The CEO finally spoke. “Brad… did you personally review this material?” Brad adjusted his tie, beads of sweat forming near his temples. “Of course,” he lied. “This represents months of team effort.” He clicked again. The next slide featured a bullet list reading, “1) More Synergy 2) Less Boring 3) Profit???”
The COO leaned forward. “Is that… a question mark?” Brad froze. “It’s… aspirational.” The word hung in the air like a broken drone. The room collectively leaned back in their chairs. Someone in finance muttered, “Is this satire?” The silence that followed was almost compassionate. Almost.