Speaks in platitudes. Says lots of words, but is actually saying very little.
Why do all of these leaders think and speak in sound bites?
12 replies (most recent on top)
If you really want to get drunk, next Doug Field Townhall take a drink everytime Dougie licks his lips. You'll be three sheets to the wind in the first 10 minutes.
But the last 50 minutes will be the best 50 minutes of they Townhall! In fact, maybe that's the secret for these Townhalls. Drink heavily.
Yesterday our team ( IT) was reminiscing trying to recall the last CIO that we felt actually knew what they were doing. We came up with Marv Adams who left Ford in 2006. Marv started out as an engineer and so you could talk technical with him and he understood. He could make informed and well reasoned decisions. Since that time no matter how far you d-mb things down you get the glazed eyes. Inevitably there are poor decisions, costly mistakes, and poor promotional choices into the IT leadership positions. It’s no wonder that the IT organization is such a mess. It’s all sound bytes and PowerPoints nowadays.
This is the same issue we have with the CEO position and other leadership positions.
Mulally was an engineer, he understood issues and could make informed and well reasoned decisions , so he made a great CEO.
@1cnt+1huS5CyJ
Very much agree!
@1ioj+1huS5CyJ
Question is at which point they go from all the dreaming and plan-ing to supporting the doing?
@1pnp+1huS5CyJ
You sound like Scientology. "Watch it in full and act on it." And how please do we do that? Cause most of everyone I know still has the same old job to do and there are - zero - tasks or objectives that would reflect said plan. Oh I forgot... we are the wrong "talent".
@1pnp
Okay, Doug, thanks for stopping by here to plug the rerun of your vision. I’ll believe it when the revenue for data, software and subscriptions is itemized separately on the income statement, and it exceeds the revenue from vehicle sales.
GO BLUE TEAM!!!!!
The link just went out for the archive of the meeting earlier this week where Doug Field shares his vision for Ford of the future. I recommend any employees that frequent this forum to watch it in full and act on it. It is a great peak into how we work at today's and the future version of the company.
We call him "Field of Dreams".
Everyone who has some life experience knows the difference between the ‘Blow’-ers and the ‘Go’-ers.
In the Mulally days you got a concise accounting of what had been accomplished since the last town hall, and a concise accounting of where we were on the plan. The plan was concrete and did not shift every time the wind blew.
You felt Mulally was serving the employees helping them to make the company great.
Now the town halls are all selling hot air and wishes and dreams. The workforce is not united behind the “leadership”. One feels somewhat slimy and used - not inspired, you get the feeling “leadership” is all about self-promotion and lining their own pockets.
Oh sure there are a few who believe everything “leadership” says. Typically they are in the young/naive category.
Why is there someone endlessly touting the townhall data future messages on here? Yes, we have listened to them. Wall Street has gotten the message as well. We aren't pumping our 401ks into the Ford stock fund.
…We’re going to create things we haven’t end thought about yet…. This regime sounds like the Nasser regime of years past….just throw in some words like telematics, e-commerce, and cradle to grave…poof back to 2000…I’m going to buy my Apple car tomorrow….or maybe a Tesla…turn on autopilot on 94….hop in the back seat and binge on Seinfeld all the way to Chicago….that’s where we are in todays auto world….Oh well I’ll just take the greyhound bus…
To OP: You are not listening to the messaging Doug Field is providing. That is clear, and I don't even know who in Ford leadership speaks the way you are describing. I have been always impressed when I attend our town hall and leadership meetings.
Remember, as we orchestrate magnetic deliverables and drive B2C e-tailers, we must whiteboard cross-platform networks and aggregate ubiquitous infomediaries in order to productize back-end schemas.
Because with the passage of time the window is opening, and is still open as we marvel at the history we have become. Together.