As a different way of providing information to guide people through the storm of their lives here is, chapter by chapter - week by week- the story of one executive's journey from being fired to redemption. It is a feature film script that I wrote and am converting to story format and is therefore, copyrighted and registered. I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter One - Under Pressure
A paper airplane sails ceremoniously from one cubicle to another. They call this the ‘warren’, rabbit warren that is: a cluster of small cubicles each with an occupant. One of 200 or so burrows in marketing. A lone head belonging to a young mid-thirties marketing genius pops up to intersect the aircraft. Jason opens it up, then laughs. Grabbing his PDA, he rapidly sends a message to the pilot of the paper aircraft. As he pushes the send button, he looks up to see his boss, Nathan standing at the entrance to his cubicle. Too late to hide the evidence left by the flurry of paper airplanes, Jason knows he’s been busted.
Exuding frustration Nathan literally barks at Jason.
“Where are those numbers I asked you to get together on the product launch? I need them for the board meeting tomorrow.”
”I gave them to you yesterday.”
”What I saw isn’t what I want to show the Board.”
Jason is visibly uncomfortable, fully aware that he is about to stick his neck out far enough that it could be easily chopped off. Knowing he’s making a career limiting move he looks Nathan directly in the eye.
“Results are results. I’m not fudging anything to make the bad news look better. Sir, we need to connect with customers not just sell. We have to set ourselves apart.”
Nathan exploded. ”Don’t tell me how to do my job! I have been working this for fifteen years. The numbers don’t lie!”
Jason was ready for this. Nathan had been a marketing executive for a long time. His view of the world was driven by how things were; not how they are now. Working for him had been some sort of unusual punishment offset by the fact that Nathan knew a lot. More, in fact, than Jason’s work mates were prepared to acknowledge. Jason sensed that Nathan had a good set of instincts underneath a crusty exterior. The problem was Nathan was convinced that unless it could be measured it just didn’t count.
“This isn’t a numbers game anymore!! It’s about people connecting with people. I can help you but you’re going to have to let me!”
Nathan’s contempt was palpable.
“Yeah right... Entitlement is telling experience what to do. I don’t think so. No thanks!”
Wheeling around on his heels Nathan spots a young woman escaping into her cubicle.
“Holly! I need your help with the presentation to the Board for tomorrow morning. Get into my office now!”
Pivoting around, Nathan storms off to his large corner spacious office leaving a rather pissed off and discouraged Jason wondering what to do next. Holly, a young female intern on a six month assignment, was hoping to remain with the company but she hadn’t expected the working environment to be so stifling. It was her colleagues that made it worth while. Even though they were leaving like ships from a harbor, she still saw potential in the company and secretly hoped she’d be able to stay. As she followed Nathan into his office, she stole a glance at Jason. The look on her face made it clear she felt like she was trying to plug a hole in the Titanic. Jason couldn’t help but smile as he pondered the contradiction of trying to save his boss from taking his own ship down.
Jason had graduated at the top of his class but that only spoke to his ability to navigate the academic hoops. His real gift was in sensing market dynamics and trends. He knew better than anyone what was underneath stated consumer demands. Though he had gotten into trouble for it, he had spent some time just hanging out in the on-line spaces where their clientele hung out, watching, participating, conversing and seeing what made people move toward or away from a particular product or trend. When he had graduated, the company had snapped him up immediately and with good reason. The company had just appointed a new CEO who had some pretty progressive ideas. Invigorated with new energy, there was a sense of excitement in the air, even amongst those in the C-suite who thought change ranked right up with having open heart surgery minus the anesthetic.
As Holly closed the door behind her, Jason turned back to stare at his computer screen covered in charts and colorful graphs all of which disguised the reality of dismal results.
Four hours later, the only lights left on were in Nathan’s office. Finally, exhausted yet feeling only partially prepared for the next day, he rose, grabbed his coat and head out the door. The clock on his desk read 8:00 p.m.
The drive home was so uneventful he had no idea how he suddenly came to be in his own driveway. Absorbed in thought, he opened the door tossing his briefcase on the sofa while yelling a greeting to Claudia, his wife of eleven years.
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