Besides having a problem with their Deepwater Horizon well spewing oil into the Gulf Stream, BP also seems to have a problem with its executives spewing insensitive statements into the media stream.
First, embattled BP CEO Tony Hayward told a disbelieving press “I’d like to get my life back.” Talk about irony. As the words spilled from his lips, did Hayward even consider the eleven workers who were killed on the oil rig, all the people on the shore who make their livelihoods from the beach and the sea or even the pelicans, manatees and other creatures destined for an oily death?
Then BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg set off another public outcry when he told the world he was frustrated because “we care about the small people.” Of course he was quick to apologize for his gaff and his PR team explained that because Svanberg is from Sweden, English isn’t the chairman’s first language. They also tried some convoluted explanation about the British use of the word “small” which apparently doesn’t have the same meaning as it does in the US.
Pshaw.
Those of you who know me know that one of my favorite pastimes is playing harmonica with my R&B band at bars, festivals, and parties. Often someone will approach us, tell us they’re musicians too and ask if they can sit in with the band. Before long we’re playing Pink Cadillac or Johnny Be Good or some other rock standard with our guest performer singing the lyrics or playing the guitar lead (no, I don’t lend my harmonicas to strangers in bars).
Most of the time the folks who play with us are good, sometimes they’re great and once in a blue moon they’re superstars (remind me to tell you about the time a heavily disguised Van Morrison sang “Born Under A Bad Sign” with us).
But sometimes our guests are not so good. Which is fine, too, because people who try hard and are gracious still have a good time and make it fun for their friends in the audience. It’s the ones who are can’t play and don’t know it that really toast my onions. They’re the angry sorts who insist that the guitar is out of tune, the drummer missed the beat or the band is playing too fast.
Just as Dean Vernon Wormer told Flounder in Animal House, “…drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son,” incompetent AND arrogant is a bad combination whether you’re sitting in with a bar band or running a multi-national oil company. The only difference is when the incompetent and arrogant performers are done playing their songs they get off the stage. We are going to be stuck with BP for a long time coming.
Tags: Animal House, BP, Carl-Henric Svanberg, Deepwater Horizon, tony Hayward
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Great post!
I always wondered if I should call such behavior the arrogance of ignorance or ignorance of arrogance? Possibly that’s just the same …
Incompetence AND arrogance ups the ante though.
The truth always come out, no matter how the arrogant ones try to appease the public with their marketing BS.
Oh, “small people” isn’t really what I meant to say! Sure!
“I want to get my life back!” yeah, so did the other 11 “small people” who sacrificed their lives for your big arrogant ***!
Time to get the corrupt corporations in check: http://www.corruporations.com/
incompetent AND arrogant are not good independently, let alone together. Competent AND humble are much better.
Great insights, Bruce. Here is my take:
There are people that make a lot of money and they tend to forget “the small people” . The people that work for them and the people that buy their products are just pawns in the game that they are playing. Hayward doesn’t care about the lives and the environment he has ruined. He cares about himself. Svanberg has bitten once, if he bites again, shame on me.
Bruce,
I’m not sure how I got on your list, however I am uncharacteristically pleased to have landed on yet another list. Our opinions are aligned, your writing is strong and thoughtful and you have a great sense of humor. Send more!
Thank you.
Great read. Much appreciated.
Can’t wait to hear your Van Morrison story, Bruce!
(Most of the time the folks who play with us are good, sometimes they’re great and once in a blue moon they’re superstars (remind me to tell you about the time a heavily disguised Van Morrison sang “Born Under A Bad Sign” with us).)
Charlie Rathburn
Bruce…well said! It’s always incomprehensible to me how some of the best known, richest and most sophisticated companies and CEO’s say the most stupid, thoughtless and idiotic things.
What’s worse is that these people and institutions pay their marketing communications firms millions to refine their image in the marketplace. Either companies need to hire smarter executives who know how to use their PR/advertising resources, or there needs to be smarter/stronger/more strategic communications firms who actually influence and guide their clients through crises like the one facing BP…
Dan Pearlman
On target, insightful and funny as always. I buy the drinks one day to hear details on playing with Morrison. Cool.
As usual I enjoyed it very much.
To be incompetent is bad enough but if you also are arrogant that is just to much!!! It is so sad that many CEO suffer from both!
Bruce, you make great points.
If the BP board has any sense, they should welcome the opportunities this wayward Hayward CEO is providing them to make throw him under the bus, or, at least the oil rig.
In most crises like this, an oil company would use, pardon the pun, “slick” marketing but this one has the makings of a great COlumbia Business School MBA case study on how not to manage a crisis.
Imran
IMRAN.TV
Insightful thoughts from yet another Miami Beach High grad!
Great to be on your list…one mail I do read..smart, provocative,great analogies,and I like the way you play the harmonica…and think!
Hayward’s apology commercial reminds me of the Queen’s apology following the death of Diana. He has all the warmth and charisma that she displays as well. This is the British aristocracy. They really don’t care about the “small people”. They were not bred to the task.
Well put, Bruce. Thanks.
You are so right on. Keep up the good work. DW
One big problem is that the doctors seem to be a convenient lightning rod for all this hostility directed toward the entire medical industry. I agree that there are bad doctors but this seems to say that all doctors are arrogant money grubbers who don not care about their profession and that is simply not true. In fact the doctors are being squeezed from all sides and I can understand their frustration. Patients are demanding because emotional upset at being ill. Patients also abuse the system — which causes more strife. Doctors are asked to fill out bundles of paper work for their jobs, their schools, and their insurance companies for which there is usually no charge. They are dis-satisfied with not getting instantly better — and yet frequently don’t follow the doctors advice or don’t take their medicines. Some try to get trick doctors into giving them medications they don’t need. Essentially doctors are an easy target to blame when things don’t go well. Meanwhile doctors are dealing with bad patient behavior who become arrogant and confrontational, overbearing insurance companies who don’t want to pay claims, frivolous malpractice cases from patients who want to rape the system, medicare problems, and over-aggressive drug companies pushing their products so they can make a bundle. They are getting screwed from every direction. We never address the entire issues in context but just find the scapegoats. No wonder doctors are not always polite and sweet.