The Servant's Quarters

Well, that was pretty unexpected.

I was sittting at my desk watching a webcast of Alan Mullaly addressing Ford employees all over the world. He was discussing our $5.9 billion (That's "billion" with a "b".) loss last year. Suddenly, the instant messenger popped up on my computer screen. It was Gail, my boss' boss.

"Can you come to my office?"

"Be right there," I replied.

Nothing to worry about. No one's getting fired right now. We just cut a bunch of people, and I'm sure they'll give us a little time before the next round of firings. I grabbed my PDA and headed to Gail's office.

I was within sight of her door when I stopped and turned on the voice recorder on my PDA. Hey, you never know. I haven't had a sit down will Gail for months. Who knows what we were going to talk about?

First sign of trouble - My boss, Robin, was already in the office. This is not a good thing. Both of my bosses want to talk to me. Either I'm going to be asked to do something really difficult or I am about to get the shaft.

I'll take the shaft for $500, Wink.

Second sign of trouble - Robin is holding, in his sweaty little hands, a single piece of paper with a lot of highlighting. I don't know what's on it. Gail is likewise holding a copy of the same piece of paper.

"What can I do for you guys?" I ask cheerily.

I sit down. And somewhere behind a 5 mile wide desk, Gail begins reading from a canned speech that she's no doubt delivered to other hapless employees who have occupied this chair.

"Tim, as part of the Way Forward Plan," (Way Forward is the wonderful plan which has resulted in a lot of cost savings for Ford and a lot of unemployment for Michigan.) "your position has been eliminated in our department. I need to stress that you are not being fired. However, I have been required to give up some positions, and yours is one of them."

Gail goes on to tell me about the job I am being forced to move to. I will still be under her boss and in the same department. But Gail will no longer be my boss' boss. She hands me her copy of the paper she's been holding. It's the job description of my new position. She and Robin begin to describe how this new job is actually a great fit for me and a wonderful opportunity. I try to read the piece of paper, but it's apparently written in another language. I can't understand it.

Obviously, this will be a good fit for me.

While Robin and Gail drone on and on, I feverishly scan the description for the one sentence that I am dreading - "This position requires 80 hour weeks and is a lot harder than your current job." I don't see it anywhere. Ok. Maybe it won't be so bad.

"Tim, I think that this job is going to be a good challenge for you."

Great. That means it'll be a 120 hours a week and a set up for failure.

I listened to more positive spin about this great new direction for my life, all the while praying that I could just leave. Finally, after commenting that she didn't know about the timing my move and whether or not the company was going to spend the money necessary to move my work space to the building where my new team sits, Gail ended our conversation.

I left, called my wife, and then sat at my desk trying to wrap my brain around this new turn of events. To be fair, I was forced to move the last time I switched jobs, too. And that had turned out pretty well. So well, in fact, that I'm not happy to be forced to make another move.

But, I am still gainfully employed. That's a good thing. I just hope I stay that way. I've got 20 years here. (Happy Anniversary to me!) I'm getting a little too old to break in a new company.

$5.9 billion????? With a "b"???????