Warm cookies

This morning the CEO met with staff. He brought warm cookies and hot chocolate, making it the best meeting ever, never mind the main topic of conversation was upcoming budget cuts. Final decisions haven’t been made but the estimate is that 30 positions will be eliminated. The announcement is likely to occur at the end of March.

Three years ago I was laid off from a job. It was a horrible place to work so the layoff was a blessing in disguise, but at the time it was only demoralizing and scary. I suspect that everyone who has experienced a layoff always anticipates the next one. That's where I am now. If it happens, I won't be leaving a dysfunctional environment. The term they use now for a layoff is "separation." That's what it will feel like--a separation from work I like and people I respect and enjoy.

Speaking of...

Henry called this afternoon to talk about his proposal. “How are you doing? Are you fed up and over it yet?” Actually, yes. The outline I’m writing from is so vague it might as well say: a) blah, blah, blah; b) yada, yada, yada. But it’s for Henry so I reassured him that it’s coming along.

Three years ago, Henry hired me, you see. He had been put in charge of a strategic planning initiative and wanted to bring on someone temporarily to produce the document. He mentioned what he was looking for to someone who knew me, my work and the situation I was in. She put me in touch with him. He and I exchanged a couple of emails, he brought me in for half-day interview and offered the job the next morning. That was nine days before severance ran out. I didn’t care that it was a temporary; it was a reprieve.

From the start, Henry and I had an excellent rapport. He’s extremely professional and serious but he has a terrific sense of humor and is able to joke around while he works. He expects a lot and in return his support is unwavering. He quickly trusted my judgement and began to rely on me to contribute to more than the strategic plan. My role within the company expanded rapidly. I was asked to do a lot more than write. Most of the time I felt in over my head, but Henry’s confidence in my ability to make things happen remained, and on the whole I succeeded. After the strategic plan was finished, a permanent position was created for me.

Henry not only saved me by giving me a job, his belief in me from the first day helped me rebuild the confidence I’d lost in my last, very dysfunctional position. These are the reasons he has my loyalty.

Although Henry holds a high position and has influence, he isn’t going to be able to save me this time. Still, he’s trying to help behind the scenes by making me more visible to potential employers. He’s included me in meetings I have no business attending, and I’m convinced it’s so he can introduce me and tout my skills.

Tonight on the way home I tuned into the Symphony channel on XM. When I realized what I’d done, I thought what great timing it is that tomorrow I will be at the symphony. Let’s hope the relaxation properties of classical music are enhanced when it’s live.