Not missing management

This piece of paper in my humor file is only 15 years old.  In fact, the joke is still available on-line.  This version is copied from a blog called jokemail.  The blog says, "Like most people with email I've been receiving jokes of dubious quality from friends with email for a number of years.  I thought I'd post them on a blog site.  I make no apologies for the fact that you've probably read them all before." This one is dated 9/28/2006.  So nine years later, I post it again as an even older joke.

There are many things I am missing about active officership in these early days of retirement.  But there are are some things I am more than happy to be spared from.  Among the latter are the challenges of getting things done and communicating well in a management-driven environment.  This pokes fun at Management Reports and their review:

The saga of management reviews of reports

Question: How many feet do mice have?

Original reply: Mice have four feet.

Management comment: Elaborate.

Revision 1: Mice have five appendages, four of which are feet.

Management comment: No discussion of fifth apendage.

Revision 2: Mice have five appendages; four of them are feet and one is tail.

Management comment: What? Feet without legs?

Revision 3: Mice have four legs, four feet, and one tail per mouse.

Management comment: Confusing. Is that a total of 9 appendages?

Revision 4: Mice have four leg-foot assemblies and one tail per body.
Management comment: Does not fully discuss the issue.

Revision 5: Each mouse comes equipped with four legs and a tail. Each leg is equipped with a foot at the end opposite to the body; the tail is not equipped with a foot.
Management comment: Descriptive but not decisive.

Revision 6: Allotment for mice will be:
FOUR LEG-FOOT ASSEMBLIES, ONE TAIL.
Deviation from this policy is not permitted as it would constitute misapportionment of scarce appendage assets.
Management comment: Too authoritative, stifles creativity.

Revision 7: Mice have four feet; each foot is attached to a small leg joined integrally with the overall mouse structural sub-system. Also attached to the mouse sub-system is a thin tail, non functional and ornamental in nature.
Management comment: Too verbose and scientific. Answer the question.

Final Revision: Mice have four feet.
Management comment: Approved.