"4 New Envelopes" joke

The New Manager Walks Into His Office And, While Settling Into His New Desk, Finds 4 Envelopes. On One He Finds The Words "Open Me First," And The Others Are Numbered One To Three.

He Opens The First Envelope And Finds A Letter From His Predecessor Saying: "These Three Envelopes Will Save You A World Of Trouble. In Case Of Emergency, Please Open These Envelopes In Sequential Order; Envelope One First, Envelope Two Second, And Envelope Three Third."

The Manager Shrugs, Puts The Envelopes Back, And Forgets About Them.

Six Months Later, The Workers Go On Strike. The Company Closes, And Is Losing Money Fast.

After A Long Night Negotiating With The Union, He Remembers The 3 Envelopes. So He Opens The First One And It Says: "Blame Me, Your Predecessor For Every Thing."

Wonderful Idea He Thinks, And Indeed It Works And The Crisis Comes To Its End. His Job Is Saved, And Everybody's Happy.

A Year Later, A Company Scandal Hits The Press. Again, Sales Slump And It Seems Like The Company Will Not Survive. He Goes To The Drawer And Opens The Second Envelope. It Reads, "Blame The Government For Everything."

It Works Like A Charm, And He Breathes A Sigh Of Relief As His Job Is, Once Again, Saved.

A Couple Years There Is A Supply Shortage And Production Slows To A Halt. No Matter What He Tries, He Cannot Get The Problem Resolved. Finally, The Manager Goes Directly To The Third Envelope And It Reads, "Prepare 4 New Envelopes."