I am a big Dilbert fan. One of my favorite strips of his was published quite a few years ago. In it the clueless Pointy Haired Boss is receiving some advice from Dogbert. He is about to go in front of the press and Dogbert has told him that whatever question he is asked to simply use the stock response, “It will be good for the shareholder.” Dogbert's manipulative rationale, it seems to me, is that if the PHB sticks to this strategy he should be able to remain noncommittal, look savvy and weather whatever the press throws at him.
Cut to the press conference and the first question asked by a member of the press goes something like this, “Sir, on the way in to this conference we noticed that your limo hit and ran over a shareholder in the parking lot. What do you have to say about that?”
Cut to the press conference and the first question asked by a member of the press goes something like this, “Sir, on the way in to this conference we noticed that your limo hit and ran over a shareholder in the parking lot. What do you have to say about that?”
The PHB responds, “It will be good for him.”
It seems to me that these days CEOs and other executives are not even feigning concern over the fate of those woebegone people who invested in their companies. Instead they spend most of their time wondering how effectively they can weather the public storm (mostly in the form of Monday morning quarterback congressional hearings) decrying their ineptitude. They also are spending time lining up their companies at the public trough for their share of the bailout. I know that this sounds terrible to say, but I think I prefer the Pointy Haired Boss.
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