The top executives of Infinity Group all attended the meeting, with five vice presidents and relevant department managers sitting on either side of the long table in the meeting center.
Rex, the President of Infinity Group, presided over the meeting. Rex began by stating that the establishment of the Organization Department had been approved by the board of directors. The board unanimously believed that for Infinity Group to have better development, there must be a separate department to coordinate the relationship between marketing and production.
Rex's words didn't cause much reaction; the existence of the Organization Department in Infinity Group was no longer a secret, and most people were aware of it.
After Rex's announcement, he explained that the main responsibilities of this department would fall on Edith. Edith, as the vice president responsible for production and marketing, was a natural choice to directly manage the Organization Department, and being technically knowledgeable, she was considered an authority within Infinity Group.
Edith stepped onto the stage, operated the display screen, and the functions of the Organization Department appeared on the large electronic screen behind her. Edith turned around to introduce, "Currently, the primary function of the Organization Department is to coordinate production and market conflicts. According to the initial plan, the first-phase task of the Organization Department is to meet customer order demands and coordinate production order scheduling. Simultaneously, it will handle the reception of external clients and a series of activities related to large projects. Additionally, it will vigorously expand the overseas market, and this phase is expected to be completed within six months or even a year. In the second phase, the Organization Department will involve itself in the specific management of the production and marketing departments. This includes the eight factories under Infinity Group's jurisdiction and the overseas offices scattered across the country. The Organization Department will increase its staff, and key personnel from the production and marketing departments will be directly transferred to the Organization Department. In the third phase, the Organization Department will take full control of production and marketing, with the original production and marketing departments becoming two sub-divisions under the Organization Department, fully integrated, and striving for a perfect combination of production and marketing."
"I'll interrupt for a moment," a man in his fifties interrupted Edith's explanation. Edith looked and saw it was Tom Lawson, the vice president specifically in charge of production supervision. Edith nodded and said, "Vice President, do you have something to say?"
"I want to ask, after the establishment of this department, whose leadership should I follow?" Tom's tone was unfriendly. "Should I listen to your orders? How can an old-timer like me accept being ordered around by you?"
"Vice President, you've misunderstood. The purpose of this department is not to strip away your power. It's to better resolve the discord between production and marketing. Under this premise, the responsibilities of the original departments haven't changed, such as the independent systems of the technical department, equipment department, and procurement department," Edith explained.
"That may be true, but what we're more concerned about is the choice of the department manager for the Organization Department. I heard that Edith has recommended a suitable candidate, but this person has only been with the company for a few months, and his education is only at the high school level. I wonder if this is true?" Tom pressed on aggressively; it seemed like he was holding back some grievances.
Louie had been sitting in a chair with his eyes closed, minding his own business. He had zero interest in this department and couldn't be bothered to listen to what it was all about. However, when he heard Tom's words clearly targeting him, he opened his eyes. A cold light flashed in his eyes, and a trace of displeasure emerged in his heart. He thought, "This old guy, what did I do to provoke him? Why bring me up for no reason?"
Edith had anticipated that Tom would ask her about this, so she remained calm and unruffled. She said calmly, "Vice President Tom, that's correct, and there is such a matter. But this doesn't mean anything. Our group has always believed in promoting those with capabilities. In my opinion, the manager of the Organization Department needs to understand technology, marketing, and be adept at expanding foreign markets. I believe the only person who possesses all these qualities is Louie, the head of the marketing department. He spent six years in Country Y, has overseas connections, which is crucial for our group's overseas market expansion. Secondly, he is the head of the marketing department, so there is no issue in terms of business. As for the third point, I must say that Louie's technical knowledge far exceeds mine."
When these words came out, everyone was surprised, including Louie himself. He hadn't expected Edith to praise him like this; it seemed a bit unwarranted. What Louie didn't know was that last time, he deliberately confused Edith, and Edith mistakenly thought that Louie was a top expert in motive technology. Little did she know that Louie was only very familiar with military-grade motive technology.
Upon hearing Edith's words, Tom's tone softened a lot. But he continued to say, "I believe the head of the production department is the most suitable for this position. After all, he's been an old employee for many years, responsible at work, and has a good reputation."
Sitting opposite Tom, the head of the production department was naturally recommended by Tom. Before Edith could speak, Rex spoke first, "Tom, the candidate for the department manager position this time is one that I approve of. I know you have the best interests of the company in mind and wish to arrange competent individuals for this position. However, considering that the Organization Department has just been established, it's uncertain whether it will achieve the expected results. Because of this, I don't intend to make any adjustments to the original department managers; everyone should continue with their existing roles. The authority of the department manager in this Organization Department may not be as significant as you expect. From the current perspective, this role might be relatively leisurely, with not much workload. Therefore, I believe the salary and benefits for this department manager should be equivalent to that of a department head. Moreover, at the end of the year, there will only be the year-end bonus from the group company, without any departmental dividends. In other words, they will hold the title of department manager but receive the salary of a department head. Perhaps, in a few months, I might even dissolve this department. The specifics are hard to say."
After Rex's statement, Tom was left speechless. No one had expected it to be like this. The salary of a department manager and a department head differed significantly, and without the year-end departmental bonus, no department manager would willingly take on the position, sacrificing a considerable amount of money.
Observing that no one expressed opposition, Rex smiled and said, "Since no one has any objections, let's settle it this way." As soon as Rex finished speaking, Louie said, "I have an objection."
This immediately drew the attention of everyone present, especially Edith. She stared at Louie, wondering, "What is this guy up to?"
Seeing Louie, Rex felt a moment of apprehension. He realized he had forgotten to communicate directly with Louie, and Louie, being someone who wouldn't easily conform like other employees, might have his own opinions. Rex had to ask, "Manager, do you have any objections?"
Louie chuckled, showing no signs of nervousness, and said, "President, I'd like to know if the company will reimburse my gas expenses. I am now a department manager, and I'll need to use a car for various tasks. I don't expect the company to provide me with a Mercedes; just reimbursing my gas expenses would be sufficient. With the recent rise in fuel prices, it's becoming hard to afford."
This statement from Louie almost caused a collective shock among the top executives present. It turned out it was all about this trivial matter. Rex laughed and said, "Manager, or should I say Manager Louie, you don't need to worry about that. The company will not only reimburse your gas expenses but also provide you with a company car. If needed, we can even assign a driver for you. Will that satisfy you?"
"That's about right," Louie muttered. "If I have two cars in the future, one for driving and one for display, I can choose whichever I want to drive. Then, I can consider myself a rich man with two cars."