Everything Runs in Cycles OR Nothing Good or Bad Lasts Forever

In my many years in the business world, I’ve seen plenty of ups and downs in the economy as a whole, and with the companies where I was working.  I used to joke that my career was filled with a great deal of non-profit organization experience, but the companies didn’t start out that way.  So when I’ve been laid off in the past, I always knew that there was something just as good or better waiting for me, and that always proved to be true.  Even when I stayed with companies during tough times, I knew that the cycle would end and the company would improve the bottom line in the future.

What I’d like to discuss is how some of my organizations reacted during the good, or high cycle times.  I started at one company at the peak of profitability and was in the process of decorating my office.  I had two posters that I wanted hung in my office, and between the two of them, their total cost was about $15.  I was expecting to spend a small amount of money to hang them, but found out that the people in charge of seeing that the work got done, spent over $800 to get them framed.  I was appalled but was told that we had to spend the money while it was there or we would lose it for the next year.

I don’t know how many companies still employ tactics like this, but I’ve always thought this was ludicrous.  Even in good times, I tried to be a little more frugal than my peers.  Everything that goes up will eventually come down.  How do you handle these things where you work?

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT BELOW…….