[CCWG-ACCT] Follow-up from the Word Internet Conference in China
Nigel Roberts
nigel at channelisles.net
Fri Dec 25 10:47:02 UTC 2015
> Are we tending a bit much toward micromanagement of the CEO? I have
> never been one of his fans, but this seems a bit much to make an issue over.
>
> avri
This is not just a matter of judgment, but a matter of cross-cultural
judgment. The CEO gets paid to get this right. And I REALLY expected
better from Mr Chehade' in that department
Actually, I would not have expected this kind of behaviour from recent
previous CEOs. Certainly not from Paul. In fact not even from Rod, who
despite his public persona and irritating Hollywood rockstar ways was,
in many was, quite sensitive to non-US cultures!
In China, relationships matter.
Appearance matters. A lot.
Both of those things can be as important, if not more important than the
'letter of the law' as to whose dime he was on when carrying on the
discussion with the relevant actors inside China.
The American way (and the British, to a lesser extent) is based on a
cliteral interpretation of the rules (with a seasoning of 'wiggle-room'
for peccadilloes).
So while it's understandable to hear from some of you that you don't see
the problem, some of us really, really see a big issue here.
I'm not going to complain loudly about the ethics side, although I
personally find it curious that Fadi was there on ICANN's dime, yet once
again making announcements 'in his personal capacity'. A CEO can never
be in his personal capacity, in my view until he gets his cardboard box.
(It was strange how the reporters describe him as ICANN's CEO, though.
Oh yes, that's because he IS. Even yet.)
The issue is that the head of ICANN, voluntarily handed in his
resignation, choosing to leave early, before transition was complete,
and in another revolving-door shocker joined an organisation with an
apparently completely different world view, and chose Wuzhen to make
supportive statements of them and their backers.
Once again, 'it's not what they say, its what others hear'.
UK public servants have a purdah period before moving to organisations
that operate in the same sphere. Why, in the name of accountabaility,
does ICANN still not? (Have we forgotten and already discounted the
terrible optics of Dengate-Thrushgate?). A mere xix months would not be
onerous.
Please don't dissect Fadi's actual words. They don't count.
Hardly at all.
It's the nature of 'who', 'where', and 'when' that counts much more than
'what', or even 'why'.
> '
> And with that, I shall stop and simply add -- Happy Holidays!
>
Likewise.
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