Hidden Agenda At The Boss' Big BashHidden Agenda At The Boss' Big Bash

Phil Whitestone, our CEO, has a wonderful sense of obligation to the little people in the organization. The French have a phrase for this type of behavior. They call it noblesse oblige. To Phil's credit, he tries very hard to be friendly to everyone and rise above the barriers that might otherwise be created because he grew up in a very well-to-do family, went to the best of private schools from the time he was a toddler, and, most important of all, is our boss and has total control over our careers in the company.

One of Phil's ways of giving of himself is to hold a posh party each summer for his staff. It's a command performance. The date is communicated to us in the early months of the year, and I have yet to hear of anyone ever declining the invitation. The event is held at Phil's golf club on a weekend evening in mid-July.

There's no doubt that it will be an elegant and tastefully done social gathering. The only real questions are, will the weather be such that the cocktails will be out on the patio and what's everyone going to be wearing? I remember one year when the significant other of a since-departed executive appeared in a dress which, to quote my friend Karen Lovell, our VP of planning, was more appropriate for an audition as chanteuse in a Broadway musical than for a supporting role at a company affair.

This year's event was typical, up to a point. The food was excellent and the weather cooperated to the fullest. In a way, it was fun to get together with some of the people whom we rarely see socially and spend at least some time during the evening not talking about work. I suspect that the copious pouring of cocktails prior to the meal and the delicious wine at dinner was in no small way conducive to that camaraderie.

What was different this time, however, was that Gornish, our CFO, and Kratmeyer, the head of International Operations, who had been feuding, didn't observe the appropriate behavior and leave the office at the office.

Instead, Gornish and Kratmeyer studiously avoided each other, which is difficult to do in such a small gathering, as we all mingled during the cocktail hour. Driving over to the party, I had said to Cindy that I was curious as to how the two of them would act toward each other, and now I knew.

Evidently, I wasn't the only one paying attention to the situation. As Cindy and Karen were busy chatting, I shifted my attention to what was happening perhaps twenty feet away. Phil had his arm lightly on Kratmeyer's shoulder and was motioning to Gornish, indicating that he should join them.

Gornish's wife, a very astute woman, turned and busied herself in conversation with Crawford Huggins, VP of public affairs. Not wanting to stare or be rude to Cindy and Karen, I returned to listening to what they were saying to each other. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Phil talking intently while Gornish and Kratmeyer listened. When I looked again, the tableau had broken up and the three men went back to their respective spouses.

A few minutes later, we were called to dinner and, to my surprise, as we walked into the private dining room there were place cards indicating where we were to sit. It became clear what Phil had in mind when I saw the Gornishes and the Kratmeyers together at a table. As the evening progressed, I was intrigued to note that Gornish and Kratmeyer seemed to lighten up and act more civil to each other. By the time the party was ending, the two couples actually seemed to be enjoying themselves.

On the way home, I asked Cindy whether she thought it was appropriate for Phil to use a social event as the tool to begin to mend a dispute that began in the office and more properly should be handled there. She laughed a little and said that Phil is the boss and that it's his prerogative to solve his business problems in any fashion that he pleases. Besides, she added, if I thought that the affair we had just been at was not being charged off as a business expense, I probably didn't understand corporate finance very well.

On reflection, I have to agree with Cindy that it made perfect sense for Phil to use the annual party as a means to get Gornish and Kratmeyer talking again. For my part, I have to rethink whether Phil's periodic social gatherings are primarily his way of showing that he appreciates our work or instead an example of a good executive using any and all ethical tools available to achieve the objectives of the company. I do know that the older I get, the more I realize that running a large company requires more skill and greater dedication than I ever imagined.

Herbert W. Lovelace shares his experiences (changing most names, including his own, to protect the guilty) as CIO of a multibillion-dollar international company. Send him E-mail at [email protected] and read his online column at information.com, where he'll provide real--and sometimes whimsical--answers to your questions.