Every large organization is likely to have loads of fat in their budget. Unfortunately the people managing the organization rarely see it. To give you an example, I worked for a large company in Connecticut some time ago. I was the controller for the manufacturing division employing about 2,300. We were not successful financially and I was asked to put together a budget that would improve the situation. After much effort I was able to identify 17 people who could be let go. I also put together a list of the risks we would face if we laid them off. I presented my plan to the company and a new person who had just been hired from the outside reviewed my plan and recommended that we lay off 1,100 employees. I thought he was crazy. Later, he became my boss and laid off 1,100 employees and the whole operation became more efficient. I learned so much from this man. He also told me that the head of the operation should never stay at that position for more than five years. If he does, he becomes part of the problem.
