Mattel culture in a nutshell - if you've got the polish and the "executive presence" (matpics ;) then you are golden - ie Stockton, Dickson, Walker (ok maybe not so much that last one lol) but you see the point. This is prob one of Neil Friedmans undoing- someone who has the audacity to care about product and the true interest in the people that worked with him . On any given day at the office, Neil made it a point to walk around and speak to everyone. Al the time. He knew you. He knew your spouse, kids, where you lived, etc...why would any leader care to know those things? Because he genuinely cared! Being successful starts and ends with setting an example of a positive work culture should be and by god, he was the best. When he was in the office, everything gelled. Everyone cared because Neil cared. Just sayin'
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that's really funny because every time I presented my concepts to NF he wouldn't even look up from typing in his BlackBerry but I've seen worse Presidents :)
I remember watching them strip the best, most compelling features from toys, saving a dime of their margin on a $20 item, then wondering why no one seemed interested.
I'm sure this will sound bitter but, I'm not trying to be. Walker definitely lacks the Polish. He has the trashiest vocabulary I've ever heard in an office setting. Absolutely inappropriate. The man doesnt even make eye contact when I pass him in the hall. It's like I work in a high school and he's the snobby entitled kid and somehow his eyes can't see an actual human. Same for some of the other high ups there. Never a hello even in passing, and that was after I made eye contact and said hello. These are our leaders????? Zero likeable personality traits. Favoritism. Best friends club. Unhappy workers, low morale and shit personal treatment AND they want us to bend over backwards to make them look good. Good luck. Sounds like a recipe for tanking a once successful and loved company.
Very well said.
Totally agree. I worked with Neil at hasbro and Mattel and can tell you from first hand knowledge that his Toy industry hall of fame induction was for THAT reason. For me he set the standard for earned respect in leadership and by comparison to what we've got now, it's in the dirt. The way the NYC offices would literally go berserk when Stockton showed up it was if a celebrity had showed up - wait a second, doesn't this guy work WITH us? If that was Neil he would of sat at your desk with you and really dug in to what made our toys was so compelling and ways to make it even better. When our team presented toys to Stockton and the executive team as they walked our office this summer. the first question they had was what's e quota? What accounts? hand slapping forehead