So I had cause to re-watch Office Space over the weekend. The studio released this movie in 1999. It focuses on the corporate absurdities that permeated cubicle life in the late 1990s, with the lead-up to Y2K as a backdrop.
I’ve seen the movie countless times and still find the story of the Bobs—two consultants hired to reduce headcount—hysterical, although the last seven years of hired consultants and annual layoffs is a bit too much art imitating life.
What struck me this time was a throwaway line I hadn’t noticed before. The main characters work for a company named Initech—which, they explain, is a made-up word created by smashing innovation and technology together. Sound familiar?
So the “innovative” naming that made us all Solvers became part of cinematic history over 25 years ago. Make no mistake, folks: these leaders of ours are not bringing anything new. We talk about AI and the positions it will eliminate, but with this crew of senior leaders, we could replace them with a Magic 8-Ball that simply says, “Hire consultants and restructure.” That seems to be their cure for anything that ails us.
Happy Thanksgiving all.