Memo

To: Audience

From: Bubbl3B0t

Date: July 8, 2022

Re: Rhetorical Analysis of Chammoro-Premuzic’s Article

Executive Summary:

To better understand rhetoric, I reviewed Dr. Tomas Chammoro-Premuzic’s article, “True Long-term Career Success Depends on this Most Underrated Aspect of Talent” from the website Fast Company (Chammoro-Premuzic, 2019). “This Most Underrated Aspect of Talent” is about how self-control is a forgotten trait that is crucial to success in business.

Intended Audience:

Employers, employees, and job seekers are the intended audience. The article can teach employers why it is important to have self-control and why self-control is good to have in employees. The article can explain to employees the necessity of self-control and how it can make them more valuable to employers. The article can introduce to job seekers the three more commonly discussed traits (i.e., interpersonal skills, work ethic, and learning ability) while learning about a less discussed trait (Chammoro-Premuzic, 2019). Links to scientific studies also suggest the article is for the scientifically interested reader.

Use of Rhetorical Strategies:

The article uses mainly logos and ethos with some pathos throughout and a singular instance of kairos. In the beginning, Chammoro-Premuzic cites a two-decade old journal article on how organizations should focus on retaining top talent. He then cites sources that flesh out that journal article by discussing more recent findings on specific traits. That is a combination of logos and ethos. He further uses logos by defining self-control as being “able to resist temptations and make short-term sacrifices to pursue more meaningful long-term goals” and citing another scientific journal article on the subject (Chammoro-Premuzic, 2019). A quote from Plato employs ethos and pathos on self-control: “The first and best victory is to conquer self” (Chammoro-Premuzic, 2019). Plato is a well-known Classical Greek philosopher and invoking him suggests the author is well-read. The quote’s inherent pathos is through presenting self-control as about a win one can enjoy rather than self-inflicted punishment one must endure. Based on scientific research, he identifies five reasons for the importance of self-control, which is obviously logos, but also brilliant ethos. The end makes an ethos appeal by questioning the importance of authenticity.

Evaluation of Rhetoric:

The article's points and use of rhetoric are mostly compelling. Presenting self-control as part of a legacy of research is effective and Chammoro-Premuzic uses the backing of the other topics to his advantage. Even calling self-control “underrated” rather than “most important” in the title feeds into that tactic. Chammoro-Premuzic says self-control has a place among the three other valued traits without needing to go an extra step to critique them heavily.

The listing of five reasons for the importance of self-control serves as an excellent ethos tactic as it ties into learning ability, work ethic, and interpersonal skills. Self-control helps learning ability by giving it focus. Curiosity is a part of learning and self-control separates study of a topic someone can be curious about from mindless information consumption. Self-control helps work ethic by combating issues that come with diligence, such as stress. Working intently can lead to intense stress, so workers need self-control for perseverance in dealing with that stress. Self-control helps both traits by assisting focus. The ability to resist distractions while looking for information online and avoid using distractions as breaks from work is valuable in the current age of instant gratification. Self-control helps interpersonal skills, both by increasing engagement and enabling ethical leadership. Not only can a less impulsive person better withstand work, they can enjoy it, which leads to greater satisfaction. Self-control also avoids the dangers of those with authority that give into negative impulses. That point doubles as kairos as it applies to the #MeToo movement.

My least favorite aspect is the point about how self-control aids work ethic. The author claims workers need resilience to deal with longer, more demanding work. While it is helpful to endure, resilience manages the fundamental problem of increasing work hours without solving it. Without justifying increasing work hours, the point seems like an excuse for a problem. My favorite point is the critique of the common idea that authenticity is the most important trait. Like the other traits, self-control strengthens, not outweighs, authenticity. A person can be consistent with their values while moderating their negative impulses.

Conclusion:

According to the About the Author section at the bottom of the article, Chammoro-Premuzic is “an international authority in leadership assessment, people analytics, and talent management.” (Chammoro-Premuzic, 2019). Though the article is short, his background is on full display. He makes concise points about what makes an effective leader, what people with certain traits are like, and what makes up talent along with effective rhetorical appeals. While I have a minor issue with the article, the use of scientific sources gives the article a sense of authority while also maintaining a self-help aspect.

References:

Chammoro-Premuzic, T. (2019). True long-term career success depends on this most underrated aspect of talent. Retrieved from Fast Company website: https://www.fastcompany.com/90413553/true-long-term-career-success-depends-on-this-most-under-rated-aspect-of-talent