A new manager spends a week at his new office with
the manager he is replacing. On the last day the
departing manager tells him, "I have left three
numbered envelopes in the desk drawer. Open an
envelope if you encounter a crisis you can't solve."
Three months down the track there is a major drama,
everything goes wrong - the usual stuff - and the
manager feels very threatened by it all. He remembers
the parting words of his predecessor and opens the
first envelope. The message inside says "Blame your
predecessor!" He does this and gets off the hook.
About half a year later, the company is experiencing
a dip in sales, combined with serious product problems.
The manager quickly opens the second envelope. The message
read, "Reorganize!" This he does, and the company quickly
rebounds.
Three months later, at his next crisis, he opens the
third envelope. The message inside says "Prepare three envelopes".