Doc's Place

Chapter 9 | Part 2

Wednesday, October 3, 1984

"Have you approved the budget on Jill's plans?" asks Peter.

"We were just discussing that, Mr. Marriott," begins Dick.

"I don't want the plans discussed, Dick," says Peter. "I want them approved. Phil, Kerry, Paul, Max, Morty, Glenn, Louise, Jill and I discussed those plans for two days and we approved them. What's the holdup?"

"I was just asking Jill about the analysis she performed before proposing the communication plan, Mr. Marriott," says Dick. He's leaning forward, staring at his hands between his knees.

"Analysis is what you do when you're not sure of what to do," says Peter. "You're not sure of what to do, Dick?"

"No," says Dick. "I'm not sure of. . . . I did not see any analysis conducted before Jill proposed this plan."

"Which one?" asks Peter. "There are two plans, Dick."

"The executive communication plan," says Dick.

"Continue."

"Apparently, Jill proposed this plan before conducting a proper survey with appropriate analysis . . . to determine, uh, a suitable intervention for the executive and management teams."

"How do you know?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said, how do you know?"

"I asked her," says Dick. "She told me all she did was to meet and talk to the executives for a few minutes."

"Sounds like a proper survey and analysis to me," says Peter.

"No, no," says Dick. "A proper survey and analysis takes time, sometimes weeks and months."

"A proper survey and analysis takes months?" says Peter, "That sounds expensive. Who would authorize payment for this extended survey and analysis?"

"Well, we would have to review the proposals and. . . ."

"Spend more time, more money?"

Dick opens his mouth but closes it again.

"Dick," says Peter.

"Yes."

"Remove the stipulation that a proper survey and analysis takes months."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Look, I'm addressing your objections patiently, Dick, but it's going to take a long time if I have to repeat myself throughout the process. Please pay attention."

"Alright, remove the . . . months," says Dick.

"Good. Now, what constitutes a proper survey and analysis?"

"I beg your . . . I guess . . . a thorough analysis, excuse me, no, an accurate estimation of what is needed—some sort of intervention—and then a proposal . . . of that intervention."

"Did Jill make an accurate estimation and propose an appropriate intervention?"

"I don't know," says Dick. "How would I know if her estimation was accurate or her proposed intervention was appropriate?"

"Who does know?"

"I beg . . . I suppose Phil and Max and . . . you," says Dick.

The office is silent for ten seconds. Finally, Peter says, "Please go on, Dick."

"I . . . I'm sorry, Mr. Marriott, but I don't know what you're asking me to do."

"Do you have a valid objection to these plans, Dick?"

"I guess not," says Dick.

"Help me understand, Dick," says Peter. "You just wasted my time, your time and Jill's time for no reason?"

"No, no," says Dick, "I had a valid . . . concern."

Peter sighs audibly. "Dick, you just agreed that your objection is not valid."

Dick says nothing.

After waiting several seconds, probably on hold while he and Stephanie laugh their asses off, Peter continues, "What do you expect of someone who wastes three people's time, Dick?"

Dick clears his throat, swallows and raises his eyes to mine. "I apologize for wasting your time with these objections," he says and drops his eyes again.

"When will you approve the budget for these plans, Dick?"

"Immediately, Mr. Marriott."

"I believe this is an object lesson for you, Dick. You waste people's time with concerns that you then admit are not even valid. You need this intervention as much as anyone at Doc's does, therefore, I expect you to pass Jill's requirements more quickly and with the highest score of anyone. Is that understood?"

"Yes."

"You might assume, Dick, that your position entitles you to some slack from Jill. Do you assume that?"

"No sir," says Dick, "Quite the opposite."

"Jill, are you there?"

"Yes, I am."

"Dick wants you to be tougher on him than anybody else. Can you do that and still remain fair and impartial?"

"No, but I will make an exception in Dick's case."

"Good. I expect substantial and immediate results." The line goes dead.

Dick raises his face to look at me again. "Will you excuse me? I have work to do."

Standing, I turn and walk out, leaving the door open.

Kelly turns to look at me, raises her eyebrows and one thumb as if to ask, "Did it go well?"

Smile and barely nod. Louise' door is open, so I walk over and look inside. Louise is reading something, her head in her hands. I tap on the doorframe and say, "Excuse me, Louise."

She looks up. Her face is puffy, especially around the eyes.

"I just met with Dick Scope. He intends to approve both plans immediately. We have momentum," I say with a grin.

She nods and drops her head into her hands again.

Walk away, brushing a finger along Kelly's shoulder by way of thanks as I pass. Get a wink in return.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

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Doc's Place Chat
© 2008, Michel Grover.
Chapter 9 | Part 2
Early Autumn 2008

Lucia :

Mic has posted in the left frame paragraphs from Doc's Place, one of his copyrighted stories. I'm moderating chat here in the right frame. I post every day, but I don't post everything. I have formed a secondary group from which I may also post comments.

Carlos :

Jill, did you know that Phil and the other executives were listening in on that call you and Dick had with Peter?

Jill :

News to me. How about you?

Carlos :

I didn't know. Not that it changes anything, but we know a lot more about Dick's motivation now that we've heard from Larry Witty.

Benny :

I'd like to draw a comparison between the approaches that Peter and Jill used to confront Dick Scope. Does anyone mind?

Jules :

Mind? Benny, we wait for every word from your lips. Please, go ahead.

Benny :

Jill greets Dick, asks if he wants to see her, accepts his invitation to enter and waits. When he asks for her analysis, she provides it. Dick objects, claiming that her analysis is brief and that her criticism of executives is inappropriate. Jill counters, saying that quick analysis and executive criticism are her job. Suddenly, she invades his personal space, reminds him the plans have executive approval and almost orders him to approve the budget. When he orders her back to the chair, she complies.

Suddenly, the phone rings and Peter enters the conversation. Compare his approach to Jill's. Upon learning that Dick has delayed obeying his order, he expresses disapproval, repeats his order and asks why the delay. He questions or finds fault with every reason Dick provides until Dick, like a petulant child after a spanking, apologizes and obeys. After extracting concessions, Peter withdraws.

If they were sparring, Dick has all the weapons and armor, the power and home court advantage. Poised and prepared, he is ready to attack and overwhelm her. Although Jill seems without resources, she is calm, almost bored. They bow and Jill waits. Dick feints and attacks as Jill feints as if in response. As he moves to parry, suddenly and dramatically she is in his face, speaking softly, almost whispering. In surprise, frustration and anger, Dick retreats, throws up his defenses and calls foul. Round 1 seems a draw as Jill withdraws. When the ringing telephone signals round 2, her tactics become clear: Jill has been probing for weakness and stalling until her juggernaut arrives.

Peter attacks, repeatedly bludgeoning as Dick raises half-hearted defensive efforts that deflect nothing. Beaten and shamed before her, Dick bows in embarrassment, relinquishing all of his advantages, prestige and power. Victorious in 2 rounds, Jill ignores her so-called opponent as she walks away, barely acknowledging the cheers of the fickle crowd.

Lucia :

Bravo! Oh Benny, bravo. What captivating and colorful description. I'm proud of you.

Lizzie :

Ah Benny, I'll bet you bring a quickening of the breath and the heart to many a young girl's breast with that narration.

Alice :

Your description was at once beautiful and powerful. You take my breath away, Benny.

Benny :

Thanks. I kind of got into it as I warmed up at the end there.

Amalie :

You are a lovely young man, Benny. Jill, Ume and Annie have inspired me to read Sun Tzu, so I have a quotation for you. This one has to do with your Round 1 where Jill "occupies his space," as you put it. Here are Sun Tzu's words from Sonshi: "Therefore, those skilled in moving the enemy use formation to which the enemy must respond."

Annie :

I'm joining the other women in gushing over your depiction, Benny, and adding an earlier quote from the same passage in Sonshi from which Amalie drew: "Therefore, the force of those skilled in warfare is overwhelming, and their timing precise." I love how you describe Peter's phone call, which Jill knew was coming, as "her juggernaut."

Marcus :

Okay, let's hear from the opposition: Jill's not Benny's. I'd like to suggest that Jill's timing was imprecise, her entrance and exit clumsy and her statements rather foolish. In case you're wondering, yes, I can back up each of those statements.

Alice :

Last time you did this, Marcus, you ended up not burying, but praising Jill.

Marcus :

And as I suggested then, Alice, if Jill's actions withstand scrutiny, I accept that but we should scrutinize none the less. Let's begin, as Benny did, with the entrance to Dick Scope's office. Perhaps Jill is pushing too hard by meeting with Dick before Louise is ready. After all, she knows Dick better than Jill does at this point. All Jill has to do is walk to her office, call Stephanie and tell her that Louise is not ready.

Minnie :

However, Louise is one of Jill's targets for elimination, Marcus. By obtaining budget approval quickly and without help from Louise, Jill sends the message that Louise is not needed. In fact, she's quite useless. Kelly and the other secretary witness this event and you know as well as I do how secretaries talk: word of Jill's victory over Dick Scope without help from Louise will get around.

Marcus :

Very well, how about Jill's first action, which is nothing? She sits and watches Dick without saying a word. Finally, since Jill says and does nothing, Dick feints with faint praise and then attacks, questioning her lack of analysis. Jill knew this might be coming because she discussed it with Louise and Liz the day before this budget meeting and she raises valid points in response. Why not pitch the plans, pre-empting Dick's criticism?

Minnie :

Even though Jill knows the criticism about her hurried analysis might come she doesn't know its form, Marcus. I argue that she must wait to gauge the force and direction of the criticism. Annie, does Sun Tzu address this issue?

Annie :

Indeed, Benny has already used it but I'll repeat it here, again from Sonshi: "The ultimate skill is to take up a position where you are formless. If you are formless, the most penetrating spies will not be able to discern you, or the wisest counsels will not be able to do calculations against you." Sun Tzu might say that Jill's silent watching forces Dick to attack so that she may mount a suitable response, which she does.

Benny :

I like the criticisms and responses that Marcus and Minnie are making here. Here's another criticism, Minnie. When Dick tells Jill that her analysis is not analysis and her criticism of executives is inappropriate, Jill appears defensive when she says that it's not only appropriate, it's her job. How do you respond to that?

Minnie :

Good question and I apologize if I sound like a schoolteacher, but I am. Jill uses this opportunity to move in and occupy Dick's space, as you said, Benny. To answer your question, her response holds Dick's attention long enough for her to move in. Until this moment, Jill has been stalling but now she probes for weakness, trying to prevent him from attacking at all. This move forces Dick to back up and cry foul as you so beautifully phrased it.

Annie :

Sun Tzu on Sonshi: "Though the enemy is many, he can be prevented from doing battle." I would add that Jill's probe obviously works because when the phone rings, Dick is furious enough to shout into the receiver so Jill succeeds in getting under his skin. The point is that Dick reacts weakly and ineffectively.

Jules :

Good point, Annie. If Dick Scope were someone cool like Max Book, Jill's invasion of his space might have made him smile in admiration at her willingness to take a risk. He might have even asked the reason she's so determined to get these projects up and moving quickly. Of course, being Dick, he completely blows the opportunity and starts sputtering.

Raj :

2nd round Jill has timening seems good when Peter phone call, but is it, Minnie?

Minnie :

After withdrawing, Jill would have to listen as Dick lectures her. Now, if Louise had been present, Jill might have allowed Louise to stall some of the action or buffer their engagements. She cannot know that Louise will miss the budget meeting; however she does know the call is coming, so yes, it is good timing.

Ian :

Louise wimps out in the teleconference earlier, remember? I doubt she could be much help to Jill in this meeting, so it's a good thing Peter calls when he does.

Marcus :

Once Peter calls, Jill doesn't say another word until Peter calls upon her to judge whether she can be tough on Dick while remaining impartial. It's her meeting and Peter doesn't even know yet that she's in the room. Why doesn't she step forward here and take over? Why does she let Peter do all the heavy lifting in this meeting?

Minnie :

Peter loves to orate in the spotlight at center stage while Jill prefers to operate in shadow. Some of this is ego but it's also how and where each works best. As to this being her budget meeting, yes; however, this is Peter's show so he can pre-empt regularly scheduled programming any time he wishes.

Lucia :

Well said, Minnie. You really are a treasure and we're lucky to have you. What about Dick's question? Should Jill have conducted a survey and analysis before intervention?

Minnie :

Yes, but in the present circumstance, she has no time.

Maria :

I think Jill would have liked to conduct such a survey and analysis, wouldn't you, Jill?

Jill :

Yes. In fact, I conducted a communication survey and analysis before intervention at my next job because time was plentiful and the requirement was necessary but not urgent. In that case, I conducted the survey but contracted out the intervention because I prefer the former to the latter.

Carlo :

You make me hot when you use big words, Jill. Was that an executive survey as well?

Jill :

No, it was a survey of the entire employee population at Tarrant's Lake Tahoe, which at the time numbered around 4,600. I sat around for days discussing the survey instrument in the employee cafeteria with a couple training guys, both of whom had master's degrees and experience at this. It was one of the happiest times in my life.

Cyril :

So Jill, are you saying you would have preferred life as an academic and researcher to being an entrepreneur and serial killer?

Maria :

What would you have studied as an academic and researcher?

Jill :

I envy Benny at multiple levels and dimensions.

Benny :

You envy me? You're everything; I ain't shit.

Jill :

You represent all that is beautiful and noble in the human species, Benny, while I represent what is despicable.

Amalie :

That is an enormous revelation, Jill. From that and from what we know of the girl who watches while you kill, you know what I am about to ask, do you not?

Jill :

You're going to ask what happened to change me at 14. It's a process and not a destination, Amalie, for all of us as well as for me. Give it time.

Amalie :

You're breaking my heart. Do you know that?

Jill :

You cannot fix anything for me, Amalie.

Amalie :

I'm not trying to fix anything, Jill. I feel compassion for you. Can't you understand that?

Lizzie :

Take it easy, little one. Jill does understand but that doesn't mean she feels anything—about anyone, including you or her self, for that matter.