Up, or out? That is the question

By Mary Helen Gillespie, 3/21/2005

Bernie Ebbers was smart not to use e-mail. But not smart enough. The former WorldCom CEO was convicted on nine counts of conspiracy and accounting and securities fraud in what is hailed as a landmark case forever linking executive accountability to the US criminal justice system.

Ebbers' attorneys presented the now famed "Aw, shucks" defense, arguing that he was unaware of the illegal maneuverings that led to an $11 billion fraud. The jury snorted and snickered over this for eight days before returning the conviction that Ebbers will no doubt appeal, considering the sentencing could lead to life in prison.

Here's the lesson for the rest of us: If you are a manager, you have no excuses. Which begs the question: Then why bother with the job? Even if you will never, ever see the inside of a corporate jet and will spend your entire career commuting in a skanky subway, what perks, if any, outweigh the day-to-day stresses of supervision?

Answer: None. It's not just lonely at the top. It's dangerous on the cusp.

Thus the hesitation of high-potential employees to chase performance-based promotions, narrowing the talent pool in both scope and richness. This increasing awareness of the perils of management has put a crimp in what once marked, even as little as five years ago, a badge of honor.

The more seasoned veterans of the workplace are more likely to be plotting exit strategies rather than advancement actions. Whether a mid-career transition or passionate early retirement, the Next Big Thing for a surprising number of us is not a promotion. We don't see a new title adding a glowing sparkle to our resume to highlight a masterful career. We see more headaches, fewer resources, and zero compensation. There will be even less time for our own training and professional development, and no way in hell we'll even be able to take the promised extra week of vacation.

We'll need to tell more people "No" in more ways than one, and every time we twitch our nose it will have to be gauged against a team performance plan as well as our own individual one. Also factor in all the new regulations, from Sarbanes-Oxley's corporate governance outlook to local zoning laws, that require documentation and compliance, and we just see one 15-hour day after another, weekends included.

In fact, there are going to be so many extra demands that we will find ourselves scrambling to make our numbers and soon be telling our employees "Just do what it takes."

Whoops!

Okay, maybe Bernie did tell the truth when he said he was not aware of the deceit and lies coming from the bottom up. Maybe he trusted the wrong people. Maybe he tried to do his job the best he could with limited resources. Maybe he is innocent.

But the reality is, it really is hard to manage it all. And until organizations can put into place realistic and humanistic values mapped to their strategic goals, retention or promotion of leading talent is going to continue to be compromised. People are walking out the door instead of climbing the corporate ladder.

When they bolt, these managers take with them years of organizational investment, competitive advantages and trusted relationships, all tangible assets that can't be recovered on or off the balance sheet. Unless there's a non-compete clause in their employment contract, the "theft" is all legal.

The Internet bubble that let WorldCom be WorldCom has long exploded. As the economy recovers, so, we hope, will the sense of workplace balance and a restoration of management image.

Case in point: Bob Iger of the Walt Disney Co. has stated one of his goals as new Head Mousekeeter is a softening of the brutal culture at the entertainment giant. For any manager, but especially one of his stature, to state the need for a revamping of that nature, well, it's a good sign that maybe management isn't such a four-letter word after all.