Joes Diner - Chapter 12

This is the final chapter of this story.

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Big Changes Coming

 

When I arrived home Lacy asked, “Are you fired or what?”

I told her the whole thing and she said aren’t you sacred to take such a large step up?

“No it will be alright for I know what my plans will be.”

The following day Mr. Hudson made the announcement to all the managers of his companies about my promotion and what my authority was.

He added, “If you want to keep your job you will cooperate with him for he has the power to remove you for non-compliance with his orders.”

This set off a loud murmur among the men but no one said anything out loud. They knew better than to cross Hudson.

A week later the Hudson family was off for the vacation of the year and I figured his kids were going to make it interesting judging from what contact I’ve had with them.

I called a meeting of all the managers which they grumbled about but attended anyway.  There were changes I proposed to make in general and told them I would be working with each manager individually to smooth the progress of the particular changes in their company.

After the meeting I made a list of the ones that I believed were going to resist any changes in the way they were running their company. Without asking I knew what most of their complaints were going to be. After three months I had everything in place and everyone finally complied after I told them it was either do it my way or the highway.

I know they had private conversations among themselves but as long as it was only chatter, it was of no consequence.

In the fourth month the managers wanted a meeting with me and I accommodated them.  They began by telling me that unless I backed off on the demands I was making on them they were going to quit, all of them.

Johnson, You are Fired

I knew who was leading the pack so I said, “I’m going to make it easy for you, Johnson you’re fired.  I will have some security officers accompany you to your office to get your personal things. You will get your severance check tomorrow.  You can come to pick it up or it will be sent by special delivery to you, your choice.”

My next statement was, “Now who’s next?” and no one moved or said anything.

I said, “If no one has anything else to say then get out of here.”

A couple of them looked as if they would like to hit me but didn’t have the nerve to try it.

I already had a man in place to take over Johnson’s position, and before he was out of the building the new guy took over.

When the rest of the managers found that out the swift replacement, they were wondering if I had their ‘stand-in’ waiting in the wings. This was the last hurdle I had to get over and soon everything was doing well.

Before the year was up, and Hudson returned, the costs were down and profits were doubled and I was pleased with the job I had done. Finally the managers saw what had happened doing it my way and were pleased with the job they were doing.

The day of Hudson’s return was here and he came to the office I had been occupying to talk.  The first thing he said was, “l am not pleased with the reports I have been receiving about the changes you have made.”

I realized it had to be the so called Vice Presidents who were sending those unpleasant reports to him and I knew that Jealousy and spite was their problem.

I asked Hudson to be more specific if he would and he said that I had got the businesses so screwed up he didn’t know if he could undo the damages.

In my defense I said, “The costs were down and the profits doubled in one year.”

He said, “That was of no matter it was the way I had done it that was the trouble.”

I asked for an example of what he was talking about.

He replied, ‘There were too many to be specific so I want you to get your stuff and get out, you’re fired and I’m back in charge.” 

He continued, “Clean out your desk.”

I said, “It’s already cleaned out.”

 

“Well then,” he said, “Go by accounting and get your severance pay.”

I said, “I already have it.”

“What do you mean you have it?”

“I knew you were going to respond like this so I have taken an offer from another corporation at three times the salary you were paying me.

You soon will find we are in competition with you for that is the reason they wanted me. Several of your managers will be going with me for they know and like the way I operate.

One other thing is the reports you were receiving was because the VP’s were angry at me because they had lost their golf buddies.  Before I took over some of the managers I let go were golfing buddies with them and they had hired people to do their job so they could take the day off and play golf and party.

 Very Sad but Too Late !!

You should have known that but you were too busy with other things. It gives me no pleasure but within two years we will drive you out of business because of the type of people you have surrounded yourself with.”

I went to work setting up companies to compete with Hudson’s enterprises and true to my word we buried him.

It didn’t please me that much for Hudson had been good to me but business is business and the saying, “To the victor goes the spoils,” tells it like it is.

Finis

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