Personal Development Plan

Fall, 2000

A KIDNAPPERS MANIFESTO

Geo^rgia Tangi:

Andy G^ruenbaum is being held fo^r ^rransom. The ^ransom is set at $1,000,000. In the case you have any hesitation in hono^ring ou^r ^ransom demands, a bio/pe^rsonality ^review is being p^rovided. Afte^r ^realizing how se^rious we we^re in ou^r demands, M^r. G^ruenbaum p^rovided this info^rmation. Additional inst^ructions will follow. Let the ^remainde^r of the info^rmation be a testimony to the possible value of you^r $1,000,000.

Since no one else seems to have the money to ^release And^rew, we a^re coming to you in the hope that you will pa^rt with some of you^r ^recent lotte^ry winnings. If you will^recall, Andy is a fo^rme^r student of you^rs. He mentioned you as being an inst^ructo^r he enjoyed du^ring his MBA p^rog^ram. He also ^refe^rred to you as being a ^right-b^rained pe^rson who has t^rue feelings fo^r othe^rs. He is hoping you will act on those feeling as you continue to ^read this lette^r. His family misses him te^rribly, but they will settle fo^r the nice life insu^rance settlement if he is not ^retu^rned.

You might ask, “Why would you kidnap M^r. G^ruenbaum?”. The answe^r is simple. If he would have w^ritten us a couple of checks to assist us in keeping the doo^rs of ou^rcha^rity open, none of this would have happened. Because he suspected our cha^rity of being a scam, he constantly abused and was ^rude to ou^r telema^rketing pe^rsonnel. His actions have placed his life in the p^reca^rious position it is now. Of cou^rse, cash will not completely ^repai^r ou^r damaged p^ride, but it ce^rtainly will not hu^rt. If you continue to ^read, we believe you will ^realize the value of you^r ^ransom payment. If you stop ^reading now, you will be jeopa^rdizing M^r. G^ruenbaum’s life.

As p^reviously mentioned, M^r. G^ruenbaum has p^rovided us with all of the enclosed pages in the hope you will ^remembe^r him. He ^received an excellent g^rade on his pape^r when he tu^rned it in 3 yea^rs ago, and he believes you^r ^re^reading of them will encou^rage you to pay the ^ransom.

Please ^read the “Mission Statement” now.

It ce^rtainly would be a loss to let such a good pe^rson ^reach an untimely demise, don’t you think? We ce^rtainly do. He has been a token example of how a kidnapee should act. We like a p^risone^r who can take his beatings well.

Afte^r b^rowsing th^rough And^rew’s dia^ry, we b^ring you some of his accomplishments since completing you^r class almost 3 yea^rs ago.

And^rew has been employed by Applied Innovation fo^r five yea^rs. Afte^r a yea^r of the MBA p^rog^ram, his employe^r c^reated a ma^rketing position fo^r him. The challenges of being a webmaste^r we^re fo^rcing Andy to be less and less c^reative, and mo^re and mo^re of a p^rog^ramme^r. Ma^rketing allowed Andy to use his mo^re c^reative side, and to keep the detailed pa^rt of his wo^rk to a minimum. The ability to telecommute two days pe^r week and wo^rk in a position he enjoys has made And^rew a loyal employee.

The continued flexibility in his employment combined with all the f^ree time Andy had available afte^r completing his MBA p^rogram, allowed Andy to sta^rt a small inte^rnet consulting company, The G^ruenbaum G^roup. Andy is p^rima^rily in cha^rge of sales while his five pa^rt-time employees help him complete the wo^rk. The secu^rity of a seconda^ry income allows Andy to keep the p^ressu^res of wo^rk in pe^rspective. If he loses his day job, it will give him the oppo^rtunity to spend mo^re time on his own business.

Since g^raduating last yea^r, the G^ruenbaums have added anothe^r son to thei^r household. Th^ree child^ren keep the household ve^ry busy. Dishes and diape^rs a^re always piling up, but young families expe^rience a lot of both of these.

Andy is ^running fo^r a school boa^rd position this fall fo^r the local school dist^rict. Once he sta^rts a ca^ree^r in public se^rvice he is not su^re whe^re it will lead him. If he can continue to take on positions of g^reate^r ^responsibility without sac^rificing his family, he may continue moving up th^rough the public se^rvice ^ranks.

If his most ^recent accomplishments and his love of family a^re not enough to convince you that he is wo^rth ou^r $1,000,000 demand, then let us spell it out a little mo^re clea^rly.

Please^read the “Self Analysis” now.

And^rew seemed to be ve^ry honest as he add^ressed his st^rengths and weaknesses. He obviously did not see kidnapping as a th^reat. We p^refe^r to view his ci^rcumstances as an oppo^rtunity to see what he is ^really wo^rth.

Please ^read the “Competencies” now.

We would hate to see this talent go to waste, but we a^re willing to t^ry if you igno^re ou^r ^requests. Good thing And^rew does not list piano playing as an a^rea fo^rimp^rovement; his abilities will soon be two digits sho^rt of two full hands.

If you have ^read this fa^r, Andy must have been accu^rate in thinking of you as a ca^ring pe^rson. Now it is all up to you. We hope you ^recognize the p^redicament young And^rew has gotten into. Although his family wishes him well, they a^re looking fo^rwa^rd to a la^rge insu^rance settlement. Thus, we cannot ^rely on them to ^respond to ou^r demands. You a^re And^rew’s last chance. Let you^r conscience be you^r guide and act acco^rdingly.

You will be contacted ve^ry soon to dete^rmine you^r inte^rest in p^roviding salvation fo^r And^rew. At that time, we will give you the details of the exchange.