Group Efforts 21

Group Efforts
The Diary of a Workgroup Manager

Episode 60 (1999)

Brison considers his position, Broadleys consider our hero, Llewellyn considers the opportunities and Andy considers the odds.

Tuesday 1st
Incredible news - Brison has gone again, leaving us leaderless for the second time in six months. According to Andy, he was incandescent at being openly criticised in the lawsuit fiasco report, so stormed round to HQ and demanded its withdrawal, only to be told that accountability is a core value at Broadleys and if he couldn't live with that then perhaps he should reconsider his position. This contradicts Danny's version, which has a carpeted Brison begging hysterically to keep his job, but either way the word is that Broadleys want to appoint a successor sooner rather than later, and this time they'll be taking no chances. In the meantime Chapman's in charge (much, apparently, to Costello's annoyance) and business is as near usual as possible.

Thursday 10th
I've been asking IT to fix my IBM's boot problem for ages, and suddenly they've arrived. In fact three of them turn up, followed by Llewellyn, who tells them to clean my screen while they're at it and leaves me a complimentary copy of Bookshelf 99. Then Dave Tyson from Solvents Stores pops in and tells me how hard he's worked to implement Broadleys restructuring plan, followed by Celia Smith who says that absorbing Sales Admin into Office Services simply hasn't worked, followed by Cathy, who says she feels really comfortable in a departmental management role. Danny, meanwhile, delivers three Joan Davies-free Visio diagrams for my approval, Rose and June say they can deliver Beaconsfield B without overtime, and Sheila delivers an extra biscuit with my coffee. Something's definitely going on, but I haven't a clue what it is.

Wednesday 16th
After three more days of spontaneous chats, minimised server downtime and an unnervingly well behaved Danny, I decide to consult the Oracle. George hands me a sachet of promotional plant food, and says that Broadleys want an internal candidate for the MD's job. Chapman has apparently ruled himself out, while a preference for people with coalface experience weighs against accountants like Costello. The rumour is that the Board have their eye on a reliable middle-management heavyweight with a track record in IT innovation, who's popular with the troops but can be tough when necessary. I'm about to ask who on earth that could be when George's grin tells me that it's me. Stunned, I order another round. Peg throws in a complimentary packet of peanuts, and the enormity if it begins to sink in.

Monday 21st
I've learnt how to milk the situation, and as a result Rose and June now have 96MB RAM each, Sheila has a new printer, and I have a 19-inch monitor which accommodates Cinemania and Progress Reporting simultaneously. The price of all this is Llewellyn constantly sidling up for chummy one-on-ones, but you have to cope with that sort of thing at my level. In fact the only person not buttering me right now up is Andy, who's become quite stand-offish, a sure sign that I really am in line for elevation. I confront him, tell him it's not my fault, and ask him what he knows. He says, rather unkindly, that Broadleys want someone docile with Chapman pulling the strings, and offers me 6/4 on myself with Costello at 10/1. I take a fiver on Costello, then run the gauntlet of would-be one-on-oners back to the office.

Friday 25th
Being a Candidate has its downside, not least the fact that my team have started having their own private chats with Cathy, whom they clearly see as my successor, a judgement with which she equally clearly concurs. However there's a major upside too; I haven't had to buy a tea for a fortnight, or, for that matter, a pint in 'The Director's Suite', aka Peg's Snug. In the circumstances, I think it best not to mention that I haven't actually had any contact from HQ yet, although George tells me to expect the call soon. Then suddenly it comes - by email, in fact - in the shape of an invitation to join Broadleys MD and his co-directors for 'general discussions' at HQ next week. My hour of destiny - unexpected, yes, but perhaps not entirely undeserved - has finally arrived.