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February 28, 2005

Money Talks

Wow. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is. Incredibly smart advertising by 3M. (Thanks, BrandNoise.)

Posted by Jena McGregor at 6:50 PM | Add Comment

Present Innovation

Yesterday was my birthday. And amongst the many cards and gifts I received were two particularly wonderful presents. I got an iPod Shuffle from my wife and her sisters. And from my brother I received tickets to see Spam-a-lot, the Broadway version of cult-classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail. These gifts are an interesting contrast. I half-expected the iPod Shuffle. My wife knew I really wanted one and if I didn't get one for my birthday I was going to buy it myself. The tickets to Spam-a-lot were a complete surprise. It was an amazing gift that I never would've considered a possibility.

Examining these pair of objects and their circumstances, I've realized innovation is much the same way. I know it sounds like I am going out on a limb here, but think about it. One may innovate by evolution, continuously pushing the envelope in a predictable, but desirable way. Apple's new batch of colored iPod Minis are such a case, or Wendy's going healthy like all the other fast food restaurants and offering fruit bowls.

Continue reading "Present Innovation"

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 10:31 AM | 7 Comments

Best Commercials of Oscar Night

Best ads by far:

I award five stars to GM's OnStar commercials with The Beatles' "Long and Winding Road" in the background. They were classy and subtle, while striking an emotional connection with the customer.

And J.C. Penney's series of ads that make clear it is taking more than a few lessons from Target. These were ads that sell the company's new strategic positioning and they did a fabulous job of telling customers that J.C. Penney isn't your Mom's old-fashioned department store.

What were your favorites?

Posted by Editor in Chief at 9:40 AM | 4 Comments

February 27, 2005

IPOD instead of AAPL?

Watching the Oscars here, and the best line of the night so far didn't come from Chris Rock, but from Robin Williams, before announcing the winner for the best animated feature. Although "The Incredibles" did go on to win the award, Williams began opening the envelope by saying "Don't worry Pixar, you've got iPod stock." iPod stock, not Apple. Says a lot, don't you think?

Posted by Jena McGregor at 9:08 PM | 3 Comments

February 25, 2005

Well-Suited for the Web

Ah, the omnipresent business suit. While many have tried to upgrade the traditional office and conference room garb for the next generation, there's just something about the classic, tailored cut.

So it's refreshing to learn about English Cut, a blog written by Thomas Mahon, a bespoke tailor on Savile Row in London. Since early this year, Mahon has been telling tales of his trade, shedding light on the work he does, the people he works with, and the people who wear his wares.

Regardless of what you wear to work -- or whether your tailor's bespoke (Mahon even tells you what that means -- English Cut is worth a look.

[Thanks, David!]

Posted by Heath Row at 3:53 PM | 2 Comments

T-Mobile Terrorist Strikes Again

According to the estimable Matt Drudge, rocker Fred Durst, of Limp Bizkit fame (although increasingly famous merely for being famous), has had his phone hacked by the same person who hacked Paris Hilton's phone earlier this week. The self-described T-Mobile Terrorist seems to have a thing for giving overexposed no-talents their comeuppance. Tara Reid, cancel your wireless service before it's too late!

But seriously, folks, the advent of phone hacking should be putting a chill into our collective spine. It certainly reflects the focal point shift in our technological universe from the PC to the phone. And if the phone's going to be the center of our universe, it's going to come in for added scrutiny from hackers and spammers of all stripes.

The phone companies and the wireless companies certainly have a responsibility to do whatever they can and at a minimum that's seeding development of anti-whatever protection for your phone. If it comes to having to buy antivirus, firewall, anti-spam, anti-spyware, etc. for our phones as well as our PCs, it's depressing, but so be it.

Even if you're not a D-list celebrity, do you worry about your phone's security? What do you do? What can you do?

Posted by David Lidsky at 3:18 PM | 18 Comments

More Gawker Love

Just sat down to eat my salad (at the desk, again) and treat myself to my daily dose of Gawker, the snarky, sarcastic New York media gossip blog with which I've become hopelessly infatuated.

This entry from today is just hilarious. Can you imagine getting an email like that? Office Handbook, anyone?

Posted by Jena McGregor at 2:35 PM | 1 Comment

Wipe Out

Alan Greenspan has his indicators, but my economic barometer is based on what I like to call the "Tchotchke Index." If the economy is doing well, goes my reasoning, the quality and originality of trinkets that companies give away goes up. Take, for example, one giveaway I got at a launch party back in '99: A navy blue Polartec fleece hat with bright orange horns sticking out all over it. Warm and visually distinctive, I would give it a 9 on the Index.

So it was with a little amazement today when I saw people handing out rolls of toilet paper (unused) on the street, printed with the Women's Entertainment logo and advertising the "WE Awards Night Bathroom Break Party live from the Ladies Room." Based purely on novelty and practicality, I give the roll a 6.7 on the Index (look for more TI ratings in the future). But that aside, what does it say when you're more or less inviting people to wipe themselves with your brand?

It's fine if you're Charmin, but is this the message the WE network wants to send?

Posted by Michael Prospero at 2:04 PM | 1 Comment

Reading Your Folders, over Your Shoulder

Earlier this week in her blog Managing Product Development, Johanna Rothman shares a story about a colleague who just learned that his boss reads his email. Does your manager read your email? How does that feel? Is this productive -- or destructive?

Posted by Heath Row at 11:35 AM | 3 Comments

Trophy Wise

Thanks to everyone who supported FC Now while voting for the Business Blogging Awards. Fast Company's team blog secured the top spot in the Media Blog category. Similarly, we recently learned that FC Now is listed as one of the most popular business blogs, according to Yahoo. We're honored by the recognition.

Posted by Heath Row at 11:02 AM | Add Comment

Microsoft's First Move

Last night Microsoft announced that they had hired Hironobu Sakaguchi to create two games for their upcoming Xbox Next. Sakaguchi is the creator of the bestselling series Final Fantasy.

And so Microsoft makes their first move for the upcoming console wars. They are hoping to get a solid foothold in the Japanese market, which they never did with the current Xbox. Microsoft out performed their competitors this holiday season and are gearing up for the future. This week Sony released Gran Turismo 4, the last hurrah for the PlayStation 2, as they switch their focus to the PlayStation Portable and the upcoming PlayStation 3. And Nintendo? Besides their new console being code-named Revolution, they are mum about their plans and are promoting the Nintendo DS.

Continue reading "Microsoft's First Move"

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 10:39 AM | Add Comment

February 24, 2005

Private Healthcare?

An article in the Sunday New York Times caught my eye. It talked about a possible government mandate to standardize computerized health records, if the industry doesn't come up with a set of technical standards on its own. The benefit of electronic records outlined in the article is undeniable: A predicted $170 billion cost savings from redundant paperwork and tests, plus a sharp reduction in medical errors, which account for more deaths (45,000 to 98,000 annually) than breast cancer or motor vehicle accidents. Not to mention "other data mining possibilities" like national health research.

Privacy arguments aside, electronic health records will become standard. We live in a digital age and we have a health care system desperately in need of an overhaul.

Continue reading "Private Healthcare?"

Posted by Lynn Moloney at 6:36 PM | 3 Comments

Leading, Creatively

In the December issue of Fast Company, we concentrated on the topics of creativity and innovation. A new special section in Knowledge@Wharton takes a look at Five Takes on Creative Leadership.

The two packages make useful parallel reads. Drawing on lessons at Patagonia, HP, Wipro, Nike, and the San Francisco Symphony, the K@W section adds additional context to the ongoing conversation about the role of creativity.

Posted by Heath Row at 12:31 PM | Add Comment

Is Silicon Valley Back?

Caution: This post contains no actual facts. But so far this week I've had at least four well-placed people tell me--with an uncharacteristic quiver of excitement in their voices--that Silicon Valley is back. Not on its way back. Right here, right now, it's back. Sure, people have been saying that since, oh, the day after the NASDAQ irrevocably tanked in April 2000. The big difference is that the people I've talked to this week actually seem to believe what they're saying.

But there's a catch: 1999 isn't back (nor is the IPO market). It's more like 1994, when techies were quietly leaving places like H-P or Microsoft to grab their own piece of entrepreneurial fame and fortune. The other big caveat: customers and profits (not a "dot-com" in your company name) have become the must-haves of any new venture. And Google has replaced Netscape, circa 1995, as the business model to imitate.

Is there anything to these rumors of a Silicon Valley resurrection? Or has my week simply been filled with coincidences? What's going on?

Posted by Ryan Underwood at 12:27 PM | 7 Comments

February 23, 2005

Comic Commercialism

Dan Seidman's Sales Autopsy is a postmortem of "sales that died." Collecting more than 500 narratives about sales blunders, bloopers, and blowups, the site is a funny look at the dark side of sales.

Seidman uses each vignette as an intro to an analysis of what happened, why -- and what would have worked better. Some of the fun isn't as functional -- such as the Revenge of the Reps video game -- but most is.

Take the print version of Sales Comics as an example. Drawn by Christo Komarnitski (not the Gates' Christo!), each page pairs a humorous anecdote about sales gone wrong -- with a quick learning item at the end.

While Seidman uses the comic book as a marketing tool -- he's a speaker and coach -- it's worth a read in its own right. What horror stories do you have to share?

Posted by Heath Row at 5:27 PM | 1 Comment

Sirius Competition

It seems the rivalry continues. Sirius has acquired the rights to NASCAR. We are getting quite a game of leap frog between XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio.

It is strange that the partnership doesn't start until 2007. I suppose they want to see how Howard Stern pans out in 2006. I wonder which set of broadcast rights will be snatched up next. Maybe boxing? I guess the ball is in XM's court now.

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 5:06 PM | 2 Comments

Questioning Success

A sample issue of the newsletter The Manager's Intelligence Report that I recently received includes a handy item on how to lead by asking questions. Try asking yourself these questions every day -- if not weekly:

• What made you mad today?
• What took too long?
• What caused complaints today?
• What was misunderstood today?
• What cost too much?
• What was wasted?
• What was too complicated?
• What was just plain silly?
• What job involved too many people?
• What job involved too many actions?

Not a bad list!

Posted by Heath Row at 3:45 PM | 5 Comments

Casual, Too Casual

Perhaps inspired by Chuck's comment on adult toys, I remembered a funny item in the Jan. 24 edition of the Weekly World News (this week's cover story isn't entirely worksafe, so be forewarned -- and hey, we can't read business books and strategy journals all the time).

Reportedly, "more and more business offices across America have dumped Casual Friday in favor of Naked Friday." A Phoenix-based work efficiency expert named Arnold Lummer says that productivity doubles on Naked Fridays. The practice has been embraced by the law firm Derkowanker, Derkowanker, and Derkowanker; and Garden Weasel World.

Yeah, right.

In another item, also in that edition, the WWN reports that a payroll service company in Australia -- ConsultPay Inc. -- has hired a paintball gunman to take pot shots at employees who "prairie-dog" -- or lift their heads above their cubicle walls.

Good to know the world of work rates mention in the... Weekly World News.

Posted by Heath Row at 3:26 PM | Add Comment

Adult Toys - No, Not That Kind

It's not easy being a toy maker these days. With discounters Wal-Mart and Target controlling more than half the retail market, there are fewer traditional retailers around. That means less shelf space and, ultimately, less innovation. Wal-Mart may sell a lot of toys, but it carries a fraction of the selection found at Toys R Us. The focus is bestsellers, which is like a book store stocking up on Nora Roberts and Dan Brown and eschewing, say, Hunter Thompson.

Another problem facing the industry is "kagoy." Translation: "Kids are getting older, younger." As early as 8, they're putting down traditional toys and turning to video games and the Internet. Maybe the answer is targeting a new audience -- playful adults. As Heath previously mentioned, Happy Worker, a doll company in Toronto, makes "everyday superhero action figures" aimed at livening up office cubicles. Hopefully their GeekMan, BossMan and MoneyMan characters are just the beginning, soon to be followed by SalesWoman, LegalGal, and -- indulge me here -- WriterGuy.

Registration is required to access New York Times articles on the Web.

Posted by Chuck Salter at 11:39 AM | Add Comment

Carbonless Copy Paper Comment

Last week I wrote a blog entry discussing Qwest's decision to give a counter-offer for MCI, a last-ditch effort to prevent Verizon from expanding further.

Over the weekend an interesting comment was posted, which I've been following up on. This comment wasn't much more than the posting of a URL. What followed after that particular mouse-click was an interesting discovery.

Continue reading "Carbonless Copy Paper Comment"

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 10:50 AM | 5 Comments

February 22, 2005

A Blockbuster Suit

I was just waiting for this to happen. Blockbuster may not "technically" have late fees anymore, but their hyped-up, feverish TV commercials celebrating the end of late fees does nothing to remind viewers that well, there are restocking fees and oh, you could be charged the full price of the video. Transparency and authenticity are absent, and if the AG is right, so are ethics and legality.

Posted by Jena McGregor at 9:19 PM | 6 Comments

Baby Steps

My baby took her first steps yesterday. To see the uncertainty on her face dissolve into joy and then pride was one of the best moments of my life. My husband was home too. And that was the real miracle in it all. Sabrina was considerate enough to choose a holiday for her "stepping out" party. Otherwise we working parents would have heard about it second-hand.

This is the choice we've made, of course, and I have no regrets at this point. But while reading the Newsweek excerpt of the new book "Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety," by Judith Warner, a chill came over me. Is what I have to look forward to a lifetime of guilt, misery and inferiority complexes? In Warner's world, motherhood has no winners, only obsessed former HBS graduates who now channel their manic energy into their kids' bakesales or working moms who fall asleep at their desks and still never make it home for storytime. Those who stay home feel isolated and unappreciated; those who work feel like they're disappointing everyone.

I'm new to this working mother thing and still trying to get a good rhythm going, but I think it's going okay so far. Am I naive to think Warner's black and white world is wrong, and that there is some middle ground out there, even if it's not perfectly groomed?

Posted by Jennifer Reingold at 2:23 PM | 14 Comments

How Hunter Lived

The news Monday morning of Hunter S. Thompson's suicide hit me like a punch to the gut. Whenever a writer I admire passes on I become depressed. It means we will never get any other wonderful work from them. It doesn't matter that I hadn't read any of his new books, like Hey Rube or Kingdom of Fear. The books are always there for me to read eventually. It is the realization that the stack of books to read by Thompson will never grow taller.

What does Hunter S. Thompson have to do with Fast Company or the world of work? Not only did we cite Thompson in some of our earliest materials -- including a now out-of-print T-shirt -- we've worked with Thompson's collaborator Ralph Steadman as an illustrator for the magazine. All journalists owe Hunter a debt of gratitude. His books are insightful, human, and entertaining. Much of what is written today in magazines, and on blogs, bear his mix of personal perspective and reportable fact.

Continue reading "How Hunter Lived"

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 10:44 AM | 7 Comments

February 21, 2005

My Colleague, My Stunt Date

The March issue of GQ sports an excellent article entitled Do You Have an Office Wife?

She knows you better than anyone. She'll listen to your problems. Laugh knowingly at your jokes, and most important, mock coworkers with you. You couldn't survive without her. Just don't tell that to your real wife.

Gender specificity aside, I think this idea is fascinating. Do you have an office wife? Office husband? Are there office boyfriends and girlfriends, office friends -- colleagues we need at work like we need our family and friends outside the office? I'm not talking about romantic overtures, or coworkers you may actually socialize with extra-curricularly, but comfortable relationships that parallel those in our non-work lives without crossing the home-work gap. Who do you eat lunch with all the time? Who are you especially pleased to see in meetings? Who do you make a beeline by every day, if not every other?

Of course, there are risks involved in such workplace connections. Think the 1957 film Desk Set -- a great movie that touches on change programs, technological progress, mergers, and layoffs... as well as a character who treats his office wife like one for too long.

Posted by Heath Row at 5:33 PM | 13 Comments

It's in the Card(iac Fitness)

Continuing our coverage of work-related card decks, I'd like to broaden the field of focus a little -- away from creativity and problem solving... and onto physical fitness.

With spring but a month away, I'm getting the exercise bug again, and as days lengthen, my marathon desk sessions are becoming harder and harder. So I was intrigued to learn about the FitDeck.

Encompassing 50 cards featuring a SEAL basic training-inspired calisthenics, the deck offers simple exercise routines that can be done anytime, anywhere, by anybody. While I may feel silly doing a rep of flutter kicks on the floor of my workspace, $20 seems well worth getting the blood flowing -- and taking a break during the day even if the warm weather hasn't kicked in yet.

Posted by Heath Row at 3:49 PM | Add Comment

(Rent) Controlling Interest

The March issue of Down East reports on a business in Nobleboro, Maine, that rents jigsaw puzzles. I'm Puzzled sells more than 800 different kinds of puzzles -- and also rents them to residents of Lincoln County.

Fascinating! I don't picture puzzles as being eminently rentable -- lost pieces, anyone? But for Maine natives, it's totally locally appropriate. As the Down East piece says, "Puzzles have been a Maine tradion ever since someone figured out that brainteasers are an excellent distraction for ... snowed-in March mornings."

We can rent cars, skis, roller skates, furniture, appliances, DVD's and other items -- what are some of the less-sensible products that can be rented? Or should be?

Posted by Heath Row at 3:42 PM | 1 Comment

February 18, 2005

Pain-Free Day for Big Pharma

An FDA advisory panel today recommended that recently controversial drugs Celebrex, Vioxx, and Bextra remain on the market, albeit with some restrictions. The panel acknowledged that the drugs can cause heart attacks and strokes, but said the benefits the painkillers provide outweighs the risks. The suggested limitations on the drugs include no direct to consumer marketing and narrowing the class of patients who are eligible to receive the drugs.

The FDA doesn't have to accept the advisory panel's recommendations. If you're them, what do you do? If you're the pharmaceutical companies, how do you restore faith in this tarnished class of drugs?

Posted by David Lidsky at 4:57 PM | 6 Comments

Ethically Speaking

We're launching a new ethics monitor -- a series of periodic surveys in which we gauge readers' positions on a number of topics and everyday scenarios. Right now, we've got six short questions -- which you can answer to help us gauge the state of ethics at work.

Posted by Heath Row at 1:22 PM | 2 Comments

Customer Service Station

An anonymous FC Now reader has reported that they're having difficulty unsubscribing from the FC Now email newsletter. Unfortunately, they didn't use their real email address in their comment, so I can't follow up with them.

That said, if you would like to sign up for -- or unsubscribe from -- any of our newsletters, you may do so online. And if you ever need any assistance, you can easily contact us.

Just be sure to tell us who you are -- and how to contact you.

Posted by Heath Row at 10:37 AM | 4 Comments

Qwest for MCI

It seems I may have spoken too soon earlier this week. It seems Qwest is looking to swoop in and claim MCI for its own. While MCI shareholders may see Verizon as the more suitable buyer, it would probably be in the consumer's best interest for Qwest to win out.

Such a merger would keep all the players in the telecommunications competition more balanced. And we like consumers having choices. But, all of this I stated before. What needs to be reiterated is that competition breeds innovation. Innovation brings industry-wide change. One need only look at the cell phone market with camera phones, instant-messaging, and now video streaming, to see that. I don't know about you, but I'm rooting for Qwest.

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 10:32 AM | 4 Comments

February 17, 2005

Public or Private?

The past few weeks, Amtrak and the Public Broadcasting Service, two government-funded organizations, have had to do a bit of soul-searching. The nature of these public-private institutions is a curious one. While both Amtrak and PBS provide much-needed services, both are dependent on government funding, and subject to the wit and whimsy of a political sphere that's become way too acrimonious.

President Bush has proposed eliminating all of Amtrak's funding, about $1.2 billion, in the next budget, effectively dismantling the national rail service, and parceling out the money to individual states, who would use the money to contract private regional train operators. (Of course, the reason why Amtrak and all the other state-run railroads were created in the first place was because the private regional train operators were going out of business.) Still, Amtrak is a bulky organization in need of serious changes. I'm willing to accept that it will always need some subsidizing--one need just to look at the disastrous results of Britain's privatization of the railroads in the '90s. But Amtrak (and NJ Transit too, but I’ll get to them in another blog entry) could be run a helluva lot better. And I love taking the train to work, too. When it's clicking over the rails through the New Jersey meadowlands, I see the traffic backups on the Turnpike and wonder why more people don’t take the train. I realize why when I’m stuck on a platform in sub-zero weather because of "switching problems."

Continue reading "Public or Private?"

Posted by Michael Prospero at 3:17 PM | 10 Comments

February 16, 2005

File Under: Bad Idea

Can a TV program jump the shark before it even debuts? This is one British staple that probably didn't need to be Americanized.

Posted by Heath Row at 4:22 PM | 6 Comments

They're Trying, Linda, They're Trying

My esteemed colleague Linda Tischler just blogged about the massive, temporary art installation the Gates, justly lauding its refreshing lack of commercialism. I just happened by the Time Warner Center, the massive, unfortunately permanent mall that resides on the southwest edge of Central Park here in New York City. In its main window is a huge orange curtain hanging high and underneath it, printed on the glass were the words Lincoln Salutes the Gates Project. Just inside the window, in the mall lobby, sat a couple of SUV-looking Lincoln vehicles.

I think the words I am looking for here are pathetic and sad. It's always bad to see this kind of lame piggybacking on a unique cultural event, but the brazenness to do it with an art project that's so non-commercial is especially galling. Congratulations, Lincoln. You've succeeded in changing my opinion of you from producer of gas-guzzling, Earth-hating behemoths to that of bandwagon-jumping, out-of-marketing-ideas, ostensibly art-loving producers of gas-guzzling, Earth-hating behemoths.

Nice work.

Posted by David Lidsky at 2:44 PM | 1 Comment

Some Thoughts on the Gates (Sorry, Bill. Not You.)

Strolling through Central Park (with 700,000 other arts lovers) last weekend, I was struck by the realization that Christos's latest project, The Gates, was utterly free of commercialism. No corporate logos. No hawkers pushing "official programs." No vendors peddling T-shirts (although Gates T-shirts are available at various Central Park information stands, and will benefit the Park). No banners proclaiming, "The Gates -- brought to you courtesy of Big Widget Corp!"

It made me realize how much of our public experience -- whether it's the name of a sports stadium, a summer concert in the park, or the running of a marathon, -- now depends on corporate underwriting. I can't really bring myself to complain about that -- certainly our own government's support of the arts has ranged from pathetic to Scrooge-like. And without corporate money, lots of projects would simply go un-funded.

But a recent study by the Rand Corporation says that our current arts funding policy could be more wisely structured by focusing on building an early appreciation for the arts, rather than just trying to buck up individual arts organization. The theory is that people who learn an appreciation for the arts while young will turn into paying consumers later in life, thereby sustaining arts organizations with their patronage. States should certainly pay attention to this when cutting budgets for arts education. But is there a role for business to play in that scenario -- or is that a risky proposition?

Meanwhile, back in Central Park, the business journalist in me couldn't help looking at all that orange fabric flapping in the breeze and thinking....what a missed opportunity for Home Depot!

Posted by Linda Tischler at 2:12 PM | 3 Comments

How to Fix... Wind Energy

If you want to see which way the wind is blowing in alternative energy these days, check out Europe. More specifically, look five miles off the Irish coast, in the Saint Georges Channel between Ireland and England. That's where a division of GE, led by Fast 50 winner Thomas Wagner has built a wind turbine field to demonstrate the future -- and power -- of renewable energy.

In effect, each of the seven turbines represents the world's biggest windmill, with a wingspan almost as wide as two 747s. They are designed to withstand corrosive salt water, shifting sand, pounding waves and muscular wind. And they can be operated remotely to maximize efficiency.

Wind power is the fastest growing energy source over the last ten years, but Europe, not the U.S., is leading the way, with more offshore fields than anywhere else. Given the concern for our dependence on foreign oil, you'd think the idea would be catching on. So here's today's "How to fix" project: What's the most effective way to market or pitch offshore wind power plants in the U.S.?

Posted by Chuck Salter at 11:38 AM | 6 Comments

Circuit City Development...

Jennifer's comments below on Circuit City's CEO W. Allan McCollough are quite timely. Circuit city announced today they are closing 19 of their superstores.

Will it be enough to lessen their financial woes? Or is it the first nail in the coffin? I remember what happened to Nobody Beats the Wiz here in New York several years ago. There was wave after wave of store closings. And then there were none. Perhaps McCollough should contemplate a merger with another retailer struggling against the Best Buy behemoth.

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 10:36 AM | 1 Comment

February 15, 2005

Beware the Bloggers II

Ryan's entry earlier today reminded me of a Seth Godin column from early last year: You Are Your References. In that piece, Godin makes the case that references don't really matter when everybody's life is on the public record.

Posted by Heath Row at 5:02 PM | Add Comment

See Ya, Wouldn't Wanna Be Ya

I was on CNBC this morning to discuss our latest candidate for our regular item on CEO's Who've Got to Go, otherwise known as "CEO See-Ya." I must say, much as I enjoy doing the program, I don't necessarily enjoy doing it at 7:30 a.m. One of the few perks of journalism is the ability to start the day hours after all those poor, overpaid executives have started theirs.

Anyhow, as I was discussing this months' candidate--W. Alan McCollough of Circuit City (access code required), who's not evil by any means but simply hasn't been able to shake the company out of its Best-Buy induced inferiority complex--I started thinking about why exactly there's been so much agita over the public firing of Carly Fiorina.

And then it hit me: It's because there's been so much malfeasance and generally yucky behavior in the corner office that people have forgotten that you can get fired simply for doing a good old-fashioned bad job.

Someone on the show asked me whether Mr. McCollough was really responsible for the 43% decline in Circuit City's stock price over five years, given the cards he'd been dealt. Well, it's true that there was a tough row to hoe over there. But please, if he's not responsible. who is? The job is called Chief Executive Officer. It's exceedingly well-paid. And if Carly or Alan or whomever can't make its bosses--the public shareholders-