Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 22:10:48 +0100
From: Paul Mathias <pmat-AT-ext.jussieu.fr>
Subject: Re: PLC: Meaning of Meaning, and political correctness


James Ralph Westfall wrote:

> A man hired as the new CEO of Acme Widget Corp. arrives on his first
> day
> on the job to his office. There, he finds a letter addressed to him on
> his
> desk. It says that in his new desk there are three envelopes, numbered
>
> one, two, three, which are only to be opened in case of grave
> emergencies
> during his tenure--at the rate of one envelope per crisis. After his
> first
> quarter the company's stock takes a dump, so he opens the first
> envelope;
> it says, "blame your failures on your predecessor." The CEO puts out a
>
> statement to that effect. Later that year, after yet another bad
> showing,
> he opens the next letter. It says "reorganize the company." He does
> so.
> Finally, after a year passes with no turnaround after reorganization,
> the
> CEO opens the last letter. It says, "Write three letters."

I've been knowing this story since about the age of 13/15 -- I can't
really remember by now (I'm 40 sharp). Only it wasn't about CEO's and
companies going through this or that crisis. It was about Stalin leaving
three envelopes to Krouchtchev... How time flies...! And how modest is
today's America!

pM





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