A new post and some comments on HP

Well I've been remiss in posting content here. I'll try to do better.

Big news in the computer world is the beheading of Princess Fiorina of HP.
I'm surprised it took so long.
Best commentary I've read is here.

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9589_22-5569725.html

article........

She came from Lucent, the AT&T spinoff. Not only was AT&T a giant, it was the last bastion of feudalism in the Northern Hemisphere. (Ironically, Fiorina majored in medieval history.) The company ran on a rigid hierarchy. Competitive battles were won through financial heft and strength and a lot of energy was dedicated toward internal company battles.

By contrast, HP seemed to be run from the bottom up. The founders used to eat in the cafeteria. Engineers were continually reminded about their importance to the company. The complaint heard most from executives and analysts was that HP moved slowly because decisions were made by consensus.

So when HP started increasing the number of corporate jets, and rumors surfaced about how Fiorina traveled with a security detail and hairdressers, conflicts between management and the rest of the company began to emerge. And the lack of consistent performance certainly wasn't going to silence the grumbling.

I obtained an insight into Fiorina's management style on the day former Compaq CEO Michael Capellas resigned in November 2002. We all sat at a small circular table. We asked Capellas why he resigned. "I can answer that," she said, and spoke for him.

snip............

I think that about says it all.
Oh, wait. She does get $21 million for leaving.