A New Manager Starts At A Company...

...and finds 3 envelopes in his new desk. The first says "Open during your first major crisis." After a few months at his company, sales fall badly and his department begins losing a lot of money. He opens the first envelope, and a note inside it says "Organise a meeting with the shareholders. Blame your predecessor's unrealistic targets and unachievable goals." The manager does as the envelope says, and to his relief the shareholders agree and understand.

Sales pick back up soon after, however after a few more months the manager's department loses most of their major clients to a foreign competitor and many salespeople resign. The manager looks at the next envelope in his desk, which says "Open during your second major crisis." The manager opens it, and a note inside it says "Organise a meeting with the shareholders. Blame the economic downturn, and the strength of the Dollar/Euro/Yen to the Pound." Following the success of the previous advice, the manager organises another meeting with the shareholders and explains how the strength of the Yen against the Pound during the recession allowed their Japanese competitor to undercut their prices. The shareholders again understand, and the manager feels even greater relief than before.

A few more months after this issue, customer complaints in the manager's department become overwhelming, and the manager cannot afford to fix every client's problems. The manager looks at the final envelope in his desk, which reads "Open during your third major crisis." The manager opens it, and the note inside it says "Prepare three envelopes."