The House that Pat Built

Last Thursday night, I went to the IDG Alumni Reunion in Newton, MA, a sold-out affair with 250 attendees and many more on a waiting list.  I worked for IDG from 1981 - 1983, starting as a staff writer for ComputerWorld and moving pretty rapidly to Senior Editor/Software.  Catching up with my old colleagues like Bill Laberis and Cheryl Gelb (now Eppsteiner) really took me back to my earliest days in the technology industry.  The editor who hired me at CW, Drake Lundell was there with his wife and former CW Editor Nancy French Lundell.  He actually hired me twice -- the second time at PCWeek (now eWeek).  There were folks from all of the various publications, IDC, and IDG itself.  The latter figured largely in a series of photos, which was kicked off by a funny 007 spoof that starred IDG founder Pat McGovern as "The Man from IDG."  McGovern spoke briefly and clearly was touched that all of these people who had fanned out from the company he founded many years ago had elected to get together in the middle of this crazy economic downturn.

A lot of the discussion involved comparing notes about the impact on business and jobs.  But one piece of the conversation, with my former colleague Catherine Marenghi, reminded me of McGovern's style of management.  I still have in my memorabilia some of the notes he used to send employees on the corny news-boy illustrated stationery that singled out the "good news" of something you accomplished.  As Software Editor, I got one that highlighted a great front page story I wrote.  And every year before Christmas, McGovern would personally hand each employee a bonus check, saying something specific about your contribution (after a quick side briefing by one of his team.)  He would tell me how important software was to the publication.  I knew he really didn't know who I was, but the fact that he still took the time to make the effort meant something -- the notes, the hand-shakes, the personal thank yous.

In these days of a struggling economy, it's really relationships, reputation and networks that will pull all of us through and help us succeed when things improve.  Pat McGovern certainly set a great example and people like me who got their start in the tech industry in the company he created are doing our best to honor his legacy and take it forward.

Thanks, Pat!