Baked Ambition

Billy Stanford was ambitious. He made no secret of the fact. Why should drive and ambition be dirty words? He wanted to go far, he wanted to be senior management, and even director level, by the time he was done. 

In his spare time he read self-help books about getting ahead in business. He would listen to podcasts and videos online all about becoming the executive.

At the office, he was the odd one out. Nobody at work shared his drive and commitment. The management seemed rather laid back and to be stuck in a rut, happy to let the staff get away with murder. He suspected the older board members were simply sitting it out for retirement and the pension pay-out.

His colleagues cared more about the social aspect of office life rather than the actual job at hand. They would spend most of the morning chatting about what they had done the night before. Billy was focused and dedicated to the business. Rather than disappearing for twenty minutes to make cups of tea, Billy would pop for a quick brew, and return to his desk promptly to carry on with his tasks.

After two years with the company he felt he was ready. This was his time. The next promotional vacancy that came up, he would apply for, and would do all he could to ensure he got the job.

When the email came round advertising the vacancy for supervisor, Billy read the message over and over, trying to take it all in, to read between the lines. He would be supervising the import department. While he had mainly worked in exports, he knew he could do well at the leadership position. 

This was it. This was the chance he had been waiting for. The supervisor job was a stepping stone. It was the next step up on the ladder.  Once he was supervisor, he would bide his time and size up the next position, manager, and from there who knows? And if there was no vacancies when he was ready to step up again, he would look elsewhere and apply for senior roles at other firms. Other companies would snap him up if there was nothing going here.

Billy went though and updated his C.V. to make sure it was as sharp and impressive as could be and then sent the résumé off by email as instructed. Sent! It was done. He had applied. This was the start of his new chapter in business. Here he was about to make a name for himself. 

A few days later, Billy was called into the board room. He marched across the office with a determination in his step. Three senior managers were seated on the other side of the large glass-topped table. One of them waved for him to take a seat.

‘This won’t take long. We’re just waiting for the other applicant.’

How intriguing. So someone else had applied for the position. Billy had a rival in the race to be supervisor. 

When Victoria appeared in the doorway, Billy was delighted. She would be no competition. In a way, for Billy to go up against someone like Victoria wasn’t really fair. She would be no match for him. 

Victoria was no threat as far as Billy was concerned. She was a really chatterbox who spent her time mixing with her colleagues, rather than getting on with her work. She prided herself on being a ‘nice person’ and worried about being well-liked and popular, rather than a key member of the work-force. 

One of the board-members, a woman in her fifties called Susan, smiled warmly at the candidates.

‘We’d like to thank you both for your applications. As well as having informal chats here and there, to see who is best suited for the supervisor role, we would like each of you run the department for the day. Which of you gets the job, depends on how well you run the department for the day. Victoria, you will run the department on Tuesday.’

‘How exciting.’ Victoria said.

‘And Billy, you’ll run the department on Wednesday.’

‘Perfect, thank you.’ Billy said, his tone flat, cool and professional.

The import department was on the other side of the open plan office floor from where Billy’s desk was. Of course, when he got the supervisor job, he would move over to be with his team. He would lead from the front and be at hand, in the trenches with the staff, as it were. He would be interested to see how Victoria got on running the team. He was quite certain he could learn what not to do from the other applicant. 

Victoria appeared, stepping out of the lift with arms full of plastic food containers, her handbag slung over her shoulder. 

She approached the import department grinning. Morning, guys, she beamed. Placing the plastic containers down on the end of the desk.

‘Get stuck in, everyone. There’s cakes, muffins, and even a bit of Lemon Drizzle cake. Help yourselves. All home-made, of course.’ Victoria said.

The Import team coo’d and rushed to get stuck in to the cakes. As they tucked into the baked items, they enthused about how lovely they were.

Billy scoffed at the very idea. He tried to keep the disgust from his face, in case anyone saw him from across the office. But it was ridiculous. That wasn’t how you ran a department. Where was the respect? You had to command respect, demand it. Your staff had to know you were there to lead them, to take charge. 

While Billy was sure that Victoria’s Lemon Drizzle cake was divine, he was also quite certain that there was no place for such things in the office. 

Billy looked away as he spotted Victoria heading towards his desk. 

‘Would you like a cake, Billy?’ Victoria asked, offering the plastic tub.

Billy stopped typing, and gave her a glance over his glasses.

‘I’m okay, thanks.’ He said.

Throughout the day, Billy’s suspicions of Victoria were confirmed. The cakes and treats were just the start of it. Victoria pandered and pampered to the team far too much. She treated them as though they were children, congratulating them for simply doing their job.

He recalled a famous football pundit slating a player, lambasting a goal-keeper. He shouldn’t get praise for making saves, that’s his job! That was the way Billy saw it. Billy was all for encouragement, but not done in such a patronising way.

At the end of the working day, Victoria thanked them all for putting up with her all day, and thanked them all for their efforts. Billy was certain that the department would be run very differently the following day when he would be in charge. Just wait until the management saw how well he ran the department. They would promote him on the spot.

On Wednesday morning Billy arrived at the office wearing a brand new suit and carrying a briefcase. He felt like a boxer on his way to the ring for a championship fight.

‘Good morning, team.’ He said, his voice cheerful but professional.

‘No cakes? We have cake yesterday?’ Someone called.

‘Cakes aren’t our business. If you want cakes then go and work in a bakery.’ Billy said, still smiling, to show he was half-joking.

‘I want you to make sure everything goes smoothly today, okay? You know what’s on the line. I want you do pull together. Do not mess this up for me.’ He said.

When nobody responded, Billy got to his feet, hands on hips, and spoke to the team.

‘When I’m the supervisor, I want you to see me, not just as your boss, but as a kind of mentor figure. I’m not just here to reprimand you, I’m here to encourage your drive and ambition.’

Just before four o’clock, one of his team, Malcolm explained he had a problem with a delivery. The driver had been delayed at an earlier delivery, and wouldn’t make the last delivery in time. The customer was complaining.

Billy felt sick. Not today. He couldn’t have any issues, not today, not when he was in charge. The only problem Victoria seemed to have the day before, was running out of Bakewell tarts. 

‘What are you going to do to sort this?’ Billy growled.

‘I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking you.’ Malcolm replied.

‘Did you check this morning? If not why not. And I don’t want any excuses.’ 

‘No, I didn’t check, because this morning, the driver hadn’t been delayed. It’s all happened in the last hour or so.’

Billy ran a hand through his hair and tried not to panic.

‘I don’t want problems, guys. I want solutions.’ He snapped.

Someone suggested arranging a special delivery for first thing the following morning.

‘Don’t be ridiculous. We’re not paying extra costs for a special delivery.’ Billy said.

‘Transport would pay, as it’s their issue with today’s delivery.’

‘Great idea. Let’s do that.’ Billy said.

At the end of the afternoon, Billy shrugged into his suit jacket and grabbed his briefcase. He simply bid the team Good evening, everyone, and headed for the door.

The following morning, Billy was called to the meeting room. Victoria was already sitting at the desk in front of the board. Billy turned to close the door behind him.

‘Could you leave that open, they are not all here yet.’ a board member said.

Before Billy could ask who the others were, the import department filed into the room. While Billy and Victoria remained seated, the department lined up at the end of the table.

Susan spoke, confirming Billy’s fears.

‘The team will decide which of you will get the position.’ Susan said, then turning to the team. ‘Have you reached a decision?’

‘Yes, we have. It was an easy decision, really.’ One woman said.

All Billy’s hopes of getting the promotion vanished when she continued.

‘It was a piece of cake.’ She added with a smile.

‘This is ridiculous.’ Billy fumed. ‘That’s bribery. So, if I brought in cakes or a box of chocolates, then you’d pick me?’

‘There is more to managing people than berating them. Victoria was polite and kind to us.’ Malcolm said. 

‘That’s not good management skills. I expect my work-force-‘

‘Your work-force? You haven’t got the job.’ 

‘This can’t be happening. You can’t let Victoria Sponge and this lot run the department into the ground.’ 

‘Actually,’ Susan interrupted, ‘the figures do show that productivity was up on the day Victoria was in charge.’

By Chris Platt

From: United Kingdom