I AM JOE - There's a storm brewing. You see, a lot of people are getting righteously pissed about what they perceive as over-the-top treatment of Joe Wurzelbacher (A.K.A. JOE THE PLUMBER) by members of the press. Media reports have described his tax status, whether or not he's a licensed plumber, and other things that have absolutely no bearing on his question to Barack Obama, or Obama's response.

And I think the anger is justified. What the hell does it matter whether the person asking the the question holds a professional license, or owes back taxes? The question has merit, or it doesn't. I think it does. Obama's answer, including the bit about spreading the wealth around does reveal something about his philosophy and the kinds of policies he would support.

Even if you view this as a tempest in a teapot, we should be more than a little concerned about the implications of Mr. Wurzelbacher's treatment by some members of the press - if you care about participatory government and what happens to ordinary people who speak up and question our candidates and elected officials. In this case, it seems that some in the media are focusing on the person asking the question, rather than the merits of the question and the implications of Obama's response. For the record, I think Obama's response merits discussion.

What does this have to do with management? Perhaps nothing. But it does have a lot to do with leadership and integrity - and ultimately, that's what this site is about. ⇒ Read more

I was lamenting the confusing interface to a piece of software the other day, when a colleague said it sounded a bit like 'grousing' because I wasn't able to suggest any improvements. I capitulated, admitting I wasn't close enough to the problem to offer any useful feedback at the time.

Later, though, I was thinking about the exchange, and began to put it in perspective, especially regarding a recent post about the truth being filtered as it made its way up the company hierarchy. ⇒ Read more