Robert Scoble has penned what I can only describe as a sad piece about the company missing its Q3 2006 earnings estimate. No doubt there will be glee in some quarters but the reality is that we all need MSFT to be vibrant and innovative. I suggested to Robert that he:
Hunt out the closest person to your CFO who blogs and can explain the figures in words the man in the street will understand. Anything less is committing fiscal suicide.
But he says:
I know that talking about financials is about the biggest risk there is for those of us who live our lives in the public eye. I know people who’ve been fired from other companies for doing just that.
And apparently there is genuine concern among corporate finance people about the implications of blogging for stock market pricing. I can see that. But from this distance, it sounds like stock market BS, re-interpreted under SarBox gone bonkers to protect the clueless from the litigious while dumbing down the smart people.
Note to Steve Ballmer (who doesn’t read blogs – allegedly) – Tell your chief finance people to start an internal blog where they can figure out how to communicate with one another for a start – then get them engaging with operations who in turn can communicate with customers over your extended supply and customer chain. It isn’t that difficult. Of course you run the risk of things leaking out. But there has to be ways of managing the firewall to minimise the potential for financially sensitive leaks.
Extra note to Steve: Did you see what the market did to Scott McNeally - long time head honcho at Sun?
BTW – is Robert’s explanation good enough for you to say – nah – bloggin’s not for me as a professonal accountant? Too risky? I’m not convinced that’s the case in the UK. I suspect marketers are savvy enough to recognise communications that are being genuinely informative. But then compliance is a good one to hide behind…
Technorati Tags: accountability, accountancy, accounting, compliance, investor relations, marketing communications, Microsoft
