Everybody knows that things are strange at Bridgewater Associates LP. The stories of its confrontational meetings, its banning of cell phones, the instant feedback on superiors and subordinates are of part of the legend of the firm. But the article in Friday’s Wall Street Journal takes it to a new level. No matter how you slice it, the firm is weird – profitable, of course – but weird.
The one thing that is for sure, though, is that whatever it is seems to be working for Ray Dalio, his colleagues and, of course, his investors. If you haven’t read the article about the supposed rift between him and his presumed heir apparent, Greg Jensen, the firm’s co-CEO, I highly recommend it. It will provide you with some real insight into what’s going on at a very secretive hedge fund that has earned and continues to make significant profits for its investors. Click here to read the story.
On another note, OFA was last week in Miami and the only conference created by the industry for the industry was quite a success. Now, I am not saying that just because I started the event three years ago, but rather because that’s what I was told by a number of those who were there. To be fair, I did get a few complaints, but by and large those in attendance spent two full days learning from and meeting with peers to discuss how to make their operations more efficient in today’s ever-changing environment. If you missed it, check out this link to learn more and secure your space for next year.
THINGS THAT DRIVE ME CRAZY
Bad table manners bug me.
Recently, I was out to dinner with a group of people and quite honestly I was shocked and embarrassed how a few of them acted. It seems that not only does decorum go out the window the minute people are away from home, but give them a couple of drinks and, man, do things get ugly.
Simply put, using a knife and fork properly with a napkin on one’s lap is not too much to ask of so-called professionals. My ten-year-old son and eleven-year-old daughter can sit at a table nicely and act appropriately. I don’t understand why adults seem to have a hard time