InformationWeek

To some degree, I think my longevity as our CIO has been the result of a willingness to smile and listen carefully whenever people decide to enlighten me with what they are convinced is the latest project that deserves the full and undivided attention of the systems group. In general, it's rather easy for me to adopt this demeanor because, in fact, on more than one occasion I have received excellent input from people when I kept my own ego in check.

However, there are times when my patience has been tested to the breaking point. Whenever I sense that my tolerance level is in danger of being exceeded, I fall back on some time-tested remedies to avoid a) blowing off what could be a good idea, b) hurting someone's feelings unnecessarily, and c) terminating prematurely my gainful employment.

Recently, I was invited to attend one of Kratmeyer's staff meetings. Invitations to these meetings are neither lightly given nor capriciously refused. Kratmeyer, as head of international operations, is a powerful man in the company. Further, because he has the innate empathy of a rattlesnake when irritated, it's not a wise idea to cause him any unnecessary discomfort. Ergo, I accepted his kind imperial summons with alacrity.

The meeting started with status updates by his subordinates. Since the sales and profit numbers were good, the mood in the room was friendly. I was relaxed. I had only to report on the progress of integrating his latest acquisition and participate in a brainstorming session for new systems initiatives. He was pleased with what we had done with his new business group, so I expected no flak, and I received none.

The hard part was remaining interested for two hours in hearing proposals, the majority of which were impractical, obscenely expensive, or of no possible business value. However, I listened carefully and nodded thoughtfully whenever someone came up with an idea. I demurred appropriately and tactfully (but not vigorously--that could come later, if necessary) whenever anything obviously silly was suggested. Things were going along well, but I was getting bored. It's difficult to maintain enthusiasm when your mind is repeating over and over, "Will they never stop? When will this meeting end?" Fortunately, I was able to keep my sanity, such as it is, by focusing on my key rules for maintaining enthusiasm in just such a situation:

• Take copious notes, especially if you plan never to look at them again. The physical motion of your hand will help keep you awake, and concentrating on the quality of your handwriting will lessen the pain of what is being said. Just remember not to frown when writing. Otherwise, the speaker may think you are making a record of quotes that can be used against him or her at a later time.
• Periodically interject an opinion, remembering to start off with, "As Joe said earlier ý" Joe probably has forgotten what he said, but he'll be your friend because you are thoughtful enough to consider him an important thinker. Besides, hearing the sound of your own voice will keep you from saying something rash.
• Frequently ask a person to expand on how their pet idea can help increase revenue and profits. No matter how silly something sounds initially, it may actually be useful. If it isn't, there is a strong chance that the peers in the room will shoot it down.
• And finally, if everything else fails, remember to be sincere about your enthusiasm--whether you mean it or not.