Every Company Needs a Good Map

It seems like the company continues to make headlines but fails to make them good ones. The recent announcement, by the private equity firm Cerberus, that it had hired Robert Nardelli to be the new CEO of Chrysler LLC., stays with that pattern.

On the subject of WAYS - What Are You Saying:
1)    An LLC?!? Even VCs won't put money into your company if you are an LLC.
2)    Home Depot's deposed leader? Is that considered industry experience or is Chrysler going to be the DIY car? (Do It Yourself - for repairs and maintenance?)
3)    What will the Unions think? Home Depot was fairly anti-union as I recall.
4)    When will Chrysler decide which of the 5-Fold way type of company it is? (Low-Price, Best Service, Superior Quality, High Tech, Cool) If any company was gonna love the 5-Fold Way, Chrysler should - it's a pentagram!

To their credit, Chrysler has started a blog. The author/moderator for today: The Answer Guy is Jason Vines the New Media VP at the New Chrysler

In the post for today August 7, 2007 he addresses the Nardelli subject:

Now, to those of you who commented on Bob Nardelli's appointment as CEO. A fresh set of eyes from outside the industry can find new and better ways of doing things. Our owners at Cerberus think Bob's incredible track record in successfully running the many businesses he did, at General Electric and on the retail side of Home Depot, can speed up the recovery of The New Chrysler. Everyone's future at Chrysler-our employees, our dealers, our retirees, our supplier partners-rests on a sustainable recovery. We know that. More power to him, if you ask me.

You can read the full post here.

It's as if he is reading my mind. More than likely he is responding to the numerous articles on the subject that are out or that are in production. Good move! (the blog, everything else is still up in the air.)

Still, I have to agree more with the Wall Street Journal from today as well:

But Mr. Nardelli's enthusiasm for the management systems he used in an even earlier job at General Electric might slow the Auburn Hills, Mich., car company down.
...
Even if Mr. Nardelli has learned from his Home Depot problems, Cerberus's choice remains a bit odd. Chrysler faces tough negotiations with its workers over a host of crucial cost-related issues. Bringing in a new boss with a history of ticking off workers could be a tactic to show the United Auto Workers that Cerberus means business. Or it could just impede Chrysler's ability to secure the concessions it needs. For Cerberus, that is a gamble.
-- Lauren Silva and Martin Hutchinson (WSJ article - may require subscription)

Back to my questions:
1)    Chrysler LLC - LLC stands for Limited Liability Corporation. It seems hard to believe that the very corporate structure that most investors will say you have to change, an LLC, is the one they chose for Chrysler. I have no idea what they were thinking but they make more than I do so I would be very interested to know the answer.
2)    If Bob Nardelli had some reputation that would add to Chrysler's image I could see scooping up the misunderstood GE trainee, but he doesn't as far as I know.
3)    In the United States, it is a very difficult time for the unions. Perhaps, as the WSJ article states this is the message that Chrysler is intending to send over any other. "We know we need to make money and we have a pretty good idea that certain contracts are holding us back." These are my words not theirs.
4)    I have been asking this for months. I even posted it on the article for Business Week that Iacocca wrote - they removed it. I think that with the "Get Ready for the next 100 years" slogan they are saying that Superior Quality will be their position but that is just my view.

I put the 4 questions to "The Answer Guy" over on the Chrysler board. I'll link to the answers if he gives them, and if it is allowed (they don't allow links out according to the Terms of Service - TOS). In the meantime - what do you think they are trying to say?