On Consensus: The Sequel

As promised, here are some more thoughts on the subject of the role of consensus. Today's Wall Street Journal issue has an article by Carol Hymowitz "As Managers Climb, They Have to Learn How To Act the Parts" (WSJ, Nov 15 2005, section B page 1). Describing a certain Selena Lo, who grew trough the ranks to a position of a CEO of a company, Ms. Hymowitz surmises that "executive must acquire new skills and behaviors with each step up the corporate ladder". Selena recalls, that "when I was a vice-president, I hated consensus", and that she had a motto: "be with me or get off the board".

The change in Selena's behavior came about with the new higher position, when there was no longer "a boss, who cleaned up after [her]... who'd soothe the people who felt [she] was steamrolling them". It really left me wondering whether it was that fact and that fact alone that was responsible for the need to seek out the consensus, well, not the consensus really, but the iluusion of collegiality.

Should we all get a powerful "rabbi" upstairs who would cover all our faults and do the PR work with the powers that be? Is the prevailing sentiment among the co-workers an equivalent of consensus on business issues? How should the business efficiency be counterbalanced by the public affection? Should we go for the widest "love" of hoi polloi or apply our charms upward? Questions, questions for the next time..