SOFTCOVER or on KINDLE
David Zarzour
CHAPTER 1: Meet the Team Larry entered the building’s lobby and swiftly strode through the softly lit space, his footsteps echoing off the freshly polished Italian marble floor. Larry always enjoyed that sound. It seemed to convey success and money. He entered the waiting elevator and pressed the button for the top floor...his floor. As the elevator began its quiet ascent, Larry appraised himself in the mirrored doors. Sporting the fruits of a trip to Italy, Larry liked what he saw. A Brioni suit, a Ferragamo tie, Gucci shoes and a Patek Philippe watch would tell people all they needed to know about Larry. He was a man of great taste and substantial means. Collier Energy was making tremendous inroads into the nascent world of renewable energy. The fledgling company was fast becoming a major player in an industry that was poised to explode during the next decade and beyond. Growth seemed inevitable, success certain. But great expectations carry great pressure, and high bars for excellence create high levels of stress. The fault lines in his executive team were starting to show. Larry exited the elevator and walked toward his spacious corner office. He swung open the large door, stepped inside, and turned on his computer. As he waited for the machine to stir to life, Larry considered his team. The hand selected team represented some of the finest executive talent he had encountered during his career. Yet he was sensing tension within the group. For all their talent, experience, and skills, each member had issues that were negatively impacting their peers. But, for now, the team was delivering sales results. The people issues would have to wait. Larry skimmed his e-mail inbox and discovered two messages from Greg Anders, Collier’s Chairman of the Board. The first message, sent at 5 a.m., requested a meeting with Larry at 9:00 a.m. that morning. The second e-mail sent at 5:30 a.m. announced an unexpected, and, for Larry, an unwelcomed meeting at 10:00 a.m. for the entire executive team. Larry leaned back in his leather chair and stared at the monitor. He considered every possible reason for such a meeting. While a few agendas seemed plausible, none seemed encouraging. * * * Jim was the newcomer to the executive team, the “new kid on the block.” As the COO for just three months, he was feeling a big overwhelmed. Although he was a quick study, he had come from another industry. The Collier team had some of the brightest, most knowledgeable minds in the industry. They were highly experienced in the energy industry and especially in solar power. Jim was having unfamiliar feelings of insecurity in his role as “number two.” Jim listened to the coffee drip into the pot. Though he was new to the office, Jim already sensed some tension among his peers. There was no single identifiable problem, he thought. No burning issues. But some team members were openly critical of each other, while others had a tendency to point fingers behind closed doors. Jim understood that such personality conflicts in the workplace were nothing new and certainly not rare. Yet Jim himself had never engaged much in office politics, and he wasn’t about to start now. His previous career as an Army Colonel had shown him that when the stakes are high, there isn’t room for petty squabbling and turf wars. Maybe, Jim mused, what this team needed was some time in basic training. Jim wasn’t sure what the issues and problems were, but he was sure of one thing. Something would have to give soon. * * * Melissa absently gazed at the flat-panel television mounted on her kitchen wall. The weather forecast was telling her something the kitchen window was confirming: it was raining—a lot. She would need to leave soon if she hoped to minimize the effects of a rainy-day traffic mess. Instinctively, she began to consider alternate routes to the office: the freeway, main roads, side streets. Crowded interstates slowed by rain versus alternate roads choked by traffic lights. Which would be better? She weighed her choices. Once she got around the traffic mess, she would be faced with the office mess. Calculations, she mused, were easy. Human dynamics? Not so easy. As the V.P. of Engineering, Melissa was leading a team in charge of developing some of the most innovative materials in utility production. Yet lately the products weren’t so cutting-edge, as she struggled to reconcile her preference for proven models with her team’s push for innovation. Right now, her engineering team was currently under the gun to finish a prototype for a next-generation, low-cost solar panel. As the deadline loomed and scheduled signposts fell by the wayside, the other departments were growing frustrated with engineering in general and Melissa in particular. It seemed like her department was always under the spotlight, one that could highlight success or expose failures. Yet every team has issues, Melissa thought, as she rinsed her coffee mug and placed it in the dishwasher. She just represented a very high profile area. The company's insatiable appetite for new energy sources had her team chasing ideas that she just knew would never make it to the marketplace. Hadn't she personally delivered the products which had moved Collier to the head of the class in new energy? Position determines perspective. And, in this case, her peers were unable to see just how difficult her role was in comparison to their own. Melissa grabbed her bag and keys and opened the door to the garage. It would be nice, she thought, if everyone retrained the critical spotlight on themselves. * * * Abby possessed both brains and talent but she wasn’t above using her looks to grease the wheels of commerce. In a man’s world, she thought, a woman had to use every tool at her disposal. Charm and a killer wardrobe helped level the playing field. Abby turned her thoughts to the workday ahead. Today was packed with client meetings, team brainstorming, and budget updates. As SVP of Sales, Abby was responsible for pitching solar power as a viable, sustainable, and, most importantly, profitable solution to the world’s growing energy needs. She was a superb saleswoman. No one at Collier was as connected to the customer as Abby. Collier's rapid growth had doubled the size of her sales team in the last 24 months. While the new team members were all competent, none was the next Abby Stryker. Abby had come to accept that her group had limitations, but she knew she was strong enough to meet her sales objectives in spite of their shortcomings It was a challenging, but satisfying job. Usually. But lately her workplace seemed anything but satisfying. Communication felt forced. People were frustrated with each other. Work was becoming, well, work. And while the company’s last quarter set another record, issues were fragmenting the group. Abby’s iPhone buzzed in her leather bag. She retrieved the device and found an e-mail from Larry requesting a meeting for later that morning. Abby slid the phone back inside her bag and considered the potential nature of a last-minute, mandatory meeting. Something was going on. Maybe changes were coming to Collier. Whatever the change, Abby thought, maybe they could first start by adjusting some team members’ attitudes. With that agenda, she would be happy to help. * * * Case in point. His coworkers were a perfect example. Doug was the SVP of Human Resources so he had access to a wealth of employee information—personal and professional, official and unofficial. He was aware of every reprimand, every raise, and every evaluation. And he was still surprised that those you’d least expect could have the biggest problems. Doug felt this knowledge was great working capital. Potential chips for him to barter for more information with the people working at Collier Energy. Doug got off his exit and drove to his favorite coffee shop. Even though the office had its share of employee issues, he felt like his job was secure. If office gossip was any indicator, some coworkers had bigger issues than he ever would. After parking his Kia, Doug jumped from his car and raced to the café door, pausing briefly to let someone else through first. What his fellow peers needed, he thought, was some level of self-awareness. * * * As he slide into the driver’s seat of his muddy Toyota Tundra, Mark felt his phone buzz and retrieved it from his pocket. He scrolled to his e-mail and discovered just one message, a request from Larry for a 10:00 a.m. meeting. Otherwise, an empty inbox. No interoffice complaints from other team member. And, most appealing, no complaints from people having trouble accessing their e-mail. As the CIO, Mark was charged with keeping Collier’s technical world humming 24/7. Fortunately, his technical responsibilities ended where the people issues began. Computers were much easier to deal with than people. His role allowed him to sidestep some of the thornier interpersonal issues, and he was happy that his team enjoyed a world that was somewhat insulated from workplace politics. Still, lately he had noticed some friction among the executive leaders. Nothing like open hostility, but there was definitely an undercurrent of tension and frustration between them. The simmering attitudes were even starting to creep into his fortified domain. Mark had always been able to use his sharp sense of humor to diffuse workplace tension. But, recently people seemed to laugh less at his jokes Mark slipped the phone back in his pocket as lattes were made and chai teas ordered. He was grateful that all that office drama fell under Doug’s jurisdiction. But, if Mark were responsible for Collier’s people issues, he would bring some simple, practical advice to the table. One word – chill –especially for the uptight male and female divas occupying the corner offices. * * * Penny carefully sipped her tea in the car and considered the day ahead. Her schedule as CFO was jam-packed with meetings and more meetings. The young company was currently flush with funding, as investors were clamoring to be a part of the next big thing, whatever that thing was. Investing was always a gamble, but it seemed that, in today’s unpredictable energy climate, renewable solar power was a relatively safe financial bet for the long-term. Yet, though Collier enjoyed robust financial support, her boss and everyone around her demanded more and more detailed reports. It was like an MRI, she mused, with multiple slices and views of exactly the same thing. But in reality, how many pictures were really needed? And lately the workload was growing faster than her ability to manage it. Some people clearly needed to dial down their expectations. Every day seemed to bring another fire drill. Penny didn't mind the frenetic pace. In fact, she prided herself on how well her team could function while "under the gun." She had to admit, however, that sailing in smooth water for a while sounded very enticing. As Penny pulled into the parking deck, she was sure of one thing: her colleagues needed to refocus their attention in their own departments and let her alone. *** GREG ANDERS, Collier’s Chairman of the Board, stood at the head of the conference table and surveyed the room. The executives were seated and making small talk with their fellow team members. Seated near Greg was a woman whom no one had met. Greg could feel the unspoken question buzzing throughout the room: was she replacing someone? He chuckled to himself. She wasn’t taking anyone’s job, he thought, but she still may not be everyone’s favorite person in the coming weeks. Greg cleared his throat, and the room quieted. “Good morning, everyone,” Greg said. “Thank you for being here. I know this meeting was scheduled quickly and the e-mails and phone messages are piling up, so I’ll be brief.” “This is Paige Darnell,” he said as he gestured to her. “She is part of a corporate consulting firm, BCG, that specializes in corporate leadership development, specifically executive coaching.” “First, let me tell you what this does not mean,” he said, slowly looking around the table, studying each face. “It doesn’t mean that anyone’s job is in jeopardy. Or that the company is in trouble. Or that we’re making sweeping changes.” Everyone seemed to discreetly exhale. “Having said this,” he continued, “I believe that our executive team could immensely benefit from some outside perspective. Because no matter how well we do our jobs and how well we work together, there is always room for improvement. “Let me turn it over to Ms. Darnell so she can explain just what that means for Collier.” Greg took a seat and motioned for Paige to address the group. “Collier Energy has become a leader in renewable power specifically affordable solar panels in a very short time,” she began. “What you’ve accomplished in three years is impressive and well-known in the industry. And, as you continue to grow and achieve greater success, it’s important to continually evaluate what got you to this point and what can take you to the next level. It will require different skill sets and a greater self-awareness of the enormous talent here. “Our consulting group is dedicated to helping companies achieve that next level of success. We do this by developing a company’s most vital resource, its leaders. You and your team are the key to Collier’s continued growth and achievement. This team is more vital to Collier’s success than any product you sell.” “We do our coaching work in two primary ways,” she said. “First, we provide assessments that allow you to discover your strengths and weaknesses and to gauge how you think about and approach situations and people.” “Second, we guide you through a customized assessment called the 360-Degree Report. Just as the name suggests, this personal assessment is completed by you as well as those around you.” Faces around the table conveyed concern, resistance, or curiosity. Some conveyed all three. “Here’s a simple overview,” she said. “You select twelve people, from peers, to superiors, to direct reports. We then provide a customized and confidential, on-line questionnaire with about 50 questions for each of the raters to answer. The completed survey is then submitted to a secure, third-party website. You will be evaluated in seven key areas: Leadership, Business Knowledge, Innovation, Building talent, Trustworthiness, Professionalism, and Execution.” Her gaze was now met with folded arms. She pressed on. “After the questionnaires are completed, you will be provided with a confidential, detailed report with both numerical and written feedback for each of you. We call the process a ‘360’ because it offers a complete view all around you. Again, these reports are confidential, and you will have the only printed copy. “I know all of this may sound unnerving,” Paige said. “But let me tell you about the benefits. I’ve headed the firm for 20 years, and I can honestly say that our 360-Degree Report can change lives and companies for the better. Quite often companies and teams fail to address the real problems that affect their business because there’s no good forum for doing so. The 360-Degree Report creates an appropriate, safe environment for issues to be discussed. And, once those concerns are on the table, you benefit by the open conversations that can come only from honest feedback and transparency. You also get a great read on your strengths and talents.” Paige read a variety of facial responses: fear, skepticism, doubt, hope. These were all natural responses, all anticipated, and all of which marked the beginning of the process. “Does anyone have any questions?” she asked. Larry spoke up. “I do. When does this begin?” She smiled. “Next Monday.” 
LARRY WESLEY waited in his car for the garage entrance to open, impatiently drumming his fingers on the leather steering wheel. He entered the building complex and navigated the Tesla sports car to his designated space next to the building’s entrance. As he eased the car into his reserved spot, Larry smugly admired the sign suspended on the wall just above the sedan’s spotless hood: “Larry Wesley.” A title would have been redundant. Everyone knew who Larry was: the president of Collier Energy Corporation.
JIM SROKA stepped through the lobby door entrance. An early riser, Jim enjoyed the solitude of a quiet office, a calm prelude to a busy day. Jim stepped off the elevator and walked through the halls, watching motion detectors switch on the lights. He made his way to the break room for the first cup of his usual caffeine fix. 
MELISSA LOWDEN stood in her kitchen, sipping a mug of coffee, admiring the spotless space. Orderly, completely free of clutter. Not even a toaster on the counter. Sterile to some, but Melissa considered it perfect. She was the anomaly in her profession, a neat-freak engineer.
ABBY STRYKER pressed the garage button to open the door. Directly facing her was a full-length mirror. In the garage. Abby put it there to give herself a final checkpoint anytime she left the house. As the morning light began to fill the garage, Abby admired her well-cut hair, expensive jewelry, and an elegant, yet fashion-forward outfit that would look at home in Milan or Wall Street for that matter. All good. Satisfied with her appearance, Abby got into her Lexus Hybrid sedan and backed out of the garage, racing off to the office.
DOUG LAPAR merged his car into the congested freeway traffic. With rain like this, the usual slow highway traffic became snail-like. He never understood why basic H2O could generate so much panic and caution even among good drivers. Surely the usual 35 mph rush-hour crawl was still safe when it rained. Even with his masters in psychology and 20 years in business, Doug was still surprised by clueless people. They just don’t get it, he thought
MARK BROCKETT stood in line and surveyed the people ahead of him. Just as he had expected, the inclement weather had brought in even more commuters than usual to his favorite café. Another coffeehouse regular entered behind Mark and dryly commented, “Great. There’s nothing like rain and cold weather to bring out the masses. Now the true coffee loyalists will be late to work.”
Mark chuckled politely but didn’t reply. He wasn’t prone to complaining, and not even rainy-day traffic and crowds could dampen his usual bright spirits.
PENNY BOYKIN picked up her green tea from the service counter and headed for the door. She stood under the store’s awning waiting. The moment there was a pause in the downpour, she made a dash to her car and quickly jumped inside. She pulled out of the parking lot and onto the busy street. Even at 6 am this road was jammed.
Paige stood and said, “Thank you, Greg. Good morning, everyone. And, please, call me Paige,” she said. “I very much look forward to working with you. As Greg mentioned, I know you’re all busy, so I’ll be brief.