Chapter 21: facing the storm

Avery’s point of view

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the days that followed our conversation on the balcony were the busiest ones. Me and David jumped right back to work as if we had been working together for a year, not 6 months now. This mutual respect evolved into a strong professional synergy, but in this process, I sensed an underlying conflict, as did the two superiors we both reported to. 

The company had planned an interdepartmental meeting to be held in the coming week and I wanted to present my best thoughts; however, a small twinge of fear was always present. I had become accustomed to doubting my existence in terms of the value I held for this company, but now with David by my side, there was a voice with confidence saying it’s okay, we got you. 

But darkness loomed in the corner of the office. Employees over a cup of coffee discussed the probability of organizational restructuring, which is a result of altering market endeavors, and soon, people started discussing possible layoffs in the organization. The turbulence in the office echoed the storm in me. I had resolved not to be bogged down by the uncertainty of further instability but the feeling of the unknown was overwhelming. 

I walked into the conference room and looked directly at David. Using us as an object of communication which I employed when organizing and chairing the meeting to discuss our concepts to the rest of the team. This energy was electric within the room and I fed for the interaction. Every question that came from our colleagues made me excited; every answer that David gave lit a fire in the passion that I had within me.

However, then from the corners of the classroom, Elena’s voice could be heard overlapping another team member whose tenacity I had always admired while perceiving as a competitor. “Avery, let me know how your proposals could help the company now in light of the changes that are coming up?” She asked with a lot of doubt.

David’s jaw clenched a little at her provocation, but I saw this as a way to build into a stronger stance. “Elena,” I answered back as evenly as I could manage. As the Steering Committee emphasized many times, that is very much at the heart of what has been designed. The approach should be based on the need to change and at the same time maintain the principle of a company’s principal elements. As a result, flexibility and adaptability shall be core issues in the context of the changes.”

Hope began to shine in David’s eyes as I dismissed the concern that Elena raised. I could sense the change of mood in the room. 

Still, there was brewing underneath the surface quite a tempest of rivalry. What I was doing had been noticed by the higher management and in their eyes came the unmistakable odour of competition. I felt it important to be cautious, with my new assertiveness and in the spider web of connection building among my peers.

As we were coming out of the meeting, David aside to talk to me. Instead, he simply stated, “You’ve been good today,” before a toothy grin spread across his lips. “But we have to be very careful in our next steps.” With the restructured going around people have a kind of feeling of doomsday and this makes people do desperate things.

I slowly moved my head agreeing to his words; I realized the situation was so. “Elena more than anyone else appeared to be interested in working against my recommendations.”

“She is very career-minded and what’s more, she perceives you as competition,” David added, standing with his hands on his chest. “As you go up the ladder, do not base your expectations for a conducive working environment to work with a bullish opponent since you will encounter some individuals with cr Sol: With your promotion, you have to be ready for confrontation with other people who may not be friendly as they are.”

Thanking him for his straightforward answer I also felt something rising from inside me, a combination of desire and sheer willpower. “I can handle it. We need to advance in the world, David, and it’s time for me to create a road to succeed. I always like to remind myself saying “I will not be paralyzed by fear.”

Day by day, I noticed that I was not only working on the projects but also aiming at forming a coalition with the team members. I also established connections with other colleagues to enable them to work as a team and encouraged them where we both had conflicts before.

Several days after that I was at the workplace, stuck in the office at night, and witnessed a feeling of familiarity when Elena came to me. “Can we talk?” she asked quietly. Despite the coldness that had prevailed in their relationship for the past few days, those words brought a ray of sunshine into my heart. 

I paused, my inner voice saved me from saying it aloud. But I nodded, intrigued. 

“Listen,” I interrupted and she looked at me, “I know things have been difficult between you and me.” Thus, when I listen you say, ‘I admire your drive, but I don’t want to be on the sideline.’ There’s a restructuring around the corner, that’s why I am just trying to guard my position here.”

That is when I realized she was tired; there was exhaustion behind the ambitious look she wore. “I get it, Elena. All I’m trying to do here is the same. But I think we can work together instead of Competing as we are in Different sectors and can exchange information.

A brief look of viable self-anger showed on her face and after a few seconds of silence she began to nod her head slowly. “All right, let’s try to sort out where we have similar concerns.”

When transitioning from the model of competition to cooperation, I felt relieved inside my chest. 

On the other hand, the working environment in the company’s office became tense due to the circulation of rumors on the restructuring process. This particular day, while I was at work, we received an all-hands meeting call from upper management. My stomach clenched as I thought about the impact of the changes.

Immediately I found my position in front of the large mass of people and noticed that David was as nervous as I was but prepared for what was to transpire. 

That was why when our supervisor started talking, I started feeling butterflies in my stomach. However, I prepared myself to endure the gale of compliment, which I did not want to compromise in any way. 

It has been noted that because of recent market changes, adjustments will be made to advance more with operations. Of Course, these shifts entail some hard choices but our focus is to get positioned correctly,” she said, the atmosphere charged.

These signals, ‘streamlining’ and ‘restructuring’ crashed through the team like a shock wave. My eyes shifted across the faces of everyone around me: the horror of my fellow employees, the hope gleaming in some of their eyes, and others dread. 

Then I realized that it was now my turn to swim against the tide. This was my time to lead. I decided that I would go for it, and champion my team to ensure they made their input felt.

“While I agree with this of course changes have to happen,” I said in a more assertive tone “I think it is important that we also identify how we can invest in our teams to help them be able to move through these changes.” What sets QB aside is that we have teamwork and our focus on creating new ideas. 

The words came straight out from my heart and I could hear the spirit of David standing beside me, encouraging me. I was fighting for myself and everyone else in that room and nothing could stop me.

Standing before my colleagues I understood that this was not my fight alone, it was the fight for a future where cooperation would be supreme, where the voices of my team and myself would be able to inspire the new course of the company.

No matter what we were to encounter next, I was fully prepared to take it on head ready to meet the obstacles but excited for the opportunities ahead of us in this next phase of life.