Nature Of Logic And Perception

Abstract

The following paper describes the thought process I used to assume the company I worked for was going out of business and creating a financial nightmare for me and my family. I will discuss the signs that made me come to that conclusion ad what really happened. Most importantly I will discuss what I learned from my mistake.

The Situation

The organization I worked for was technical startup company coming off the success of the 1990's technology boom, and I was making enough money to live comfortably. Of course all good things come to an end, the quarterly feasts and parties gave way to budget cuts and dwindling profits. Then in early 2001 we experienced our first reduction of force in the history of our company. Even though it was only three people that one event started a linty of rumors and panic attacks. Later on that same year, I noticed outside groups looking at our building, counting cubicles and holding all day meetings with the executive team and human recourses. I immediately assumed the worst; they were planning an exit strategy and it was only a matter of time when the doors would close and I would lose my job. My perception could not be further from the truth.

The Truth

When the secret meetings started, I began determining how long I had and what I was going to do once the inevitable happened. Productive days of before were a memory, and everyone, including myself were to busy discussing the downfall of the organization, what our severance package would be and what went wrong. This destructive behavior went on for weeks and nothing was accomplished other than a rumor mill website designed by our highly paid engineering staff; until on Friday morning when our CEO called an all company meeting to discuss pressing company business. It was obvious to me that this was it, and I wondered what my severance check was while I walked to the meeting. When I got to the cafeteria the executive team was sitting there smiling as they announced due to economic conditions our strongest competitor was struggling and that we had acquired them. It was announced that no jobs were lost and much of the technology staff we purchased would relocate to Colorado. I could not have been more wrong in my initial assessment and what was weird about it, I was a bit disappointed.

Why the difference

What could have made me so wrong? I was not just a little off, I was dead wrong. I guess it started with