Page 14 of Executives' Omega
I nodded.
“You got used to taking files and info to everybody else?”
“Yeah,” I confirmed.
She nodded. “Not here. You take files to the executive team. Sometimes you have to retrieve documents from somebody else, but, ideally, it’s delivered to you. Your focus is on the four men with offices on the seventh floor. If you need something from a particular department you ask for them to send it up. If you need to give something to them, you can take it yourself, or ask for a runner to come up.”
I swallowed. “I think I get it.”
She smiled. “I might come across as harsh, but I’ve only got a few days before I’m moving, and changing your mindset is what I anticipate is going to take the most work. Your skills and background were just what we were looking for. Now you just have to act and think like an executive assistant.”
I blinked. “Umm…”
“Think of it this way,” she started. “You may not be a supervisor, but you are the representative for the top people in the company. It’s your job to make sure they have what they need. Sometimes they need a person to play the part of their bouncer, and other times they need you to be a bulldog about reports or documents. If you have time, sure, you can help somebody else if asked, but your first and foremost concern is the executive team.”
“Ok.”
She studied me for a few seconds, then nodded. “Come on. Let’s do the tour. You’ll meet the department heads this afternoon.”
“Ok.”
I quickly learned that both the account management and research sections were arranged according to industry so that teams with overlapping specialties could bounce ideas off each other. People constantly moved between and around the floors, asking each other questions about particular products, how they compared to competing packages, and how users of one could transition to another.
It was the sort of atmosphere that would seem chaotic to most but with the kind of discussions that ultimately kept understanding and knowledge moving forward.
The fourth and third floors were quiet in comparison—filled with people who had regular tasks rather than the constantly-shifting chatter of the other departments.
The second floor was another abuzz with activity. Ringing phones and conversation filtered from the sales half of the floor, while marketing teams seemed to alternate between focusing on their tasks and discussing strategy.
Finally, we reached the first floor, and Darlene guided me toward the customer service section, where a relatively small team answered questions and determined if a caller needed to be addressed by another department.
As we exited back to the lobby, she glanced at her watch. “Perfect timing. You’re supposed to meet the rest of the executive team in about fifteen minutes. Let’s head back up so you can get your morning break in before the meeting starts.”
“Should I take the employee manual?” I asked as we stepped into the elevator.
She laughed. “No. A break is a break. Get some coffee or just sit back for a few minutes.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “The guys are rather insistent, even when it’s crunch time. Focusing on work for too long actually has the opposite effect. Instead of getting more done, many people’s quality of work diminishes, making the same task take longer. So company policy is a fifteen-minute break in the morning, one in the afternoon, and a full hour lunch. Overtime is also discouraged unless absolutely necessary, and HR will badger you if you let too much vacation time accrue.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “It’s a bit of culture shock for a lot of new employees, who are used to companies trying to squeeze them for every second. But the guys firmly believe that overloaded staff results in subpar results. So far, they seem to be right. We have far fewer issues than you’d expect for a company this size, and everybody agrees that it’s because we actively avoid overwork.”
“Oh…” I paused. “I noticed you call the executive team ‘guys’… is that..?”
She laughed. “They’re fairly casual, and it’s easier than walking around calling them the executive team all the time. Not only does that put up invisible barriers between them and the employees… and you… It’s a mouthful. You’ll eventually settle on whatever works best for you.”
“Ok.”
She led me past the desk to the executive-floor break room, then I was alone with my thoughts.
I knew that I needed to leave. Taking the job had been a mistake. There was no way I was ready for such a position.
I shook my head. Darlene had pushed back moving to be with her mate, to train me. If I left, she’d probably have to go even longer without them.
No, the time to refuse had passed. I needed to at least try.
