The Devil Reads Vanity Fair—Bad Bosses at the Top
It happens at all levels. You do a good job, exceed your goals and get fired anyway.
Alan Katz, publisher of Vanity Fair, was ousted because his co-worker, the magazine's editor, Graydon Carter, didn't like him. During Katz' less than one year in the job, Vanity Fair's circulation increased 7% and the number of copies sold on the newsstand increased 17%. Yet he got fired.
Put this in perspective. It seems that readers began liking Vanity Fair more when it contained less advertising—the number of advertising pages in the magazine dropped by 15% during Katz' time in his job. So what's wrong with that? It seems that Vanity Fair's management sees the magazine more as a vehicle for generating revenue from advertisers than as a vehicle for adding value to its readers. Less money to pad the overstuffed pockets of executives is intolerable. Had they chosen a long-term objective and given Katz enough time, he would probably have increased both readership and advertising revenue. But business had little to do with his dismissal.
The lesson: If a powerful co-worker doesn't want you around and is in a position to manipulate your boss, you'll never get the chance to finish the good job you started.
Alan Katz, publisher of Vanity Fair, was ousted because his co-worker, the magazine's editor, Graydon Carter, didn't like him. During Katz' less than one year in the job, Vanity Fair's circulation increased 7% and the number of copies sold on the newsstand increased 17%. Yet he got fired.
Put this in perspective. It seems that readers began liking Vanity Fair more when it contained less advertising—the number of advertising pages in the magazine dropped by 15% during Katz' time in his job. So what's wrong with that? It seems that Vanity Fair's management sees the magazine more as a vehicle for generating revenue from advertisers than as a vehicle for adding value to its readers. Less money to pad the overstuffed pockets of executives is intolerable. Had they chosen a long-term objective and given Katz enough time, he would probably have increased both readership and advertising revenue. But business had little to do with his dismissal.
The lesson: If a powerful co-worker doesn't want you around and is in a position to manipulate your boss, you'll never get the chance to finish the good job you started.
