'Mistaken Humour' costs an executive his job

Oct 05, 2022

Did he really say that... yes he did. The now former senior executive of Apple's supply chain resigns after his failed attempt at humour. Read the details here.

PHOTOS: SCREENGRAB FROM ITSDANIELMAC/TIKTOK

After watching the TikTok video you can see that Mr. Blevin (the now former Apple executive) thought he was being funny but based on the backlash from viewers, he quickly realized his attempt at humour was an epic fail. This is another example of people forgetting that their personal and professional brands are constantly on display and intertwined, thanks to social media.

Mr. Blevin has a lot of work to do to Rewind his Brand, beginning with a formal apology. He missed the perfect opportunity to begin fixing his brand when he resigned. Instead of resigning with "no reason", he should have publicly acknowledged that what he did was in poor taste, disrespectful and unprofessional (especially since the Tiktok interviewer asked what he did for a living). He should also offer an apology on TikTok for his disparaging remark. The fact that he hasn't offered an apology or acknowledgement makes me wonder if there are more reasons for his resignition.

From the perspective of Apple's brand, leadership should remind employees of their Apple company values and the importance of having a working culture that respects women.

To avoid having a Brand Rewind moment, remember that regardless of your job title, you need to stay on brand both in and outside of your work environment.

Zoe Mitchell is the founder of Sharp Processes, a leadership consultancy focused on improving employee engagement using Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Psychological Safety and Process Improvement best practices with her 20 years of corporate senior leadership positions. She is also the author of Inclusive Leadership Now (available on Amazon).