A tune from the B-side

One of the important folks was in the office today to talk financial stuff with us all. Theoretically, I could have blown his presentation off, but when I saw the alpha-geek (who is never not insanely busy) grabbing a front row seat, I scurried into the conference room to claim my own.

I'm glad I did. Obviously, management's job is to rephrase anything negative. You all know the song 'n dance: This economy doesn't "suck"; its "challenges" present us with "opportunities." But apart from that, the numbers were laid out in layperson's terms, and the reasoning behind certain strategic decisions was explained quite credibly. And when I had a question that visitor couldn't answer, his response was to insist that I email the CFO. (Which I did, btw, and received a reply within a couple of hours.)

I think--but don't quote me--that it was Robert Townsend ("Up the Organization") who wrote that the mark of a good manager was not how soon you hear the good news; it's how readily your underlings will deliver the bad news. I didn't really think about it until today, but that maxim has a B-side that basically works in reverse. If we'd had to attend that "lunch & learn" on our own time, I think it would still have been worth it. Partly to understand how the firm is managed at the global level. (Hey, anytime you can figure out how those who sign you paycheck are gonna jump, it's A Good Thing.) But also because I picked up a couple inside statistics that will come in very handy for indie. work. But don't tell The Powers That Be I said that. ;-)