If you have over 10 employees, here's a newsflash: There is no such thing as an internal memo. In reading about Delta Airlines and the stock drop yesterday, many news outlets mentioned the CEO's 'internal' memo that went out.
You can read the full memo here. Right. My point exactly. You aren't a Delta Airlines employee, I'm not and neither are CNN's crack team of reporters.
This is 'released' which causes the stock to tank, resutling in the New York Stock Exchange calling the company with "yo, boyz, what's up with the stock". The company then says it's not our policy to comment on rumors or stock movements.
I'm not sure who to laugh at first. The company for calling this 'internal' and then releasing it? The NYSE for being clueless and not being able to figuring out what's happening? The reporters who promote this stuff as 'internal' deep dark secrets being unearthed for all to see?
Over the years of working for dah man, being dah man, and now funding dah men/ladies, I've learned a few interesting things.
- Office Politics generally start above 5 people. Below that, not enough people to get really rolling.
- Above 10 people, somebody isn't happy. There are always people complaining, thinking they know better, and generally not part of that outward happy face the customers (hopefully) see.
- When you read "we are still in the process of implementing our transformation plan" vs. "there's still a bunch of shit to do", the PR department wrote the "internal" memo and it's meant for public consumption.
Doc Searls, Robert Scoble, or Jason Calacanis (can't remember which) made the observation at Reboot7 that companies (like Delta) would do far better to just cough up the facts, blog style vs. these endless reams of PR dribble dressed up as "internal memos." Amen.
Amazing stuff to watch.
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