A
part of the company – the business that was the old heartland of the enterprise
– was being spun off. The people going with the spin-off fully understood the
meaning.
Companies
don’t spin off operations or businesses that are highly profitable, with
long-term prospects for success, no matter what anyone might say. No, companies
spin off businesses that “no longer fit the portfolio,” won’t produce the
desired level of profit, or – best-case scenario – will just chug along at a less-than-desirable
return on investment.
It
was a wrenching experience. The new company had nine months to prepare – create
an organization, find a new name, fight over assets, select management teams,
file a raft of legal documents, apply for stock registration, and prepare employees
for a new world.
Management
was struggling over the best way to launch the company. No one felt like
celebrating. The situation felt more like a funeral than a birth.
The
poet was asked to figure it out.
To
continue reading, please see my post today at Tweetspeak
Poetry.
Photograph by Petr Kratochvil via Public
Domain Pictures. Used with permission.
