Somewhat related from "The Prince" by Machiavelli:
in seizing a state, the usurper ought to examine closely into all those injuries which it is necessary for him to inflict, and to do them all at one stroke so as not to have to repeat them daily
Also:
men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot
And cut when other companies are cutting. My company did fairly small layoffs about a year before everyone else started. I imagine the hire ups wish they had waited to do deeper cuts when everyone else was cutting.
