The CEO Gap

I"m not just talking about pay

Jun 15, 2021

Do better, CEOs.

Last week I joined a panel presented by The FEAT about how companies should or could or might or may handle an impending return to office for its employees. (Please don’t ever say “return to work” because people have been WORKING, just not at their offices.)

The moderator cited a Washington post Op-Ed that noted a huge gap between some 83% of CEOs who wanted employees to retune full time to the office and a mere 10% of employees who wanted to do so. What, the mod asked me, could account for the discrepancy?

I confess I kicked off with a cheap shot, namely that probably the same thing that accounted for the discrepancy between CEO pay and worker pay at some of our largest companies. But I went on to add that I was shocked that any CEO would be so forthcoming with their opinion on the right or preferred path forward without (or at least before) talking to their employees. How do you know what you want, CEO, if you’re so out of touch with what your employees want? It’s a company, not a fiefdom, and managing and maintaining the satisfaction of your staff is supposed to be a core leadership responsibility.

There’s a communication gap for sure. But more than that. There’s an empathy gap.

I have this theory that most large company CEOs may have gone home during the pandemic, and probably had the resources on hand to not have to deal with the situation most of their employees were. They were likely not deeply worried about not having childcare or having to oversee home-zoom-school-ing. Their families would probably be OK even if someone in it lost their job. Being rich can’t necessarily save you from COVID itself, but it leads to better medical and health outcomes, and it certainly gives you a lot of options and extra avenues to a comfortable lockdown. Because of that underlying cushion of support and resources at a personal level, CEOs had more time and mental bandwidth to be annoyed by the hiccups that arose from the transition to 100% remote overnight.

But think of the employee’s point of view. They got sent home. Thinking it would be for a couple of weeks. Many people left belongings at their desk, figuring they’d be back soon. And then employees spent the next 15 months in a state of constant stress, and often downright fear, as COVID hotspots moved around the country. They may have lost income in their household. They may have lost loved ones. They were dealing with no childcare, no in-person school, and then the crushing blow when it became clear that the school year would not start in-person last Fall. They were dealing with elderly parents who weren’t being careful enough, or who were declining in isolation. They were dealing with spaces that were too small, and probably voices that were too loud in their spaces that were too small while they tried to work. Through it all they kept going, kept working, kept persevering. Many companies, entire sectors really, had banner years, while small businesses, especially those in retail, food & beverage, and hospitality, foundered.

If, Mr./Ms. CEO, your company was one of the ones that not only survived, but thrived, then your employees are probably wondering:

“Is this the thanks we get?

We pulled off miracles. We made a style of working, that you thought was impossible, work. For fifteen months (so far). We had a million distractions. not to mention high-stakes legitimate concerns. And we proved it could work.

And this is the thanks we get?

Whether a CEO didn’t think to ask their employees before deciding what was best, or whether they asked and did not care what employees were feeling doesn’t really matter. There’s a big disconnect, and it’s time for CEOs to do better. (While you’re at it maybe you could carve a couple million of your salary and give everyone a raise to thank them for their service this past year and a half!)

Last week-ish

Last week’s episode 59 of The Op-Ed Page podcast takes a look at biased housing policies that haves kept the American people more segregated than most of us expect. I’m seeing in my own neighborhood and my own family that when something has been a certain way for decades or long, change is very very threatening. It’s the great quote I’ve never found proper attribution for, “When you’re used to privilege, equality feels like oppression.” I also told part #3 of my #originstory, namely how I got into the commodities industry and the universal lessons I learned from my time there. Sneak peek: That industry was where I learned that elite (read: rich) =/= classy.

On another topic: I know I haven’t been writing as much about national politics this year. But as much as I wish I could say the 2020 election and subsequent inauguration made everything OK, we all know it did not. One of my favorite newsletter reads is Dan Rather. Yes, that Dan Rather. Dan Rather has reached the perimenopausal woman’s level of no fucks to give. He is full of opinion, piquant analysis, and the occasional dash of good old fashioned hope and a kind of “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” optimism…apropos since he’s a Texan through and through. He published a newsletter last week that spoke to the analysis that the media is missing in all their focus on Senator Manchin, the most powerful man in the Senate right now. It spoke to a question I’ve had for 5 years. I asked for the past 5 years why the media loved blowing up the differences that exist across the spectrum of the big-tent Democratic Party, while ignoring the massive chasm between that Party and the alternative. While also ignoring that from a legislative point of view the Dems were actually more successful in sticking together, even if only to block things, than the GOP was in getting agreement on how to do anything, even when they owned both houses, except install ideologue judges. So, too, today, the media spends 10x the amount of ink on Manchin, an outlier Democrat, than analyzing all the Republicans who refuse to budge on anything, even things that would seem to be preferred by their own constituents and used to be considered non-partisan. Every GOP member of Congress should be constantly quizzed on these anti-Democratic and anti-Democracy positions, more than focusing on the one guy who could agree to procedural things to try to stave off the behavior of an entire radicalized party. Dan says it better, so read his newsletter here.

Coming this week-ish

This week on The Op-Ed Page podcast, in my continuing effort to only tackle easy-peasy topics, I’m going to tackle the topic of ProPublica’s story on what America’s billionaires do or don’t pay in taxes. I’ve been reading and listening to some good stuff about it, and I’m not at all pretending to be a CPA or expert on taxes, but there are some common sense takeaways. I’ll also tell part #4 of my #originstory…how I transitioned from a career in commodities into one in tech, and some universal lessons that transition taught me.

On Thursday I’m attending a free event, GOODCon. It’s the brainchild of my friend Bobby Jones, author of Good is the New Cool. And it looks like three hours of big kicks in the ass to go take action on the issues you care most about. That’s a very #RoadMap4Revs goal right there. It’s free, so check it out.

I’m also going to see In the Heights on Friday (my sister and I signed up for another one of those private watch parties) with a small group, so I’m trying to resist all temptation to just watch it on HBO Max before Friday. Think strong, disciplined thoughts for me.

This Week-ish with ElisaCP

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