“Well, if you must know, I’m conducting a complete financial
study of the organization, and to do so, I need all of the pertinent
information. Accounting is the only place to get the info. I probably
shouldn’t be telling you any of this, but Neil’s not being very forthcoming,
and his people are walking on eggshells.”
“Maybe it’s you,” Charlie surmised.
“What do you mean?” Sam asked. “I think it’s just because of
what happened yesterday.”
“Are you sure?” Charlie asked. “Think about it. You’ve been hired
to ‘shake things up’ and get this place profitable again. What do you
think your presence means to these people?”
“Well…I guess they could consider me a threat. For instance, I
could recommend layoffs. I might recommend specific layoffs.”
“Sooooooo, why didn’t they help you this morning?” Charlie asked.
Charlie’s pushy inquiries tweaked Sam. “That’s a great question!
They should want me to like them so I don’t recommend laying them
off. They should want me to determine they’re not unnecessary.
Maybe they should care about the company.”
“Sam, many of these people do care. Some of them want to do
great work. And almost all of them need this job. In case you were
unaware, losing one’s job can prove devastating. People here don’t feel
like they have any mobility. I mean, what job are they gonna go get?
We’re one of two manufacturers in town. The economy is a mess. All
of this depresses them even more. That’s a downward spiral you don’t
wanna get caught up in. It’s not a healthy way for these people to live.
So they’re just really nervous to have someone like you around.
“Plus,” Charlie continued, “I don’t think the Great Recession
ever ended. Downward pressure on earnings and increased competition
are stressing the heck out of people like Dick. America has 8%