Why is it, readers often ask, that I never write about good corporate communication, but serve up an unvaried diet of bad.

There are three reasons for this. The first is that the negative is deeply rooted in my psyche. The second is because most of us like reading about guff as it’s funnier and makes us feel superior. And the third is an almost complete absence of supply of the good stuff.

For one week only, I’m changing the pattern. Last week I came by chance on some startlingly sharp business writing, made even more freakish as it was in an area where communication is invariably dismal – statements of values and purpose. But before settling down to extol it, I can’t resist a small fix of guff, as a reminder of how bad things have become.