To Catch a Sub - 008
Tony was up a little earlier than usual the next morning. He showered, shaved, and stepped into his closet, closed the door, and turned on the light. He looked at his racks and shelves that he had spent a larger part of the evening yesterday rearranging. All of the old clothes were hung together at one end of the closet. Spread across the other end was the new wardrobe he had purchased a couple of days before. He reached for a pair of nice-looking black dress pants. His next choice was a dark blue button-down shirt. Black socks and a pair of black wingtip dress shoes were next. To finish it off, a sleek black sport coat. He looked down at himself. It was different.
He turned out the light and came out of the closet. He carefully crept across the bedroom, pulled the door closed quietly and headed downstairs. He climbed into his truck pulling out of the carport and then heading down the drive toward the highway. The drive took about 20 minutes and when he arrived at the office he unlocked, made coffee and sat down at his desk. He really wasn't in the mood to study. He wanted some time alone to think and this was the perfect opportunity. When the coffee was done, he poured a cup, and settled into the executive desk chair and began to systematically work through the current situation, where he wanted to be, and make some decisions about how to get there.
Tony had been sitting, looking out the window into the materials yard, for almost two hours when he heard the first of the staff start to arrive. He picked up his empty coffee cup and went out to see who was there. As he entered everyone looked up and when they saw Tony, looks of surprise crossed their faces. Almost all the eyes in the office followed him as he walked toward the small kitchen where the coffee maker sat on the counter. His receptionist was the first to speak.
"Boss. Did somebody die?"
"No. Why do you ask?"
"The only time I have seen you dress like that is for a funeral."
Tony turned to look at them and spoke carefully.
"Get used to it. I don't go to job sites much anymore. Most of my time is spent dealing with customers, bankers, engineers and architects. I decided it was time I started to look like the owner of a very successful business, rather than a carpenter."
Dimitri came in the door just as he started his speech. He watched Tony fill his coffee cup and head back to his office. Dimitri poured a cup and followed him. He knocked on the door and heard Tony.
"Come."
Dimitri opened the door and stuck his head through the crack.
"Got a minute?"
"Always. What's up?"
"I got here in time to hear your little speech."
"Yeah?"
Dimitri sat down in the chair opposite the desk and sipped his coffee.
"Congratulations. I think you are making a great move."
Tony looked at him in surprise."
"You do?"
"Yeah. What you said is true. You represent this company to the clients. The impression you make is very important to how they see you and react to you."
"Why didn't you say something?"
"I didn't think it was my place to be telling the boss how to act and dress."
"Dimitri. That's one of the reasons you are here."
"Then can I make a few other suggestions along those same lines?"
"Sure."
"You know how the budget for this place works, right?"
"Yeah. I know what it is. The accountants set it up and it seems to work fine."
"Ok. You are at a point where you need an in-house finance officer to oversee the money side of this operation. You also need a Chief Operations Officer to run the whole shebang. I would also suggest that you either hire an HR manager or hire an outside consulting firm to take care of that part."
"Ok. I could ask why but I suspect you are going to tell me because this operation has grown past the point of it being a one-man operation. I need people in key positions with special knowledge and skills."
"Bingo. That business education of yours is paying dividends now."
"So. You want to stay on as COO for a while and put this reorganization together?"
"I can, if you are comfortable allowing me to do it."
"I wouldn't have brought you in on this if I weren't comfortable with it."
"To be honest, I saw the need for this by the end of the third day I was here. I have been working on a plan. Would you like to see it?"
"Send me the reader's digest version. You have my permission to proceed."
Dimitri grinned broadly.
"I don't know why I ever convinced myself to retire. I love this sort of stuff."
"Good. Let's keep you happy. Is there anything else."
"Yeah. One more thing. I like your new look. Something else has changed about you and I can't quite place it but it is for the good. The staff have been talking about it as well."
"Thank you."
"Are you familiar with our fleet operation?"
"Yeah, we lease most of our vehicles from a big leasing company. They handle most of the maintenance and keep the vehicles running. I thought it would save money in the long run. Is it not working?"
"It was a great idea. All of your equipment and vehicles are less than 5 years old. The vehicles are professionally maintained by the leasing company who also keep tires on them and handle the insurance. It's great from a management perspective. There is one thing I noticed."