the lazy path intellectually when we allow ourselves to use this language. The other day I overheard a conversation with two people where the description of one person by the other, to his face (which was representative of an anatomical part), expressed the point clearly but also created a heightened animosity and anger in the person who was being talked at and could have easily, if not for the control of the receiving person, come to blows. As I reflected on that conversation, the person delivering the message may have felt more powerful but in reality, this very intellectual person had lowered himself to a base level and chosen the laziest of words to express his point of view and left the conversation in a worse place than it was before, all because of the words chosen. If we are not to use foul or abusive language, what words are we then to choose to replace these words? Ephesians 4:29 concludes with; “Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them”. We are to take the higher ground. We are to work harder intellectually and emotionally to find the place and the words that can still bring across the point but leave the other person or parties in a better emotional state. As I think back on the confrontation I witnessed, there was another way to have made the point. It would have taken the person who was expressing the point of view to have found another emotional footing to stand on, and then to have intellectually have thought through how it would be that he could build up the other person and still ensure that the lesson was given. It could have been done and knowing the situation, good could have come from what was initially bad and unfortunately after this conversation got worse. God wants us to use the faith that we have in Him, the power that He has put inside of us, and the love that He modeled, to be different than the rest of the world. That can start today, at work, with you and the words that you choose. Today would be a good day to start thinking and using the replacement words that He can give you. You and all others around you will be better for it.

Reference: Ephesians 4:29 (New Living Testament)