Simple facts, hard to remember in the place you try not to think of as a white-collar sweatshop.

From the details on those stupid reports that interrupt the 'real work' to the depth of explanations given for this decision or that, we all tend to cut back on communications when things get busy. Busy-ness breeds the use of assumptions as a shortcut for the solid communications we had before we got busy.

In other words, the corrosive long term effect of that last couple of layoffs is the degradation of communications quality. Saddled with additional work and new contacts where old faces once worked, we leap into our newly defined responsibilities. Often, looking first is lost in the shuffle.

It's an easy time to let the brand disappear into unmanaged and uncounted lapses of manners.

The next time you have a moment, have one of your kids or your spouse browse through the employment section of your website. Give them a couple of resumes to submit from a Yahoo mail account. See how they feel about the experience.

It's too bad that they can't help with the boss and co-workers.