Andi Owen, the CEO of American furniture company MillerKnoll, is facing backlash after a video of her surfaced on social media in which she is seen asking her employees not to live in a "pity city" and that they should stay motivated even if they don't get a bonus. Ms Owen's reply began with a calm encouragement to staff to "focus on the things you can control," such as providing excellent customer service, as per a report in Fortune Magazine.
She says in the video, "Treat each other well. Be kind. Be respectful. Lead by example."
Ms Owen was addressing employee concerns about the loss of their bonus during what appears to be a town hall in which she is motivating workers to meet a sales target before MillerKnoll's fiscal year finishes at the end of May. "Don't ask about 'what are we going to do if we don't get a bonus?' Get the damn $26 million," she said, citing an internal metric.
She continued, "Spend your time and your effort thinking about the $26 million we need and not thinking about what you're going to do if we don't get a bonus. All right? Can I get some commitment for that?" The CEO, who acknowledged that some of the feedback she received on the topic was "not so nice," made no effort to minimise the risks after many employees reportedly questioned how she expected them to keep themselves motivated if they don't get a bonus.
Replying to the same, she said, "I had an old boss who said to me one time, 'You can visit Pity City but you can't live there.' So people: Leave Pity City. Let's get it done."
However, after the matter blew up on social media, the CEO wrote to her staff over email and apologised for her statement, as reported by VICE. "What I'd hoped would energize the team to meet a challenge we've met many times before landed in a way that I did not intend and for that I am sorry," she said in a mail accessed by the outlet.
As its fiscal year closes in May, MillerKnoll has not yet made a decision regarding incentive payments to employees. According to the company's proxy filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms Owen received compensation of approximately $5 million in 2022 which includes a $1.1 million salary, as well as different stock options and bonus payments
