What gives Adams grist for the "Dilbert" mill is the way managers mishandle downsizing, not only in the often cruel manner in which the news is broken, but in its sometimes counterproductive effects. Nynex, for instance, has shed thousands of employees since 1990. Union rules protect senior workers, "but our younger employees were the ones who had taken more time to educate themselves," says a remaining technician. "We have actually gotten rid of our best people." This practice — of getting rid of the brightest workers — happens so often that it has its own term: brightsizing.

In this era of downsizing, rightsizing and even brightsizing (maybe it is simply downright brightsizing), organizations are exploring alternatives to the traditional SNA method of accessing mainframe applications.

Instead of "right-sizing," our company is "bright-sizing." That's when all the bright people leave!