5 ms·

Carol Bartz: Yahoo "f---ed me over"

34 points by taylorbuley 15y ago

rbanffy 15y ago
I see a mess where there should be none. What's the problem with these people? Firing over the phone, seeking out media attention and badmouthing your former employer... It really doesn't matter if you are the chairman of the board or the CEO, there are things you really shouldn't do.
- ddw 15y ago
  I can't imagine even a lowly temp warrants being fired over the phone. It's just common decency. If there are security or legal concerns then film it and have a lawyer and security guard there. But doing it over the phone doesn't make Yahoo! look good, not that much of anything does anymore. Additionally, why wasn't this one of those "resign or we'll get rid of you" situations? That's how I've seen it worked at companies I've worked at in the past. Doing it over the phone seems purposefully spiteful.
  - hammock 15y ago
    why wasn't this one of those "resign or we'll get rid of you" situations? It was: "After Tuesday's call from Bostock, Bartz says, she had two hours to let Yahoo know whether she would resign or allow the board to fire her"
    - ddw 15y ago
      My bad!
wccrawford 15y ago
Any (ex) CEO that doesn't know why they got fired by someone reading a lawyer's script obviously doesn't have a clue how things work. A firing of that magnitude has to go by the book, and they have to close every legal loophole they can. No personal messages, no teary goodbyes... Just a lawyer's letter. The phonecall method seems horrible, but what was the alternative? You don't want them in the building because you don't want a scene, either from their being hysterical, or from the guards escorting them to the door. A letter could only be worse. No, they played this by the book, and she's upset about them doing things correctly. And badmouthing them over it. The personal insult during the phone call really shows her character.
- thirsteh 15y ago
  She's very good at making sure no one else will hire her.
  - danilocampos 15y ago
    Bartz was brought out of retirement to fix the impossible, useless mess that is Yahoo!. She's going to get a fatty severance package. I think she's going to be fine.
- Geekette 15y ago
  Asking the caller why he didn't have the balls to tell her in person (a valid question) and stating that she thought he was classier do not constitute a personal insult. You're the board chair, about to execute a big decision like this, you do it in person. Being on a plane is no excuse; re-route your trip or delay the execution by 1 day until you're face-to-face. Even the most junior employees usually get fired in person. If anyone creates a scene, that's what on-site security is there for, although exchanging words behind a closed door meeting with very few people present is probably the most that would have occurred. Fuck it, I find her candor refreshing, regardless of surrounding issues.
- danilocampos 15y ago
  > Any (ex) CEO that doesn't know why they got fired by someone reading a lawyer's script obviously doesn't have a clue how things work. I want to be clear, here: you're telling me that it is your position that someone who was CEO of Autodesk – not exactly a shareware developer or anything – served in that role for 14 years and oversaw its rise to dominance over its space... doesn't "have a clue" how things work? Is it possible that she simply expected a little better than a phone call, given that she's the CEO of the company? > The personal insult during the phone call really shows her character. It does. It shows me she's a straight talker and the sort of person who expects the same from others. I like those kinds of people – with them, I always know where I stand. Fuck the phonies.
  - wccrawford 15y ago
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
ZipCordManiac 15y ago
I have seen a whole lot of this woman cussing in the news lately. The image she puts out is low class, and she didn't make the company money. It's no mystery why she was fired. There is a time and place for profanity, and it's very rarely in the professional setting.
- earl 15y ago
  Low class? That's sexist bullshit. There's plenty of men that speak exactly the same way -- starting with Larry Ellison, and go read about his behavior sometime -- yet don't get the same opprobrium. It's because she's a woman.
  - ZipCordManiac 15y ago
    I wouldn't treat a male any differently. It's low class. I don't recall any major CEO's on the front page of tech sites cussing before this. Ever. It shows a poor lack of control. What is said behind doors, not to the press, is something else entirely. That's not even touching on the professionalism of publicly calling out a previous employer. Talk about burning bridges and ruining a reputation.
    - mindcrime 15y ago
      Talk about burning bridges and ruining a reputation. Burning bridges isn't always a bad thing. And sometimes doing so enhances your reputation, rather than ruining it. I'm betting a whole lot of people have more respect for Carol Bartz today, than they had yesterday, exactly because she spoke her mind, and showed some emotion and cut through the "PC" crap. At the very least, I know I do.
    - Causalien 15y ago
      Joe Biden: It's a big fucking deal.
      - ZipCordManiac 15y ago
        You probably should have chosen somebody who wasn't a complete douche bag to make your example. Joe Biden cussing like that makes him look like a complete fool. I am all for cussing when situation is right, but this (and Biden's mockery) is just vulgar for the sake of being vulgar. There is a time and a place for vulgarity, press releases is not one of them. It just makes you look foolish, easily manipulated emotionally, and unprofessional in my eyes.
grannyg00se 15y ago
She was asked whether she would like to resign or be fired if she refused. Can someone clarify what advantage there would be to one option over the other? I imagine resignation would provide less financial compensation than letting them fire you.
jtchang 15y ago
The situation is sour to begin with. A lawyer script though? This isn't a cover your ass situation. This is about respect. I think she honestly spoke what was on her mind. She was insulted that they would do it via an impersonal lawyer script and said as much.

34 points by taylorbuley 15y ago

I see a mess where there should be none. What's the problem with these people? Firing over the phone, seeking out media attention and badmouthing your former employer... It really doesn't matter if you are the chairman of the board or the CEO, there are things you really shouldn't do.

ddw 15y ago
I can't imagine even a lowly temp warrants being fired over the phone. It's just common decency. If there are security or legal concerns then film it and have a lawyer and security guard there. But doing it over the phone doesn't make Yahoo! look good, not that much of anything does anymore. Additionally, why wasn't this one of those "resign or we'll get rid of you" situations? That's how I've seen it worked at companies I've worked at in the past. Doing it over the phone seems purposefully spiteful.
- hammock 15y ago
  why wasn't this one of those "resign or we'll get rid of you" situations? It was: "After Tuesday's call from Bostock, Bartz says, she had two hours to let Yahoo know whether she would resign or allow the board to fire her"
  - ddw 15y ago
    My bad!

wccrawford 15y ago

Any (ex) CEO that doesn't know why they got fired by someone reading a lawyer's script obviously doesn't have a clue how things work. A firing of that magnitude has to go by the book, and they have to close every legal loophole they can. No personal messages, no teary goodbyes... Just a lawyer's letter. The phonecall method seems horrible, but what was the alternative? You don't want them in the building because you don't want a scene, either from their being hysterical, or from the guards escorting them to the door. A letter could only be worse. No, they played this by the book, and she's upset about them doing things correctly. And badmouthing them over it. The personal insult during the phone call really shows her character.

thirsteh 15y ago
She's very good at making sure no one else will hire her.
- danilocampos 15y ago
  Bartz was brought out of retirement to fix the impossible, useless mess that is Yahoo!. She's going to get a fatty severance package. I think she's going to be fine.
Geekette 15y ago
Asking the caller why he didn't have the balls to tell her in person (a valid question) and stating that she thought he was classier do not constitute a personal insult. You're the board chair, about to execute a big decision like this, you do it in person. Being on a plane is no excuse; re-route your trip or delay the execution by 1 day until you're face-to-face. Even the most junior employees usually get fired in person. If anyone creates a scene, that's what on-site security is there for, although exchanging words behind a closed door meeting with very few people present is probably the most that would have occurred. Fuck it, I find her candor refreshing, regardless of surrounding issues.
danilocampos 15y ago
> Any (ex) CEO that doesn't know why they got fired by someone reading a lawyer's script obviously doesn't have a clue how things work. I want to be clear, here: you're telling me that it is your position that someone who was CEO of Autodesk – not exactly a shareware developer or anything – served in that role for 14 years and oversaw its rise to dominance over its space... doesn't "have a clue" how things work? Is it possible that she simply expected a little better than a phone call, given that she's the CEO of the company? > The personal insult during the phone call really shows her character. It does. It shows me she's a straight talker and the sort of person who expects the same from others. I like those kinds of people – with them, I always know where I stand. Fuck the phonies.
- wccrawford 15y ago

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

ZipCordManiac 15y ago

I have seen a whole lot of this woman cussing in the news lately. The image she puts out is low class, and she didn't make the company money. It's no mystery why she was fired. There is a time and place for profanity, and it's very rarely in the professional setting.

earl 15y ago
Low class? That's sexist bullshit. There's plenty of men that speak exactly the same way -- starting with Larry Ellison, and go read about his behavior sometime -- yet don't get the same opprobrium. It's because she's a woman.
- ZipCordManiac 15y ago
  I wouldn't treat a male any differently. It's low class. I don't recall any major CEO's on the front page of tech sites cussing before this. Ever. It shows a poor lack of control. What is said behind doors, not to the press, is something else entirely. That's not even touching on the professionalism of publicly calling out a previous employer. Talk about burning bridges and ruining a reputation.
  - mindcrime 15y ago
    Talk about burning bridges and ruining a reputation. Burning bridges isn't always a bad thing. And sometimes doing so enhances your reputation, rather than ruining it. I'm betting a whole lot of people have more respect for Carol Bartz today, than they had yesterday, exactly because she spoke her mind, and showed some emotion and cut through the "PC" crap. At the very least, I know I do.
  - Causalien 15y ago
    Joe Biden: It's a big fucking deal.
    - ZipCordManiac 15y ago
      You probably should have chosen somebody who wasn't a complete douche bag to make your example. Joe Biden cussing like that makes him look like a complete fool. I am all for cussing when situation is right, but this (and Biden's mockery) is just vulgar for the sake of being vulgar. There is a time and a place for vulgarity, press releases is not one of them. It just makes you look foolish, easily manipulated emotionally, and unprofessional in my eyes.

grannyg00se 15y ago

She was asked whether she would like to resign or be fired if she refused. Can someone clarify what advantage there would be to one option over the other? I imagine resignation would provide less financial compensation than letting them fire you.

jtchang 15y ago

The situation is sour to begin with. A lawyer script though? This isn't a cover your ass situation. This is about respect. I think she honestly spoke what was on her mind. She was insulted that they would do it via an impersonal lawyer script and said as much.