“She quickly decided it did not make sense,” the source said. “She liked being loved.”

That seems oddly put, in all the background on Mayer it doesn't ever seem like she's interested in much past the numbers and the strategy. Reasons for not slashing staffing; a) you don't attract new talent, b) you get everyone worried about how much security they've got and create conditions for an exodus, c) you create an atmosphere of despondency rather than positivity.

So yeah, that seems an awful odd thing to say. Slashing staff would have been a terrible decision that only would have had incredibly short term benefits.