But anyway, back to the funny stuff that happens in the workplace. Not to boast or anything, but in my 30 year career I find myself in the fortunate position of having direct line of sight into the senior-most ranks of the firm. Most of the time these cats are a bunch of boring, pompous jackasses. However, there is great entertainment value in listening to people rationalize how indispensable they are.
During the last six months I witnessed the following changes in the "C" suite:
- The Chief Executive Officer was fired by the Board of Directors and replaced by one of the board members.
- The President was fired and has not yet been replaced.
- The Chief Financial Officer resigned and has not yet been replaced.
- The Chief Operating Officer resigned after taking a month-long vacation to find himself and then a subsequent three-week paternaty leave. He has not yet been replaced.
- The Chief Risk Officer resigned and then after two months came back as a "temp." Last week I asked her about this and she replied that she only had 85 days left...
- The Chief Human Resources Officer was fired and replaced by a friend of the new Chief Executive Officer.
- The Chief Information Officer and the Chief Legal Counsel were both demoted and now report to the new Chief Administrative Officer who is also a friend of the new Chief Executive Officer.
Like wolves, corporate executives move in packs. When corporations replace their leaders, the new leaders almost certainly bring in their own people, and those people almost certainly bring in their own people. This filters down until at some point somebody figures out that its a good idea to keep the people that actually know how the company works. While no one is indispensable, keeping a few people around who know what they are doing is a good thing. I would like to think thats why I am still employed but that would put me in the same pompous jackass category...
In today's world, there is an alarming disconnect between executive leadership and the workings of the organizations they are charged with leading. These days, the occupants of the "C" suite rarely come from within. They are more likely installed by hedge fund investors or government agencies who have taken ownership of the company through hostile leveraged buy-outs or taxpayer funded bailouts.
My point in this particularly rambling blog is that in today's corporate jungle, it is okay to be a mercenary. Don't be afraid to change jobs. Today's leaders value breadth of experience more than depth. You will likely advance your career faster and make more money if you remain mobile.
Next week its back to "Ten Simple Rules On Working For An Idiot." I'm not sure yet what Rule #4 will cover...but this week there will be another executive resignation. Ought to be an interesting week...
