Management Stripped Bare 117 Rightsize, downsize, best shore, offshore, outsource, optimize, redeploy, downshift, re-engineer. How many ways are there of avoiding saying straight up: we are going to lay off staff/make staff redundant? Thank you. Normally `Thank you' is good, except when used by automated voices at call centres saying `Thank you for calling, we value your call... (and we have so much contempt for our customers that we cannot be bothered to answer your call promptly so we will put you on hold until you give up and try to use our impenetrable and useless online help instead).' Interesting. Fear this word. When your lawyer uses it, you are doomed. When your doctor uses it, check that your will is up to date. The recession is certainly interesting. A slightly less interesting time would be preferable. Investment. When used by financial advisers, this is an invitation to lose all your money, especially if it is a time limited, special, unique offer just for you. When used by politicians this is a polite way to refer to uncontrolled spending on social programmes (investing in the NHS, schools, regeneration, etc). Opportunity. Because the word `problem' has been banned in business speak, all problems have become opportunities. This means many opportunities are problems. There is a limit to how many opportunities I can solve. An important, interesting and strategic opportunity is called the death star assignment. Avoid at all costs. Lawyers and the revolution When the revolution comes, it will not be all bad news for managers. Of course, we can expect to join our colleagues in being put up against the wall and shot. At least we should have the pleasure of seeing the lawyers shot before us. In the meantime, we have to deal with them. The world is getting ever more litigious and rights aware. Trust is a good way to do business when things are going well. But it provides no cover when things go wrong. And by then, it is too late to bring in the lawyers. Bring them in early: prevention is better than cure. But pick your lawyers with care. Lawyers who are business focused are worth their weight in gold. Good lawyers focus on what you can do, not on what you cannot do. Avoid the ones who insist on swamping the entire business with