Another update from the Jungle….
Cyndi is the newest manager at her company. Today she is going on her first major client meeting since her promotion. But she’s not going alone.
Ron, the CEO, says he is sending Bill along to help answer questions. Bill knows the client, Grand Delusions, Inc., well because it was his account before the hand off to Cyndi. Cyndi gets along well with Bill because he’s always been willing to help her. She’s glad to have him along to handle the introductions.
Bill offers to drive to Grand Delusion’s office because he’s been there many times before while this is Cyndi’s first visit. During the drive, he tells Cyndi about his recent vacation looking at Mayan ruins in the Yucatan. Cyndi asks a few questions about Grand Delusions but gets conflicting advice from Bill. By the time they arrive, she’s feeling a tad confused. The CEO of Grand Delusions is either the best guy ever or a total jerk, according to Bill.
Cyndi and Bill are escorted to Grand Delusions’ conference room where they are joined by Tim, CEO, and Sam, CFO. Tim and Sam greet Bill like the old friend he is and launch into an anecdote about their recent golf outing. After an interminable waste of time (in Cyndi’s opinion) the real meeting begins. Bill introduces Cyndi and explains that she is now in charge of the client relationship.
Cyndi smiles graciously and begins to outline her agenda for the meeting. Bill interrupts her to remind Tim that the billing system has changed. That was the final item on Cyndi’s agenda because she knows it will take time to explain. Bill launches into a garbled explanation of the new billing system that misstates several vital steps. Tim and Sam stare blankly. It’s obvious they’re confused.
Cyndi tries to correct Bill’s misinformation, but he talks over her. That’s when she gets mad. She scribbles on a piece of paper “I thought this was my meeting” and passes the note to Bill. He reads the note and stuffs it in his pocket.
What are Cyndi’s options?
- She can kick Bill in the shins underneath the table until he stops talking.
- She can jump up shouting “liar, liar, pants on fire” at Bill.
- She can call Tim and Sam later to schedule a meeting with them but without Bill to talk about the new billing system.
In the actual situation, the male colleague stopped talking (briefly) after receiving the note which allowed his female colleague to lead the discussion.
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