Mark Evans

Today's the Day for Nortel…Actually, No!

There are rumblings Nortel may release its 2004 fourth-quarter and annual results laster today. Then again, it may wait until after the markets close tomorrow so it can get analysts even more upset. It's puzzling why Nortel insists on setting these kind of internal deadlines. All they do is create expectations that hurt you if you fail to meet them. During my short and rather undistinguished tenure as a dot-com entrpreneur, my boss ( and friend) sent me to a personal organization course where they taught you to set priorities, etc. The one lesson that resonated with me was “under promise and over deliver”. You tell people something will be done by Wednesday, and they're thrilled if you deliver it Tuesday night. Maybe Bill Owens should take this course. I can give him the telephone number.
Update (5 p.m. Thursday): Nortel will not file its numbers until after the markets close tomorrow. This doesn't mean the numbers will be available Friday but that Nortel will submit its documentations to the SEC. It could not be until Monday morning that Nortel's numbers are released for public consumption. Let's hope it holds a lengthy conference call rather than following recent practice of a four-question, mini-session that leaves people with more questions than they began.