The beatings continue until morale improves
Upper management in my unit held an "all-hands" meeting the other day at a nearby hotel conference room. Breakfast at 7:30. Powerpoints promptly at 8:00. Meetings like this are primarily corporate newspeak: lots of words you sort of recognize, but used in ways that have been drained of all meaning. Still, to the expert listener, much can be learned; more indeed than the speakers usually intends. Here's what I learned: "We need to work smarter, better, faster." Translation: more unpaid overtime. "We are a global organization and our internal customers expect us to be available." Translation: more unpaid overtime. "You can telecommute as long as you use it to address customer needs in the the evening and weekends." Translation: more unpaid overtime from home as well as the office.