Message #55954

[raindance]

This situation is somewhat similar to the one that existed in a company I worked for at one time.

It had a truly Dickensian management structure - not apparent at interview or in the company literature.  The organisation was riddled with laziness, unprofessionalism, racism, sexism and probably every sort of "ism" you can think of.  Staff didn't even have proper contracts or employment policies.  My boss at the time, newly-recruited as I was, had been recruited specifically to make changes.  She was extremely unpopular, and so was I by association.  It took over three years for her to change things.  We moved offices, and forty per cent of the staff left in the first year.  The staff who left, in most cases SHOULD have left.  It was a rather painful time.  Eventually, my boss left to take up a post with a higher profile, but she left behind a very different company than the one she took on - one in which the staff were, finally, motivated, enthusiastic and properly rewarded.

Your CEO may face some of the same difficulties.  It isn't easy to be charming in those sorts of circumstances, and sometimes things can become very messy.

I hope that 2006 is a really productive year for you, Laura.

Best wishes,

Raindance