Accountability

You know it's funny, the bottom line to business comes down to accounting, but rarely accountability. As an artist, I had a stereotypical distrust of large institutions... anything that treated you more like a number than a human being.

Large, faceless and uncaring is a pretty scary combination. Perhaps the greatest difference between a human being and a corporate entity (of any kind) is that we are all held accountable for our actions (by our friends, family, employers, and those large insitutions... you name it!).

Being human is all about fucking up (boy howdy), learning from your mistakes and trying not to make them again (a quick note on pride, which I have been trying to eliminate from my life: pride gets in the way of accepting your fuck ups, and is great at helping you perpetuate them)... or at least making each instance a little less intense until one day they are no longer part of your repertoire.

The thing with AIG and the bailout bonuses I find disturbing isn't so much that they used bailout money to pay out bonuses... but that a company that so mismanaged its business that it required government help to stay afloat, feels that bonuses, of any kind, are in order.

It reminds me of my University Days (which were some of the greatest days in my little life) where I was introduced to the concept of tenure. I had some great teachers, but they were so rarely tenured. The University would ask us to evaluate our teachers, (uh sorry, professors), but it was generally accepted that nothing would ever be done if they were tenured... an exercise in futility that was further propagated by the fact you could never choose your professor, only your course and time slot... no chance his or her reputation would affect his or her having a class to teach.

There is an art to business and to everything, and there are many wonderful corporations out there, some very incredible teachers and civil servants... and they all have one great thing in common... they care enough to be accountable.

It's OK to mess up, you are not alone... in fact, once you admit your messes you'll find others who will joyfully help you clean them up!