Damned If You Do

A couple years ago I committed to having lunch with each of our employees. Didn’t make it all the way through the roster but came close. I was interested in what staff thought we could do to improve our productivity and our culture. Common response was, “Find a way to keep us better informed about what’s going on at the company, and explain why we do what we do.” (You should know that our company produces 20 different products and portions of our staff are fully dedicated to just one.)

I took what was said to heart, including the need for information. It spawned a weekly column for our company newsletter. The problem with “Messages from the President” is they’re mostly incredibly boring... a lot of PCBS.  We’ve all read them, and unfortunately many are ghost written by some poor hack in PR or communications. If they don’t appear authentic, lively and a little provocative, eyelids turn leaden.

Down side: provocative = hot water.

Of the 52 columns I did this year, two of them turned on me.  I did a column a while back talking about the eroding quality of life I’d noticed on Hennepin Avenue, particularly for theater and concert goers at the Pantages Theater. I’d watched a couple of hoodlums bounce a young woman around in a crowd one night and commented that we need to actively address harassment by gang members and thugs or our hospitality businesses downtown will be at risk. For that comment, I was deemed an “ignorant racist” by a young staffer.

A more recent column noted a magazine’s picks for the Best and Worst ads of 2007. On the “worst” list was an ad for Mars Bars in which two men inadvertently end up kissing and then making faces as though they’d bit into a lemon. Gay advocacy groups complained that it was demeaning. I commented that although I have absolutely no problem with men kissing each other on the lips, it doesn’t appeal to all men. For that comment I was a “homosexual hater.”

In neither case did I violate any discrimination or harassment policies. I’ve never been involved in a discrimination lawsuit. Indeed, most of the newsletter feedback I get is very positive and encouraging. But I wonder sometimes if there is any room for the reasonable expression of opinion by a CEO? Are sensitivities within companies so heightened these days, employees' radars so cranked up, that provocative topics should simply be avoided at all costs? Does being The Suit require a persona resembling either a lumpy bowl of oatmeal or a dissociated observer?

Comments

[Ken Zieska]

The last two columns blend into this thought. Traditionally, when you are the leader you are expected to be great and powerful. The citizens of Oz were not interested in the art or the truth, they were happy to have the wizard who would just take care of everything.

Don't most employees want a fulfilling position, outstanding compensation, engagement and autonomy, all the things we have come to expect as our rights? Oh, and no witch please.

Leaders are now cast with a different light. Popular culture finds leaders to be easy targets, and in truth, if your life was blown up by Ken Lay's leadership, you can easily paint him like the evil Emperor.

Is it OK to be the Great and Powerful (if you are benevolent) OZ, take the risks, make the tough calls, sweat the details and keep the witch away? I guess so as long as everyone can fallla-lala-la all day.

Alan makes a good point, the stand up leader makes a good target. Yet there are folks who want to be a leader, to take the risks, to steer the ship and not sit in the air-conditioned bus of life. They can enjoy that most of the feedback and comments were positive and feel good when most everyone celebrates another melted witch. That you are concerned about the two negative comments says a great deal of the quality of your leadership. Some folks are not reasonable and don't want to be, perhaps they only want to bring everyone down to their misery. Most of the feedback was good, hear the two comments, consider them honestly, and perhaps they will provide an insight that you may find valuable. Then get back to work, it may seem like magic, smoke and hissing; that's what some people thought when they saw a steam locomotive and the steam locomotive powered the growth of this country.

Ken Z.

[Alan Tenenholtz]

As you may know. With the job title also comes a target on your back. That may seem a little bitter, but today it's just plain and simply true. No matter what your opinion is, someone will always object to it no matter how PC it is or not. Especially in Minnesota. I've noticed over the last couple of years that no matter what you say pro, con or in-between someone somewhere in Minnesota will disagree with you and let you know about it.

The title to your column says it all...Damned If You Do...no deed, good or bad, goes unpunished.