Not enough stick for library directors? (NaBloPoMo #1)
Steven E. Streight, a reciprocal follower of mine on Twitter, posted a tweet a little while ago about CEO compensation gone out of control by way of a Harvard Business Review article.
Reading the comments, I found these tidbits, which got me thinking:
Executive compensation is all about “carrots” instead of “carrot and stick”. There is no “stick” in executive compensation. Perhaps if there was a way to penalize CEOs for bad performance, things would be better. … Until and unless there is a personal downside for these people, we will see CEOs squander away the wealth of this country on risky bets in which they have no skin in the game.
- Posted by Nandu Nayar
October 31, 2007 12:45
&
This is a case of rewarding poor performance and shareholders being punished for their initial confidence in his ability to deliver the goods.
There must be a downside for underperformance by CEOs.- Posted by Usman Abubakar
October 31, 2007 13:00
I’ve heard many a librarian converse about how some of the more seasoned members of our profession, especially directors, are really rather averse to change, not terribly helpful or productive, or not so much about real service. Or, all of the above. And yet, directors are often the ones who get to go to all of the big conferences and do all of the cool stuff, or receive other benefits not available to other staff members.
Unlike the gist of the article, which begs the question, “Do CEOs matter, especially if they’re eating up all the cash,” I believe that the library director that shouldn’t be nixed. But here’s my question: Is stick too short for library directors today? Who are the people who make and hold the stick? Are library directors being held accountable? Are there useful guidelines that exist for library management accountability?
What do you think?
P.S. My NaBloPoMo badge and NaNoWriMo counter are up and running on my blog home page. Now I’m publicly accountable for my November Madness goals. ;D
Tags: libraries, management, NaBloPoMo2007
I would say there isn’t much stick in a government job. There is probably less stick for a director position. Many people who can get into these jobs can be kiss up kick down kind of people. They can also be people who have tried new things, realized it was a lot of work, and gave up. Directors are can be a combination of lazy and intelligent. Middle managers are usually a combination of hardworkers and intelligent. Usually you should go to them to get things done.
So is the lack of stick about the government jobs culture in this case, or the library culture, or both? It’s interesting, trying to suss out the two, in any flavor of librarianship.
There was a quote in that Harvard Business School article about how the Boards of Directors are also CEOs, so they pull together to keep their compensation packages ridiculously lucrative.
All this nonsense makes me think: is money everything? Are we to be jealous and angry at the bloated compensation packages of CEOs and other do-nothings? Lemmings seek leaders. Independent people set their own goals. Visions come from the slime, not the King of the Mountain.
I’ve seen CEOs fall in disgrace, and all that compensation does no good for their humiliation and public shaming. We live in a world of inept managers and worthless leaders, but we forge on.
The Boss of the Universe, whether you think of God or Karma or Big Bang Avenger, will catch up with these sad idiots.
BTW, thanks for linking to me. Twitter is the most powerful tool for sharing insights, links, questions, needs, and fun.
I love libraries and librarians. Some of my fondest memories are reading Dr. Doolittle books in local library as a small child, then rummaging around in Bradley University library, finding old electronic music records and strange books on Tibetan raising the dead rituals and Derrida tomes.
The smell of books is addictive.
http://twitter.com/vaspers