{"id":72,"date":"2020-02-04T13:05:32","date_gmt":"2020-02-04T13:05:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/?post_type=chapter&p=72"},"modified":"2023-03-02T12:29:29","modified_gmt":"2023-03-02T12:29:29","slug":"project-planning-in-reverse","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/chapter\/project-planning-in-reverse\/","title":{"raw":"Project Planning in Reverse","rendered":"Project Planning in Reverse"},"content":{"raw":"

September 26<\/h1>\r\nBobbie was completely discombobulated on her drive to work that morning. Houston traffic was never good, even this far away from the permanent traffic jams around the loop and downtown, but today felt like even more of a mess than normal. And the questions buzzing around in her head were making it hard to concentrate.\u00a0<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u2018This isn\u2019t helping,\u2019 she thought to herself and turned on the radio to take her mind off things. She resented that some of her favorite college songs were now approaching the older end of the station\u2019s music bracket.\u00a0<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u2018At least I\u2019m not having to resort to the classic rock station like Alex,\u2019 she consoled herself as she started singing along to one of her college roommate Tina\u2019s favorites.\u00a0 She hadn\u2019t seen Tina in a while but, as she thought back to their last girl\u2019s night out, Bobbie started smiling to herself, recalling part of their conversation\u2026.<\/em>\r\n

------\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\nTina was a team leader at one of the big consulting firms in town now and they'd been catching up over dinner.\u00a0 Instead of just consulting, Tina was now doing more project and team management which was giving her a whole new set of challenges. One thing that had stood out to Bobbie was her gripe about clients who couldn't define what they wanted.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\"B, these people are taking years off my life! They read something in HBR or The Economist and now they want this new shiny thing. Except they don't really know what it is or what it's supposed to do. It\u2019s awful.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cAwful?\u201d Bobbie had replied, \u201cDoesn\u2019t that make it easier for you? Surely if they don\u2019t know anything about the product, then they just take whatever you deliver.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nTina laughed. \u201cYou\u2019d think but it\u2019s not like that. The problem is that they have an idea of what the thing should be but they can\u2019t articulate it. Plus, because they often don\u2019t understand what a product or tool is supposed to do, their idea is skewed. It's like someone saying \u2018build me my dream house\u2019 but not explaining what that might look like. And then it turns out that when they said \u2018house\u2019, they meant \u2018office\u2019. You\u2019ll never get them what they want because they don\u2019t know what they want.\u201c<\/em>\r\n\r\nBobbie mulled this over for a moment and remembered the firm she had been at before XYZ Co.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cActually,\u201d she said, \u201cI get where you\u2019re coming from. We had a similar thing at my last firm. Do you remember that nightmare? When the management wanted a safety system but we could never get it right? I was too junior to be in all the meetings but the ones I was in, sounded like what you\u2019re describing. We were building a safety system but it didn\u2019t seem to be what management wanted.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cWelcome to my world.\u201d said Tina, raising her glass.\u00a0<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cBut, I think I\u2019ve worked out a trick to fix it. Basically, I\u2019ve started working backwards and it seems to be helping.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cBackwards? What do you mean,\u201d asked Bobbie. \u201cSurely that\u2019s even more difficult?\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cWell, not backwards exactly, but I start the discussion at the end. Instead of letting them explain what they want - say a strategy or a plan - I begin by asking them what they want to achieve. Basically, what\u2019s their objective? And, weirdly, the higher-level we start, the easier it is. So even if I\u2019m working at a regional or divisional level, if we work back from corporate, it makes the whole thing easier.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cSo I get what you\u2019re doing,\u201d said Bobbie, \u201cBut I don\u2019t see how that helps deliver the result that they want.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nTina learned forward a little. \u201cHonestly, neither did I at first. I was working with Leslie, one of the partners. Scary good but also one of those scary \u2018Devil Wears Prada\u2019 corporate types.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\r\n\r\nThey both shuddered a little.\u00a0<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cAnyway,\u201d Tina continued, \u201cshe used to start the conversation that way. \u2018Tell me what this looks like at the end of the project? What\u2019s the number one thing the business wants to achieve this year? Is this for compliance or to address a business challenge?\u2019\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cI didn\u2019t get it at first. But when I worked with other partners who just went straight into the delivery aspect, based on what the client said they wanted, I noticed that we didn\u2019t hit the target as often. The client wasn\u2019t happy with the result because it didn\u2019t meet their needs.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cBecause you hadn\u2019t defined those up front!\u201d said Bobbie.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cExactly. Leslie would always remind me to differentiate between what people want and what they need. So if you start at the end, then you can work backwards with the client and define what they need, explaining the product and process as you go. It definitely takes longer but it makes a huge difference.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cThe only downside for me,\u201d said Tina, \u201cIs that I\u2019m not senior enough to get to pick and choose so I still get saddled with some of those \u2018build me a house\u2019 types\u2019. But at least I know how to manage things when I get the chance to run projects my way.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u00a0Bobbie raised her glass, toasting her friend. \u201cGood on you, girl! You\u2019ll be one of those scary corporate types before we know it.\u201d She winked at Tina who grimaced.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cLuckily,\u201d Bobbie went on, \u201cI don\u2019t have to deal with all that consulting nonsense. Work\u2019s all about the execution for me\u2026.\u201d<\/em>\r\n

- - - -\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n\u2018Famous last words\u2019, she thought to herself back in the office. She looked down at her yellow pad.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u2018Start at the end\u2019, she\u2019d written in big letters and below it, \u2018What does Xavier want the risk assessment for?\u2019<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u2018Well,\u2019 she thought, \u2018let\u2019s see if Tina\u2019s right.\u2019<\/em>\r\n\r\nShe grabbed her notepad and headed over to Xavier's office for the 08:00 meeting she\u2019d asked Debbie for the night before.<\/em>\r\n\r\nShe found Xavier ready at his desk, waiting for her questions. He was still excited about the project which was a good sign<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cOk, so I\u2019ve been doing a lot of thinking and planning about the risk assessment but, before I dive into the details, I wanted to get a sense of the bigger picture. Can we start with the overall intent, Xav? What is it you want the risk assessment to do? What\u2019s it actually for and how will XYZ Co use it? That\u2019s going to help me deliver what you need.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nXavier just sat there looking slightly uncomfortable.\u00a0<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u2018Darn it,\u2019 Bobbie thought, \u2018he hasn\u2019t thought about that. He\u2019s one of Toni\u2019s \u2018build a house\u2019 guys.\u2019<\/em>\r\n\r\nSuddenly, he leaned forward \u201cDid you eat yet, Bobbie?\u201d Xav didn\u2019t wait for an answer. \u201cI just realized that in my decrepitude I forgot to eat breakfast this morning. Let\u2019s go grab something before I pass out at my desk.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nHe got up, grabbed a few things from his desk and headed out the door.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cDebbie, I need to go eat and Bobbie\u2019s going to make sure I don\u2019t pass out at the wheel. We\u2019ll be back by 10:00.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nBobbie heard Debbie remind Xavier about a 10:30 call he had as she hurried after him, catching up as he got into his truck.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d he grinned at her as they pulled out of the parking lot, \u201cI\u2019m not that addled. I think I can get us to breakfast safely.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nShortly afterwards, they were seated in a nearby diner she always saw on her way into work but had never visited. Xavier, on the other hand, seemed to be a regular and had been shown to a booth in the back where coffee and toast had started to arrive without much in the way of conversation.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cWell,\u201d Xavier began, \u201cthe cat\u2019s out of the bag.\u201d He waved his arm around the diner. \u201cThis is the best breakfast in Houston, Bobbie. I don\u2019t normally take folks from work so I can eat in peace. But,\u201d he went on, \u201cI occasionally make exceptions, particularly when I want to have a conversation without everyone walking by my office eavesdropping.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cSo, \u2018What is it I want the risk assessment to do? What\u2019s it actually for and how will XYZ Co use it?\u2019 Big questions, Bobbie, big questions indeed.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nHe took a sip of his coffee and smiled.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cBut good questions. No point asking someone to book me a trip without me telling them the destination. So here\u2019s the deal.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nXavier leaned in and started to explain the situation and Bobbie started to take notes, lots of notes.<\/em>\r\n\r\nThe short version, as Xavier put it, was that he was thinking that it might be time for him to step away from the business but he wanted to leave things in good shape. And part of that was to put a few things in place before he left to give the management committee a couple of options.\u00a0<\/em>\r\n\r\nAs soon as he mentioned the management committee, Bobbie could imagine the difficulties. Xavier\u2019s two children, Yvonne and Zack, were part of the XYZ\u00a0 Co Senior Leadership Team or SLT. Although they were both competent, they each had different views about where the company should be going. And sibling rivalry was something that you just didn\u2019t grow out of.<\/em>\r\n\r\nAlthough he didn\u2019t say as much, Xavier seemed to be taking all of this into account in his planning. His overall intent was to make sure the business continued after he left which seemed to open up two options. The first was for some combination of the existing management team to continue to run the business essentially \u2018as is\u2019. The second was for the business to look for a conglomerate that might buy it in as a specialist division. That would leave XYZ Co as a semi-autonomous business with the backing of a large firm although a lot of the non day-to-day decisions would end up with the parent.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cHere\u2019s the thing, Bobbie,\u201d Xavier said, putting down his coffee, \u201cI know which option I want, but the emphasis there is on the \u2018I\u2019. And the plan is for me to step aside so it\u2019s not about what I want. However,\u201d he paused for a moment, \u201cI\u2019ve also seen companies like XYZ fall apart within months of the founder leaving.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nBobbie nodded. You didn\u2019t have to work in Houston - or the oilfield at all for that matter - to see the \u2018mom-and-pop\u2019 shops disappear as soon as the founding mom-and-pop left. Very few survived when control passed over to the next generation. And that was assuming that the next generation even wanted to take over.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cSo I want to give the management committee a couple of options to work on. If I give them free-rein it\u2019s going to be a goat-rope.\u201d Xavier continued.\u00a0<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cAnd if they can\u2019t make up their minds?\u201d Bobbie asked.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cWell,\u2019 Xavier continued, \u201cthen I guess it\u2019s up to the shareholders to get involved but that\u2019s a bit of a last resort.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cUh, the shareholders\u2026?\u201d asked Bobbie. \u201cI thought we were private.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cWe are, but XYZ isn\u2019t just my company. Do you think Debbie\u2019s been here since day one because we had a great 401K back then?\u201d\u00a0 Xavier laughed and slapped the table.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cBobbie, we had nothing. Nothing! It was just me and Jim with an old military surplus jeep and a welding set. We\u2019d just left the Army and\u2026\u201d he trailed off.\u00a0<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cWell, that\u2019s a story for another day. Anyway, the thing is that it was just a few of us to start with. Jim and I were the welders. Debbie was my wife Lizzie\u2019s best friend. She agreed to help us with the invoicing part-time but that ended up being full-time. The thing was that we couldn\u2019t even pay minimum wage so we proposed that she stay on a part-time salary but she got equity. If we succeed, we all succeed. If we fail, at least she got paid for half her time.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nHe paused. \u201cI\u2019m telling stories. Sorry.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\r\n\r\n\"The point is,\u201d he continued, \u201cwe also have shareholders so if the management committee can\u2019t agree, then we kick it up to the next level.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nHe paused to sip his coffee, looking thoughtful.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cI\u2019d prefer we didn\u2019t have to go down that route, which is why I want to give the management committee some well-thought out options. And a big part of that is your project, Bobbie. It\u2019s going to be a big help with our operational decision-making plus we will need it when - sorry, if - we speak to anyone outside.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nSuddenly, Xavier looked at his watch.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cUh oh, it\u2019s 09:50 and Debbie will skin me alive if I miss this 10:30. Let\u2019s head out. He dropped a couple of $20 bills onto the table and waved to the server as they headed out the door.<\/em>\r\n\r\nWhile they drove back to the office Bobbie leafed through her notes. There was a lot to process. Xavier broke her concentration just as they pulled into the parking lot.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cJust remember, Bobbie, some of this is a bit sensitive. For right now anyway.\u201d She nodded as they walked towards the office. \u201cJust remember the big thing from this morning.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nShe thought for a moment - they had covered a lot in their conversation - but he cut in before she could answer.<\/em>\r\n\r\nXavier looked around with exaggerated caution then leaned in.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cDon\u2019t give away my secret breakfast spot.\u201d He whispered conspiratorially and winked before heading upstairs.<\/em>\r\n\r\nBobbie smiled and turned towards her own part of the building. She had the answers to her questions and a whole lot more. Now she just had to work out how to put it all to use.<\/em>","rendered":"

September 26<\/h1>\n

Bobbie was completely discombobulated on her drive to work that morning. Houston traffic was never good, even this far away from the permanent traffic jams around the loop and downtown, but today felt like even more of a mess than normal. And the questions buzzing around in her head were making it hard to concentrate.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018This isn\u2019t helping,\u2019 she thought to herself and turned on the radio to take her mind off things. She resented that some of her favorite college songs were now approaching the older end of the station\u2019s music bracket.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018At least I\u2019m not having to resort to the classic rock station like Alex,\u2019 she consoled herself as she started singing along to one of her college roommate Tina\u2019s favorites.\u00a0 She hadn\u2019t seen Tina in a while but, as she thought back to their last girl\u2019s night out, Bobbie started smiling to herself, recalling part of their conversation\u2026.<\/em><\/p>\n

——\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Tina was a team leader at one of the big consulting firms in town now and they’d been catching up over dinner.\u00a0 Instead of just consulting, Tina was now doing more project and team management which was giving her a whole new set of challenges. One thing that had stood out to Bobbie was her gripe about clients who couldn’t define what they wanted.<\/em><\/p>\n

“B, these people are taking years off my life! They read something in HBR or The Economist and now they want this new shiny thing. Except they don’t really know what it is or what it’s supposed to do. It\u2019s awful.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAwful?\u201d Bobbie had replied, \u201cDoesn\u2019t that make it easier for you? Surely if they don\u2019t know anything about the product, then they just take whatever you deliver.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Tina laughed. \u201cYou\u2019d think but it\u2019s not like that. The problem is that they have an idea of what the thing should be but they can\u2019t articulate it. Plus, because they often don\u2019t understand what a product or tool is supposed to do, their idea is skewed. It’s like someone saying \u2018build me my dream house\u2019 but not explaining what that might look like. And then it turns out that when they said \u2018house\u2019, they meant \u2018office\u2019. You\u2019ll never get them what they want because they don\u2019t know what they want.\u201c<\/em><\/p>\n

Bobbie mulled this over for a moment and remembered the firm she had been at before XYZ Co.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cActually,\u201d she said, \u201cI get where you\u2019re coming from. We had a similar thing at my last firm. Do you remember that nightmare? When the management wanted a safety system but we could never get it right? I was too junior to be in all the meetings but the ones I was in, sounded like what you\u2019re describing. We were building a safety system but it didn\u2019t seem to be what management wanted.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome to my world.\u201d said Tina, raising her glass.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut, I think I\u2019ve worked out a trick to fix it. Basically, I\u2019ve started working backwards and it seems to be helping.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBackwards? What do you mean,\u201d asked Bobbie. \u201cSurely that\u2019s even more difficult?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, not backwards exactly, but I start the discussion at the end. Instead of letting them explain what they want – say a strategy or a plan – I begin by asking them what they want to achieve. Basically, what\u2019s their objective? And, weirdly, the higher-level we start, the easier it is. So even if I\u2019m working at a regional or divisional level, if we work back from corporate, it makes the whole thing easier.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSo I get what you\u2019re doing,\u201d said Bobbie, \u201cBut I don\u2019t see how that helps deliver the result that they want.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Tina learned forward a little. \u201cHonestly, neither did I at first. I was working with Leslie, one of the partners. Scary good but also one of those scary \u2018Devil Wears Prada\u2019 corporate types.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

They both shuddered a little.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnyway,\u201d Tina continued, \u201cshe used to start the conversation that way. \u2018Tell me what this looks like at the end of the project? What\u2019s the number one thing the business wants to achieve this year? Is this for compliance or to address a business challenge?\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t get it at first. But when I worked with other partners who just went straight into the delivery aspect, based on what the client said they wanted, I noticed that we didn\u2019t hit the target as often. The client wasn\u2019t happy with the result because it didn\u2019t meet their needs.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you hadn\u2019t defined those up front!\u201d said Bobbie.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cExactly. Leslie would always remind me to differentiate between what people want and what they need. So if you start at the end, then you can work backwards with the client and define what they need, explaining the product and process as you go. It definitely takes longer but it makes a huge difference.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe only downside for me,\u201d said Tina, \u201cIs that I\u2019m not senior enough to get to pick and choose so I still get saddled with some of those \u2018build me a house\u2019 types\u2019. But at least I know how to manage things when I get the chance to run projects my way.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0Bobbie raised her glass, toasting her friend. \u201cGood on you, girl! You\u2019ll be one of those scary corporate types before we know it.\u201d She winked at Tina who grimaced.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cLuckily,\u201d Bobbie went on, \u201cI don\u2019t have to deal with all that consulting nonsense. Work\u2019s all about the execution for me\u2026.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

– – – –\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Famous last words\u2019, she thought to herself back in the office. She looked down at her yellow pad.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Start at the end\u2019, she\u2019d written in big letters and below it, \u2018What does Xavier want the risk assessment for?\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Well,\u2019 she thought, \u2018let\u2019s see if Tina\u2019s right.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

She grabbed her notepad and headed over to Xavier’s office for the 08:00 meeting she\u2019d asked Debbie for the night before.<\/em><\/p>\n

She found Xavier ready at his desk, waiting for her questions. He was still excited about the project which was a good sign<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOk, so I\u2019ve been doing a lot of thinking and planning about the risk assessment but, before I dive into the details, I wanted to get a sense of the bigger picture. Can we start with the overall intent, Xav? What is it you want the risk assessment to do? What\u2019s it actually for and how will XYZ Co use it? That\u2019s going to help me deliver what you need.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Xavier just sat there looking slightly uncomfortable.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Darn it,\u2019 Bobbie thought, \u2018he hasn\u2019t thought about that. He\u2019s one of Toni\u2019s \u2018build a house\u2019 guys.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

Suddenly, he leaned forward \u201cDid you eat yet, Bobbie?\u201d Xav didn\u2019t wait for an answer. \u201cI just realized that in my decrepitude I forgot to eat breakfast this morning. Let\u2019s go grab something before I pass out at my desk.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He got up, grabbed a few things from his desk and headed out the door.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDebbie, I need to go eat and Bobbie\u2019s going to make sure I don\u2019t pass out at the wheel. We\u2019ll be back by 10:00.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Bobbie heard Debbie remind Xavier about a 10:30 call he had as she hurried after him, catching up as he got into his truck.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d he grinned at her as they pulled out of the parking lot, \u201cI\u2019m not that addled. I think I can get us to breakfast safely.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Shortly afterwards, they were seated in a nearby diner she always saw on her way into work but had never visited. Xavier, on the other hand, seemed to be a regular and had been shown to a booth in the back where coffee and toast had started to arrive without much in the way of conversation.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Xavier began, \u201cthe cat\u2019s out of the bag.\u201d He waved his arm around the diner. \u201cThis is the best breakfast in Houston, Bobbie. I don\u2019t normally take folks from work so I can eat in peace. But,\u201d he went on, \u201cI occasionally make exceptions, particularly when I want to have a conversation without everyone walking by my office eavesdropping.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, \u2018What is it I want the risk assessment to do? What\u2019s it actually for and how will XYZ Co use it?\u2019 Big questions, Bobbie, big questions indeed.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He took a sip of his coffee and smiled.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut good questions. No point asking someone to book me a trip without me telling them the destination. So here\u2019s the deal.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Xavier leaned in and started to explain the situation and Bobbie started to take notes, lots of notes.<\/em><\/p>\n

The short version, as Xavier put it, was that he was thinking that it might be time for him to step away from the business but he wanted to leave things in good shape. And part of that was to put a few things in place before he left to give the management committee a couple of options.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

As soon as he mentioned the management committee, Bobbie could imagine the difficulties. Xavier\u2019s two children, Yvonne and Zack, were part of the XYZ\u00a0 Co Senior Leadership Team or SLT. Although they were both competent, they each had different views about where the company should be going. And sibling rivalry was something that you just didn\u2019t grow out of.<\/em><\/p>\n

Although he didn\u2019t say as much, Xavier seemed to be taking all of this into account in his planning. His overall intent was to make sure the business continued after he left which seemed to open up two options. The first was for some combination of the existing management team to continue to run the business essentially \u2018as is\u2019. The second was for the business to look for a conglomerate that might buy it in as a specialist division. That would leave XYZ Co as a semi-autonomous business with the backing of a large firm although a lot of the non day-to-day decisions would end up with the parent.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHere\u2019s the thing, Bobbie,\u201d Xavier said, putting down his coffee, \u201cI know which option I want, but the emphasis there is on the \u2018I\u2019. And the plan is for me to step aside so it\u2019s not about what I want. However,\u201d he paused for a moment, \u201cI\u2019ve also seen companies like XYZ fall apart within months of the founder leaving.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Bobbie nodded. You didn\u2019t have to work in Houston – or the oilfield at all for that matter – to see the \u2018mom-and-pop\u2019 shops disappear as soon as the founding mom-and-pop left. Very few survived when control passed over to the next generation. And that was assuming that the next generation even wanted to take over.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSo I want to give the management committee a couple of options to work on. If I give them free-rein it\u2019s going to be a goat-rope.\u201d Xavier continued.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if they can\u2019t make up their minds?\u201d Bobbie asked.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u2019 Xavier continued, \u201cthen I guess it\u2019s up to the shareholders to get involved but that\u2019s a bit of a last resort.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cUh, the shareholders\u2026?\u201d asked Bobbie. \u201cI thought we were private.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are, but XYZ isn\u2019t just my company. Do you think Debbie\u2019s been here since day one because we had a great 401K back then?\u201d\u00a0 Xavier laughed and slapped the table.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBobbie, we had nothing. Nothing! It was just me and Jim with an old military surplus jeep and a welding set. We\u2019d just left the Army and\u2026\u201d he trailed off.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s a story for another day. Anyway, the thing is that it was just a few of us to start with. Jim and I were the welders. Debbie was my wife Lizzie\u2019s best friend. She agreed to help us with the invoicing part-time but that ended up being full-time. The thing was that we couldn\u2019t even pay minimum wage so we proposed that she stay on a part-time salary but she got equity. If we succeed, we all succeed. If we fail, at least she got paid for half her time.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He paused. \u201cI\u2019m telling stories. Sorry.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

“The point is,\u201d he continued, \u201cwe also have shareholders so if the management committee can\u2019t agree, then we kick it up to the next level.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He paused to sip his coffee, looking thoughtful.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d prefer we didn\u2019t have to go down that route, which is why I want to give the management committee some well-thought out options. And a big part of that is your project, Bobbie. It\u2019s going to be a big help with our operational decision-making plus we will need it when – sorry, if – we speak to anyone outside.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Suddenly, Xavier looked at his watch.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cUh oh, it\u2019s 09:50 and Debbie will skin me alive if I miss this 10:30. Let\u2019s head out. He dropped a couple of $20 bills onto the table and waved to the server as they headed out the door.<\/em><\/p>\n

While they drove back to the office Bobbie leafed through her notes. There was a lot to process. Xavier broke her concentration just as they pulled into the parking lot.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cJust remember, Bobbie, some of this is a bit sensitive. For right now anyway.\u201d She nodded as they walked towards the office. \u201cJust remember the big thing from this morning.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

She thought for a moment – they had covered a lot in their conversation – but he cut in before she could answer.<\/em><\/p>\n

Xavier looked around with exaggerated caution then leaned in.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t give away my secret breakfast spot.\u201d He whispered conspiratorially and winked before heading upstairs.<\/em><\/p>\n

Bobbie smiled and turned towards her own part of the building. She had the answers to her questions and a whole lot more. Now she just had to work out how to put it all to use.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":253,"menu_order":7,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[47],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-72","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-standard"],"part":42,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/72","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/253"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/72\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":342,"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/72\/revisions\/342"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/42"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/72\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=72"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=72"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authorlab.pro\/layout\/beyondthespreadsheet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=72"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}