C-Level Speak

The phrase “C-Level” first came to me at the University of Notre Dame. I was there with a “double-domer” (a business associate that earned both his bachelors and masters in the dome) and we were presenting a business plan for a Notre Dame sponsored business plan writing competition.

I learned then that “C-Level” means individuals in an organization whose corporate title was “Chief something”, Chief Information Officer, Chief Executive officer etc. etc.

I later understood that the one thing that separated C-Levels from non C-Levels were their sound bites. Immediately, I ordered a copy of Executive Vocabulary (http://www.executive-vocabulary.com/). While these FIVE! Five! Disks helped it was not the sound bites that I was looking for.

What is this C-Level speak you ask? These are concepts that are then drilled into with an entire nomenclature that is secret to the average employee.

Its not accounting, its not finance it what I like to call “C-Level Speak”

Well, how does this pertain to this blog? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, as I sip my iced coffee (Its 100+ degrees in NYC today) and eat my morning croissant, I am elated to communicate that I am excited and please about my new class.


My new class is named “MAXIMIZING SHAREHOLDER WEALTH MBA/540” WOW!

This is the type of class one would expect from their MBA, whether it was earned online on at a B&M institution.

Immediately I am reading, using and defining words, acronyms and phrases such as:

• Balance Sheet
  
• Income Statement
  
• Accrued Salaries
  
• Shareholder Value
  
• Cash Flow
  
• EBIT
  
• Proxy
  

And an avalanche of others that really dovetails with what I had initially identified as C-Level Speak 3-4 years ago.

The point here is the following; finally I think I have found a class that I was looking for. It sets the tone differently from my last class where hopefully (haven’t received grade as yet I at least recieved a B) which at the end of the day will force me to annul my initial statements about the granular statistics in the class.

See my last email to the professor.

[BEGIN – Kiss ass]

Professor, please find my paper and PowerPoint attached. Once again I wanted to apologize for it being a bit late. I gave this paper rich and fluid thought and enjoyed writing it.

As for the entire class, while I initially communicated that the granular statistics was an impediment to my quest for high level strategic learning, I eventually saw the larger picture at hand that you were trying to deliver to us. There is a place for statistics I every mangers stable of horses.

Thanks again for a great class and a great experience.

Please enjoy the read for I have put grate effort into it.

Thanks a bunch

Richie Etwaru

[END – Kiss ass]

Richie