Time Inc. CEO Ann Moore is being celebrated with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Magazine Publishers of America, because if anyone deserves an industry pat on the back, it's the woman who's currently cutting 600 jobs at her company right now. What, was Joanne Lipman too busy scrambling to save the shards of her career to accept an award?

Although this does bring up an interesting point: whatever you want to say about Portfolio in the Condé Nast hierarchy, it's been butting heads with the mandatory 5% layoffs since they were announced. And that makes Lipman look incompetent and stubborn. However, Moore's sweeping gesture of announcing 600 job cuts, and then taking her sweet time actually laying off the employees, ensures that if the number ends up being below the 6% mark, the Time CEO will be praised for her management style during a time of crisis. She might even be given another award!

So, just to recap: trying to save your employees jobs puts your own employment on thin ice, while doing layoffs with a chainsaw means you'll be getting meaningless awards.