Executive Compensation

[Marvin S]

I'm reading some posts on SOTU about executive compensation - other than some one liners folks have read in their Union rag does anyone have any idea of what's involved in arrivng at that compensation & the skills involved to be eligible for the position? The base rate for exec comp was in the not to distant past 35 times what the top hourly person made, which was for good exec's .

You are acquainted with Peter Lynch's line "If you buy shares in a company, be sure the company can be successfully run by a fool, because eventually that will happen".

[paul young]

I'm reading some posts on SOTU about executive compensation - other than some one liners folks have read in their Union rag does anyone have any idea of what's involved in arrivng at that compensation & the skills involved to be eligible for the position? The base rate for exec comp was in the not to distant past 35 times what the top hourly person made, which was for good exec's .

You are acquainted with Peter Lynch's line "If you buy shares in a company, be sure the company can be successfully run by a fool, because eventually that will happen".

Well Marvin, in the not too distant future, you can post that in the not too distant past the CEO's were making 400 times what the top hourly person was making. By then, they will have figured out how to make 600 times what the top hourly person is making. But wait, some of them already are making 1,000 times what the worker bees make. Now that takes a VERY special skill set! http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortu...eo-pay-ratios/ Inverted pyramid regards!- Paul

[lennie]

"If you buy shares in a company, be sure the company can be successfully run by a fool, because eventually that will happen" In reference to Eastman Kodak Company....no truer words have been spoken...unfortunately for all those that have shares....because it was not run successfully, but definitely by a fool!

[RetrieverNation]

I tend to look at your question as a risk/reward conundrum. There will always be the exceptions or the low points on each side of the bell curve. But for the majority it comes down to how much skin you have in the game.

I have a lot of respect for the person who makes a larger than average investment in their academics, works hard and sets their sites high. Then they go into the job market and bust their butt to get the right credentials and eventually, if they are in the right place at the right time, they may get their chance to be a big shot. Being a big shot means you are responsible when stuff hits the fan and since the Enron days, these big shots now have to sign and be personally responsible for the books (Sarbanes-Oxley). So if you are okay with being held personally accountable for the books that your employees put together (including the idiots), be responsible for the accidents/deaths, sign loan docs, consent decrees, etc., etc. after you have made that huge investment to get where you are in life, then why not do the same thing instead of complain about it.

From my experience these high achiever types also make a lot of personal sacrifices to get where they are but they are willing to take that risk as well. Your question may be better served to attack the criminals that decide to steal when they get in these big shot positions, but to lump them all together is a little ignorant. You may be better off complaining about over-compensated sports figures.

[road kill]

I tend to look at your question as a risk/reward conundrum. There will always be the exceptions or the low points on each side of the bell curve. But for the majority it comes down to how much skin you have in the game.

I have a lot of respect for the person who makes a larger than average investment in their academics, works hard and sets their sites high. Then they go into the job market and bust their butt to get the right credentials and eventually, if they are in the right place at the right time, they may get their chance to be a big shot. Being a big shot means you are responsible when stuff hits the fan and since the Enron days, these big shots now have to sign and be personally responsible for the books (Sarbanes-Oxley). So if you are okay with being held personally accountable for the books that your employees put together (including the idiots), be responsible for the accidents/deaths, sign loan docs, consent decrees, etc., etc. after you have made that huge investment to get where you are in life, then why not do the same thing instead of complain about it.

From my experience these high achiever types also make a lot of personal sacrifices to get where they are but they are willing to take that risk as well. Your question may be better served to attack the criminals that decide to steal when they get in these big shot positions, but to lump them all together is a little ignorant. You may be better off complaining about over-compensated sports figures.

[sick lids]

The cheaper you will work for me the more I will make. No formulas, just as easy as that.... But nothing says that I have to take the risk of hiring and training you, etc. And in case you don't already know, no businesses pay taxes. Those are paid by owners and share holders, that may help you to understand their seemingly exorbitant pay scales.

[Marvin S]

Well Marvin, in the not too distant future, you can post that in the not too distant past the CEO's were making 400 times what the top hourly person was making. By then, they will have figured out how to make 600 times what the top hourly person is making. But wait, some of them already are making 1,000 times what the worker bees make. Now that takes a VERY special skill set! http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortu...eo-pay-ratios/ Inverted pyramid regards!- Paul

Paul, when this thread has wound down I'll discuss those folks with you & why some may be deserving, to a point. You did disappoint me when you did not reply to the AlGore or Chelsea thread - I'll add one to that, Dick Gephardt - Director at F.

OTOH - Lew Gerstner saved IBM, what was that worth? but IBM doesn't have a lot of union folks .

"If you buy shares in a company, be sure the company can be successfully run by a fool, because eventually that will happen" In reference to Eastman Kodak Company....no truer words have been spoken...unfortunately for all those that have shares....because it was not run successfully, but definitely by a fool!

Sen Charles Percy R-IL became very wealthy as the CEO - apparently his vision was about the same as the one he exhibited in the Senate.

I tend to look at your question as a risk/reward conundrum. There will always be the exceptions or the low points on each side of the bell curve. But for the majority it comes down to how much skin you have in the game.

I have a lot of respect for the person who makes a larger than average investment in their academics, works hard and sets their sites high. Then they go into the job market and bust their butt to get the right credentials and eventually, if they are in the right place at the right time, they may get their chance to be a big shot. Being a big shot means you are responsible when stuff hits the fan and since the Enron days, these big shots now have to sign and be personally responsible for the books (Sarbanes-Oxley). So if you are okay with being held personally accountable for the books that your employees put together (including the idiots), be responsible for the accidents/deaths, sign loan docs, consent decrees, etc., etc. after you have made that huge investment to get where you are in life, then why not do the same thing instead of complain about it.

From my experience these high achiever types also make a lot of personal sacrifices to get where they are but they are willing to take that risk as well.

I'm well aware of the preparation & sacrifice needed to, in most cases, achieve that goal. When one sets their sights on that goal, one does not need to abandon who they are as a person, though many do. They begin to believe the plaudits handed to them by folks whose only talent is kissing up .

I have no idea what you do but will say the portion I have oversized certainly indicates your glasses are somewhat rosy - & whose complaining, we're talking about bringing value to the business.

OTOH - I'll offer this comment relayed to me by an employee, "Sex in the right family in this company will go a long way toward where you will eventually finish in management".

Those are paid by owners and share holders,

They are paid by the customers, if the business is to stay afloat.