I’ve known Ken Camp since about the time I began blogging about VOIP and he’s been helpful to many. Now it’s time to help him.
When he lost his job, a position I was called by the recruiter on to provide some insight about Ken, this was supposed to be a career move, not a short term position that relocated him across the state of Washington to Spokane. Let’s face it, if you spent the last ten years or so near Seattle, a move to Spokane better be for either love or money, because there’s a lot less to do and see, let alone remain part of the technology community. The word shafted comes to mind. Ken left a great position with the State of Washington for the next phase of his career. He ended up out of work.
A few days ago Sheryl (soon to be Ms. Camp) wrote a “stand by her man” post. It was heartfelt, revealing and like their Twitter behavior a sign of love.
When I look at the current state of many companies I see lots of silos, departments, duplication and disfunction. Brad Garlinghouse wrote that about Yahoo in his Peanut Butter Manifesto over a year or so ago that got leaked to the WSJ. Knowing the “Tin Man” like I do, it was no more a leak than Sheryl’s asking for help for Ken.
So taking stock of Ken’s CV (resume for those less polished) I see a role for him inside a large tech company that has all the disfunction qualities Garlinghouse espoused about Yahoo, reporting into the CEO, providing insight about what’s really going on, and being the “connector,” sort of a social networker, interpreter and advisor, all rolled into one. Someone who can talk to the rank and file, the executive team, senior management and customers, make sense out of it, report on it, and help others act on it.
you have captured the essence of one of the many ways ken could help!
“So taking stock of Ken’s CV (resume for those less polished) I see a role for him inside a large tech company that has all the disfunction qualities Garlinghouse espoused about Yahoo, reporting into the CEO, providing insight about what’s really going on, and being the “connector,” sort of a social networker, interpreter and advisor, all rolled into one. Someone who can talk to the rank and file, the executive team, senior management and customers, make sense out of it, report on it, and help others act on it.” – What a great distillation and recommendation!