三個信封

A new manager was starting his first day at a company that had been having a difficult year. As the old manager was clearing out his desk, he handed his replacement three numbered envelopes. "When you run into trouble," he said, "open these, one at a time, in order." Things went well for the first six months. Then sales dropped, and the board started asking awkward questions. The new manager was worried, so he opened the first envelope. The message inside said: "Blame your predecessor." So he did. He called a meeting and explained that the company's problems had started long before he arrived. The board nodded, and everyone calmed down. About a year later, the company hit trouble again. Profits fell, and staff were unhappy. The manager opened the second envelope. It said: "Reorganise." So he did. He moved teams around, changed job titles and announced an exciting new structure. The board was impressed, and things soon got back on track. Another year passed, and once again the company was in serious difficulty. The manager went to his drawer and opened the third and final envelope. It said: "Prepare three envelopes."