A CEO Facebooked his Company
I just don't get it. I have a Facebook page for my company and I find it a total waste of time. Facebook is a huge productivity sink.
Others, apparently don't share my view.
This morning, I read an article at CNNMoney.com/Fortune Fast Forward entitled, "How one CEO Facebooked his company." The article details how CEO Jeremy Burton joined Serena Software (a 25 year old software with $250 million in revenue) and whereby he immediately started to mandate everyone sign up for and use Facebook.
Explains Burton: "In Facebook, they can see what the people who are in the next generation of workers are already using. Every single software company has to go through this software-as-a-service transition. But it's not only how you build your software. It's how your people think. The people issue is much harder. Facebook gets people thinking along a new axis."
That's right, if younger people are using it, it must be better. Hopefully the younger generation can explain it to the older generation what, "it's not about how you build your software. It's how your people think" really means. I thought software companies were supposed to put their efforts into building robust, easy to use, software that solves problems. I guess not-- It's about thinking good thoughts, or thinking about John's Facebook page and looking at pictures of his latest drunken exploits on company time.
Personally, I'm not sure that I would want to purchase software to automate business tasks from a company who's motto is: it's not about how you build your software. It's how your people think.
Interestingly enough he further extols the virtues of keeping tabs on his employees through Facebook:
In addition, he says, "the status updates for people in Facebook give me a window into the company." He takes out his Blackberry, calls up the Facebook application there, and starts reading status updates for various employees. "Winding down and heading to the weekend," writes the Germany country boss. Comments Burton: "It's 10 p.m. there so I know he's working hard." The guy who won the award for top telesales rep in the first quarter "is listening to the Roots." The head of all company sales writes that he "is heading home from Europe." His profile photo shows him holding up a beer stein.
I laughed when I read the "It's 10 p.m. there so I know he's working hard." He could have been watching porn for all Burton knows. I remember working with a software engineer who would work until everyone left, he would go home and sleep, and get into the office before anyone else arrived wearing the same wrinkled clothes. His boss knew he was pulling all night coding sessions and was "working hard."
I wonder what Burton would do if he saw an employee who happened to have a weird fetish or pictures of drinking and puking on their Facebook page? Would he send them a "poke" to say stop that?
I would love to work for this guy. I could take out my own blackberry, while watching Judge Judy and update my status to be something like, "working on Q2 report.. it's hard!" and go back to watching TV.
Burton could whip out his blackberry and smile, knowing everyone is working very hard.
Unfortunately, Serena is a privately owned company so I can't short their stock.
Labels: Business
