Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for October 01, 2009

  1. Missing large
    Edcole1961  about 15 years ago

    Then he should have said, “Take me to your Controller.”

     •  Reply
  2. Missing large
    Batlash Premium Member about 15 years ago

    I think Wiley’s on to something. Just about every “leader” in the company I work for was originally an accountant… and we’re not an accounting firm.

     •  Reply
  3. 64449 wallpaper400
    Ronshua  about 15 years ago

    Only the Shadow knows that and mum is the word .

     •  Reply
  4. Camera1 016
    keenanthelibrarian  about 15 years ago

    Hey, he knows who’s the boss …

     •  Reply
  5. 654px red eyed tree frog   litoria chloris edit1
    Superfrog  about 15 years ago

    Well that explains where we got double entry bookkeeping from.

     •  Reply
  6. Missing large
    architct Premium Member about 15 years ago

    They must also have double doors to the conference room.

     •  Reply
  7. Grog poop
    GROG Premium Member about 15 years ago

    Maybe they own shares in some failed bank stocks.

     •  Reply
  8. Owls 96
    gjsjr41  about 15 years ago

    How did that space ship get in there anyway?

     •  Reply
  9. Ngc891 rs 580x527
    alan.gurka  about 15 years ago

    I thought the CEO was supposed to be the leader. I guess he’s just the puppet (dummy?), and the Head Accountant is the real leader behind the scenes.

     •  Reply
  10. Desert landscape
    FUNG1  about 15 years ago

    “OUR” leader is not being held accountable!

     •  Reply
  11. Missing large
    dtut  about 15 years ago

    (Sorry if this is a little long. There is a point.)

    I worked for 40 years for a big company.

    The first two thirds of that, the CEO was always a guy who had come up through the operations side of the business. While we occasionally did some stupid things, we did most things right and grew steadily over this period.

    Then they started picking the CEO from guys who came up through the financial side (e.g.- accounting). Growth stopped and shrinking started. I’m retired now, but they’re still shrinking. (In fact, they were recently acquired.)

    My theory: accountants know only two ways to increase profits: cut costs or acquire profitable businesses. They never innovate new business as original developments, because that isn’t what they understand. And cost cutting tends to be a temporary fix unless the business can somehow be grown.

     •  Reply
  12. Th giraffe
    lazygrazer  about 15 years ago

    dtut—Your theory is dead on and accounts for much of today’s business problems.

    ……………………….

    That UFO looks like it was designed by the Jiffy Pop Corporation. Probably someone in Accounting, haha.

     •  Reply
  13. Silverknights
    JanLC  about 15 years ago

    dtut: I was told years ago that accountants have no imagination. Being one myself, I have to agree. We are generally inclined to fiscal responsibility rather than risk. That means loss of creativity and growth. I do agree completely that an accountant is not the proper personality for a CEO. That person needs to be innovative and willing to lead forward, not just pull back behind the barricades. We bean counters have our place, and it’s not in front of the troops (so to speak). All of that being said, I LOVE numbers, patterns and puzzles. Analysis work can be very rewarding and, to me, lots of fun. If that makes me an unimaginative bean-counter, so be it. It’s a title I wear proudly and have for more than 35 years.

     •  Reply
  14. Julia napping
    Allen Rymer  about 15 years ago

    I agree, Jan.

    Bean counters such as we are are too conservative to lead well. that’s not saying we can’t, but for the most part, it’s not in our nature. But I have worked for a few people who were great innovators, and would back them to the hilt.

     •  Reply
  15. Grog poop
    GROG Premium Member about 15 years ago

    The truth is out there.

     •  Reply
  16. Hawaii5 0girl
    treered  about 15 years ago

    because that’s where the money is!

     •  Reply
  17. Cheetah crop 2
    benbrilling  about 15 years ago

    And to think, when I went to school a career in accounting was a joke.

     •  Reply
  18. Yellow pig small
    bmonk  about 15 years ago

    On the other hand, if I had a trust fund to administer, an accountant would probably have the right personality to be a trustee.

     •  Reply
  19. Missing large
    Oberon12  about 15 years ago

    I was told in college that this is why they required marketing majors to take accounting courses.

     •  Reply
  20. 104 2745
    Trebor39  about 15 years ago

    And the alien said: “Accountant, you spoke well and I appreciate your right to say it, but I don’t understand a dam (misspelling intentional} thing you said!”

     •  Reply
  21. Redfoxava
    reynard61  about 15 years ago

    JanCinVV said: “dtut: I was told years ago that accountants have no imagination. Being one myself, I have to agree. We are generally inclined to fiscal responsibility rather than risk.”

    “Fiscal responsibility”? Really??? Then please explain to me the origins of all those “derivatives”, “swap options” and other “profit enhancements” that bankers (who, IIRC, are usually accountants – when they aren’t MBAs*) were creating – usually out of thin air – that lead to the near-collapse of our economy last year.

    *More Bad Advice

     •  Reply
  22. F 22 raptor
    rainman5353  about 15 years ago

    Lead me to your taker!!

     •  Reply
  23. 11 06 126
    Varnes  about 15 years ago

    I say we mess with the little dude and see what he has as back up! It looks like he’s talking to upper management. Man, those guys are ruthless.. slap ‘im around a bit and see what happens…

     •  Reply
  24. Carnac
    AKHenderson Premium Member about 15 years ago

    The spaceship looks like a football.

     •  Reply
  25. Missing large
    dtut  about 15 years ago

    I agree with JanCinVV and others’ response.

    The CEO’s job is to provide vision and leadership toward that vision. The CFO’s job (and chief legal officer’s as well) is to assure that chasing the vision does not get the company in trouble. BOTH ARE ESSENTIAL.

    Before I cited the problem with appointing a CFO-type to the CEO assignment. But I have also seen the consequences when a leader-type ignores the accountants and lawyers. Perhaps it might create a breakthrough in a few rare instances, but usually it ain’t pretty.

     •  Reply
Sign in to comment

More From Non Sequitur