Another One Bites The Dust: John Kelly Resigning At The End Of The Year

In the business world, when employees are leaving a company en masse, there are usually two reasons. The first reason is that the company is having financial issues and either whole departments are being eliminated or individual employees are seeing the writing on the wall and leaving before they are let go. The second reason is that there is an issue with management. An employee’s relationship with their direct manager can and will make or break their time with that specific company.

One of the tidbit of news coming from Washington D.C. over the past few days is that John Kelly will be resigning from his post as White House Chief of Staff at the end of the year. The hope was that when he took over from Reince Priebus last year, that he would be the adult in the room. That hope faded as soon as the tax cuts negotiations ended.

Though a few names were suggested to replace John Kelly, the most prominent one belongs to Nick Ayers, who has been Vice President Mike Pence’s Chief of Staff since last summer. Not only did he turn down the job, but he too announced that he would be leaving his job at the end of the year.

I find it ironic that while you know who mocked his predecessor for having three Chiefs of Staff during his tenure, he will soon be on his third Chief of Staff, whoever he or she maybe. While Barack Obama had three people in the position during his 8 years in office, you know who is halfway through his first term.

He think he can do it all himself, that he knows it all. He doesn’t need anyone’s advice or input. He is right and anyone who disagrees with him is wrong. That is, in my experience, the worst management style and the reason why many people change jobs.

Another one bites the dust. I wonder who is next.

 

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Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Memoirs of a Literary Forger Book Review

Any artist who is working toward the goal of earning their living via their art will often refer to the following quote by Thomas Edison:

“Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

But even with that 99% perspiration, success is not always guaranteed.

In the early 1990’s, writer Lee Israel‘s career was in the toilet. Unable to maintain another form of employment and living in New York City, she started forging and selling letters from famous writers who have passed on. Things went well until the law was onto her scheme. Her story is told in the 2008 memoir, Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Memoirs of a Literary Forger and the movie, Can You Ever Forgive Me? starring Melissa McCarthy that was released earlier this year.

I loved this book. Lee Israel was a woman who pulled no punches and meant every word that she said. While the way she brought in income was not exactly legally or morally sound, the woman had guts. She created fiction in a way that was still writing, even if she broke a few rules along the way.

I recommend it.