What do you suppose it means when you read that a president or chief financial officer has resigned all his posts at a company but will continue to act as a consultant to it? The impression given is that he or she will get paid for flying visits to drop pearls of wisdom on some grand new departure planned by the firm, but we have a suspicion that all it means is that the guy is on a small retainer to make himself available to answer such questions as what the hell does this scribbled note on this delinquent invoice mean? and where the devil is the key to the men’s washroom?