dysfunctional

The show title for today's episode of CNET's The 404 Podcast actually refers to two stories in the rundown. The first, of course, refers to the masses of complaints from early Apple iPhone 4 adopters. As if yesterday's heatstroke line nightmares weren't bad enough, some owners are experiencing disappearing signals when the steel bands antennas are covered by gripping the phone in use.

Ironically, the external antenna band was supposed to increase reception bars, but many feel jilted that Apple and Steve Jobs failed to mention the glaring design error during the keynote earlier this month. … Read more

Can there be even one sports-loving American who isn't aware of the dangers of a four-hour erection?

I ask this important question because the huge proliferation of ED ads that peppers every televised sporting event seems to have had an effect on Apple's app store.

Perhaps stimulated by the success of such fine products as Viagra and Cialis, an ambitious developer called Health Code has released "Fire Up Your Sex Drive," an app that promises to revolutionize the way you interact with your Apple equipment.

The promises made by "Fire Up Your Sex Drive" … Read more

What is it about meetings that brings out the worst in otherwise reasonable and intelligent people? Is it an opportunity to childishly engage and disrupt others? Or perhaps it's a chance to demonstrate animalistic dominance. Who knows.

All I do know is, for companies to operate effectively, executives, managers, and key employees need to know how to run effective meetings. Meetings are how conflicts are resolved and plans are agreed upon. They are how critical strategic and operating processes are developed, managed, and to some extent, executed.

Conversely, ineffective meetings result in lost productivity and frustration. They can also be a sign of a dysfunctional workplace, which can result in operating failure.

In my experience technology managers and executives are so inept at conducting effective meetings you'd think it's rocket science or a rare genetic trait. I have no idea why that is.… Read more

Here's the first installment of Train Wreck's first recurring post: Dysfunctional Executive Watch. It'll show up whenever there's enough material. Enjoy the lunacy, and let us know if you've got something to report.

You've got fraud On Monday, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed civil charges against eight former executives of AOL Time Warner for fraudulently inflating online advertising revenue by more than $1 billion. Four of the executives agreed to pay millions in fines and return ill-gotten gains. Charges against the other four, including former CFO John Michael Kelly, are still pending.

The company had previously agreed to fork over $500 million to settle civil and criminal charges brought by the SEC and the Justice Department.… Read more

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't believe I've ever seen a negotiation handled, with all due respect, as dysfunctionally and amateurishly as the way Yahoo has handled its negotiation with Microsoft.

Saturday's shenanigans seemed more like a reality television show than two industry giants sitting down to negotiate a deal.

Unfortunately, negotiating with Microsoft is not a job for amateurs. There was a time when the two companies were more-or-less evenly positioned in this dual, but that time has come and gone. The weekend's activities have left Microsoft holding all the cards.… Read more

Crises happen. They happen to all companies and to all people. They happen in our personal lives and in our professional lives. By definition, crises bring change, big change. They can change the entire trajectory of your life or your company's future. That's why how we behave in a crisis, how we manage a crisis, is such a big deal.

For example, Yahoo is going through a crisis right now. It's attempting to reinvent itself. Microsoft's bid to buy the company further complicates matters. The way Yahoo's board handles this crisis will determine the fate of the company and its thousands of employees and shareholders. That's a pretty big deal.

One company's crisis can have a ripple effect on others. You might say that Microsoft is attempting to capitalize on Yahoo's crisis. In so doing, the software giant has created its own. Negotiating tens of billions of dollars to acquire a large company and remake its Internet business is definitely crisis material.… Read more

This might have been more timely a week or two ago, but there's always Boss's Day (October 16th in case you were wondering) and the inevitable birthday. Regardless of the occasion, giving and receiving gifts are typically joyous experiences for both parties.

But when it comes to an employee giving his or her boss a gift, well, let's just say there might be a whole lot more going on there than meets the eye.

Your boss will likely think you're sucking up; dysfunctional executives love that sort of thing. But in fact, you're sending a … Read more

A few years ago, I spent three months between jobs.

It wasn't by choice; I ran a company that filed for bankruptcy along with hundreds of others when the tech bubble burst. It took awhile to find a new job. I made the best of it and built a greenhouse.

I had never had so much fun. But when it was done, I got bored. Not only that, but my wife wasn't used to having me home. I took pleasure in hanging around the house and annoying her, but it got old after awhile.

Finally, I faced the fact that I missed working. I know that sounds crazy, but I did.… Read more

Before I began writing this post, I googled "the ends justify the means" and got 204,000 results. The volume of philosophical discourse that's gone into analyzing the implications of the phrase is staggering.

Frankly, I think it's all a bunch of pseudo-academic crap. It's never acceptable to breach moral, ethical, or legal boundaries to achieve some perceived greater good. But I didn't always think that way.… Read more