Picture credit: Sarabbit
Here are a couple of thought-provoking questions:
- What is the best advice you have been given by a predecessor?
- What advice do you give your successor?
Reflecting on your answers might help to avoid falling into the traps of the three envelope gag (see below) which painfully describes the all too common difficulty of transmitting hard-won management wisdom and insight.
We all lose out if we fail to receive, and eventually pass on, valuable insights effectively. Too much time is spent re-inventing the wheels of fortune.
the three envelope gag
The three envelope gag has been around for many years; for those who have not yet come acrosss it, here is a version widely available on the web:
Morris had just been hired as the new Director of a large high tech corporation. The Director who was stepping down met with him privately and presented him with three numbered envelopes…#1, #2, #3. “Open these if you run up against a problem you don’t think you can solve,” the departing Director said.
Well, things went along pretty smoothly, but 6 months later, sales took a downturn and Morris was really catching a lot of heat. About at his wit’s end, he remembered the envelopes. He went to his drawer and took out the first envelope. The message read, “Blame your predecessor.” Morris, the new Director, called a press conference and tactfully laid the blame at the feet of the previous Director. Satisfied with his comments, the press and Wall Street responded positively, sales began to pick up and the problem was soon behind him.
About a year later, the company was again experiencing a slight dip in sales, combined with serious product problems. Having learned from his previous experience, the Director quickly opened the second envelope. The message read, “Reorganize.” This he did, and the company quickly rebounded.
After several consecutive profitable quarters, the company once again fell on difficult times. Morris went to his office, closed the door and opened the third envelope. The message said, “Prepare three envelopes.”
If you want to break the power of the envelope gag, please think about your answers to my questions:
- What is the best advice you have been given by a predecessor?
- What advice do you give your successor?
