# Corporate Mutiny II, Electric Bugaloo **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 17, 2014, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-mutiny-ii-electric-bugaloo/690978 "2014-06-17T12:00:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-mutiny-ii-electric-bugaloo/690978/1 "2014-06-17T12:00:01Z")
There have been some interesting developments since our [last update](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=724979) that I thought I’d share. Our CEO made an announcement that 1) We are bringing in an executive consulting firm to review how we do business and advise how to get to the next level (operating in the black) 2) He (the CEO) will be taking a three-week vacation, during which time he will be transferring executive powers to these consultants 3) During this period, the consultants will be interviewing everyone in the company to gain insights, etc. It’s my opinion that the CEO won’t be back from his “vacation”. I had a conversation with my boss, and he told me that when the time comes for my interview, I should try to find a way to tell the consultants about the CEO’s faults without sounding like I was criticizing (much like the ‘Brutus Speech’ suggestion in the other thread on this topic). ---
**Author:** ![Lowdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Lowdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowdown)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-mutiny-ii-electric-bugaloo/690978/2 "2014-06-17T14:30:09Z")
Kudos to you. This is way more drama than I would ever handle. The first part of this saga I could see, but right after having that “conversation with my boss” I’d be looking for a different job. Maybe I’m reading too much into it. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-mutiny-ii-electric-bugaloo/690978/3 "2014-06-17T14:47:46Z")
I think the CEO is gone, and my boss goes with him. I’m going to take a run at my bosses job if he gets booted. If, as advertised, the consultants just come in and make a bunch of recommendations and then leave, I’ll be ok with that too. Basically, I’m in an accelerated learning environment for senior management, which is exactly what I wanted. The problems with an environment like this are numerous and obvious, but the advantages are also pretty big as well. I was thinking I’d stay a year and move on, but I’ve got a lot more I can accomplish and learn here, so I’ll probably stick around longer (unless this whole consulting engagement goes the wrong way on me, which I doubt). But yeah, it’s a lot of drama and I’d rather not have to deal with it. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-mutiny-ii-electric-bugaloo/690978/4 "2014-06-17T15:04:35Z")
The consultants may be there just to see if the company is salvageable or should be sold or shut down. What you tell them may be part of that decision or it may not, but in any case, if you can see how to fix it, say so, in detail. Look forward and be objective. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-mutiny-ii-electric-bugaloo/690978/5 "2014-06-17T19:16:06Z")
> [@Winston\_Smith](#): > > He (the CEO) will be taking a three-week vacation, during which time he will be transferring executive powers to these consultants 3) During this period, the consultants will be interviewing everyone in the company to gain insights, etc. Sounds kind of “Office Space”-ey. I’d be more worried that they are going to shit-can a bunch of people than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-mutiny-ii-electric-bugaloo/690978/6 "2014-06-17T19:30:53Z")
Hmm, “outplacement” like the kind of consultant George Clooney played in _Up in the Air_? They’d only need one guy to tell you about your severance package, maybe a security guard too, and it would only be a one-day engagement at most. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-mutiny-ii-electric-bugaloo/690978/7 "2014-06-17T20:55:16Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Sounds kind of “Office Space”-ey. I’d be more worried that they are going to shit-can a bunch of people than anything else. He’ll be OK as long as he remembers the cover sheets on his TPS Reports. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-mutiny-ii-electric-bugaloo/690978/8 "2014-06-17T23:07:15Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > He’ll be OK as long as he remembers the cover sheets on his TPS Reports. Yeah, and are the consultants all named “Bob”? Is the boss named “Lumberg”? OP, when you talk to the consultants, make sure they know what you “do”. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-mutiny-ii-electric-bugaloo/690978/9 "2014-06-18T13:54:10Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Sounds kind of “Office Space”-ey. I’d be more worried that they are going to shit-can a bunch of people than anything else. This place has a total Office space vibe to it. No doubt. It’s crossed my mind that they might be canning people, but I kind of doubt it. We’re a small company, we’ve trimmed all the fat already, and (with a couple exceptions) we’re running with highly capable and industrious people. Going to work for a startup entails these sorts of risks, so I know what I was getting myself into. Hopefully they’ll shake up or shake out the Execs and start selling the product. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-mutiny-ii-electric-bugaloo/690978/10 "2014-06-18T13:57:00Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Hmm, “outplacement” like the kind of consultant George Clooney played in _Up in the Air_? > > They’d only need one guy to tell you about your severance package, maybe a security guard too, and it would only be a one-day engagement at most. I honestly don’t think it’s that dire a situation. Our gap to profitability isn’t huge and we have a good customer base. I think we just lack steering. And sales. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-mutiny-ii-electric-bugaloo/690978/11 "2014-06-18T14:03:50Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Yeah, and are the consultants all named “Bob”? Is the boss named “Lumberg”? > > OP, when you talk to the consultants, make sure they know what you “do”. Yeah, we call the consultants “the Bobs”. And sadly, our 24X7 customer support line folks report to me, so I’d be Lumberg. And Friday is Hawaiian shirt day. I think only a couple of us know the Office Space tie-in, be it should be fun ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-mutiny-ii-electric-bugaloo/690978/12 "2014-06-18T14:13:36Z")
I always loved this scene from that movie. Sadly, I find it very easy to identify with Tom’s desperate attempts at justifying his existence. (And to the OP: good luck on the corporate changes.) BOB SLYDELL So what you do is you take the specifications from the customers and you bring them down to the software engineers? TOM That, that’s right. BOB PORTER Well, then I gotta ask, then why can’t the customers just take the specifications directly to the software people? TOM Well, uh, uh, uh, because, uh, engineers are not good at dealing with customers. BOB SLYDELL You physically take the specs from the customer? TOM Well, no, my, my secretary does that, or, or the fax. BOB SLYDELL Ah. BOB PORTER Then you must physically bring them to the software people. TOM Well . . . no. Yeah, I mean, sometimes. BOB SLYDELL Well, what would you say . . . you do here? TOM Well, look, I already told you; I deal with the goddamn customers so the engineers don’t have to! I have people skills! I am good at dealing with people! Can’t you understand that?!? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?