JB
Honorary Moderator Emeritus
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2001
- Messages
- 45,907
Aspeck's thread about the CEO reminded me of this old one.
The Board asked a CEO to resign after several successful years and one bad one. They agreed to have him brief his successor before he left.
When the replacement arrived, he handed him three envelopes, numbered 1 through 3.
"Do what you think is right." He said. "If you get in trouble, open envelope 1. If you get in trouble again, open envelope 2, and so forth." The he left.
The new guy did what he thought was right and the company again prospered. After a couple of years, though, things got bad. He opened envelope 1. It said, "Blame it all on your predecessor."
So he did that and things cleared up and went well for a couple more years. Then things got bad again. He opened envelope 2. It said, "Reorganize. People are getting bored. They need new challenges."
So he reorganized. Gave everyone a new job. Well, again things got even better than ever before. He was a hero, but only for a while. Eventually the wheels started coming off again. He opened envelope 3. It said... .
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"Prepare three envelopes."
The Board asked a CEO to resign after several successful years and one bad one. They agreed to have him brief his successor before he left.
When the replacement arrived, he handed him three envelopes, numbered 1 through 3.
"Do what you think is right." He said. "If you get in trouble, open envelope 1. If you get in trouble again, open envelope 2, and so forth." The he left.
The new guy did what he thought was right and the company again prospered. After a couple of years, though, things got bad. He opened envelope 1. It said, "Blame it all on your predecessor."
So he did that and things cleared up and went well for a couple more years. Then things got bad again. He opened envelope 2. It said, "Reorganize. People are getting bored. They need new challenges."
So he reorganized. Gave everyone a new job. Well, again things got even better than ever before. He was a hero, but only for a while. Eventually the wheels started coming off again. He opened envelope 3. It said... .
>
>
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"Prepare three envelopes."
d