[Hende Nicolas]

John Chen has made the comment how the employees need to think of BlackBerry as a software company, instead of devices as in the past. I think Mr. Chen has to realize that he needs to walk both sides of the street. At least the financial reports say so. His own ego might be getting in his way.

Posted via CB10

Yes, his ego is noticeable. What will be interesting is seeing what he does to protect his reputation if he ends up flying BlackBerry into the ground.

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[Bonsaibo]

I agree with your opinion. Here in the land of the "we" which is Japan, local CEO's constantly use "we" in corporate communications. It becomes very hard to pinpoint who is behind key company decisions and who is accountable for strategic blunders. The sense of shared responsibility that the "we" implies dilutes the fact that C level staff decide the fate of a company despite what most of employees might think.


Posted via CB10 from Passport

I agree. I think, with a CEO, the use of the word "I" is appropriate. I believe at lower levels, perhaps even starting right under the CEO, using " we" is more appropriate to show an "all for one, and one for all" attitude. However, with a CEO, the buck stops with him/her, so taking direct ownership and responsibility is more the way to go.

[andy957]

I agree. I was saddened when during the Classic launch someone asked about battery life and he smugly said he didn't try it yet. Unreal.

Posted from CB10

[early2bed]

What would people think of a head coach that said "I think I have a pretty good chance of making it to the Super Bowl this year"

[Hende Nicolas]

What would people think of a head coach that said "I think I have a pretty good chance of making it to the Super Bowl this year"

Wonderful analogy.

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[Prem WatsApp]

Wonderful analogy.

Posted via CB10

Sports is a bit different, don't you reckon? :-)

�   Pastaporto aglio e olio... Mmmhhh!   �

[Hende Nicolas]

Well, both are teams trying to compete, and win, against opposition...

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[Zedd88]

I do agree that "we" should more often be used to indicate unity. When making business emails or corresponding with clients I often use "we". Examples would be, "We can do this and that" or "We offer the best services in this industry" or "We were awarded the Most Innovative Product of the year.", etc.

However, the use of I can also be compelling and I do use I in certain situations. For example, I use the word I when there is a delay in the project and I need to assure a client. So words such as "I apologize for this." or "I ensure that there will be no more delays." The use of I in this situation means means that I take full responsibility for the shortcoming and I will be on top of things to ensure it won't happen again. Yes, our company is a team, but the use of I in this situation means that the top guy is personally invested in your plight. And so far the response has been better if you use I in such situations rather than using we.

So before we discuss Chen's use of the word "I" I think we should look at what context did he use the word "I". And has he never used the word "we" at all? If so in what context did he use the word "we" or "our" or "us"? Because it can really depend on the situation and the message.

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[Batibreaker]

I think there is that danger, but there is also a danger in not being invested enough in any kind of coherent vision for the company. Can anyone actually say what the BlackBerry vision is at the moment? Enterprise? Then what are all the cute stickers for? Consumers? Then why the anti-expansive subscription costs for BBM, and why the nonexistent marketing?

Right now, BlackBerry are a total shambles in this respect. No clear vision whatsoever. Chen gets up every now and then and smiled cheekily, as though he's got something special up his sleeve, but everyone knows now that he doesn't. It's embarrassing. And it's hilarious in a way that so many people can see what they need to do: focus on enterprise, of course, but also prioritise the expansion of the BBM user base, and SELL SOME PHONES. They keep making themselves look like prize idiots every time a phone is released. Z30? Leap? Passport? What does the average person think? Never even heard of them!

Posted via CB10

Chen's only ability is to speak for ever without saying ANYthing, feeding rumors and misleading expectations.

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[Doggerz]

I agree. I was saddened when during the Classic launch someone asked about battery life and he smugly said he didn't try it yet. Unreal.

Posted from CB10

Chen doesn't like BlackBerry phones. Has no interest in them. His wife hates them even more than he does. If I was the CEO of BlackBerry I'd get to know every unit I sold. And I wouldn't be CEO if I didn't like the phone.

Wish someone who loved BlackBerry were put in his place.

Z30STA100-5 / 10.3.2.2339 / T-Mobile USA

[sigint99]

Anyone who constantly uses "I" in a conversation is most likely a narcissist. Chen likes to take ownership of other peoples work and ideas which renders him nothing more than a glorified bean counter.

[oneinfiniteloop]

If you watched his recent interview @Re-Code 2015, you will see that he says, "I" and then corrects himself to say, "We" - John Chen is indeed listening to his audience...

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[app_Developer]

If you watched his recent interview @Re-Code 2015, you will see that he says, "I" and then corrects himself to say, "We" - John Chen is indeed listening to his audience...

Posted via CB10

I hope he is learning. Our CEO never says "I" unless he's taking blame for something that went wrong or a controversial decision that he wants to take the heat for. That's what good leaders do.

Using "I" all the time as a leader is ugly, condescending, and demotivating to the talented people you lead.