The sales job ends abruptly. He rereads the memo left by his boss at the front desk of the hotel.
Jim is staying at the hotel because he has just moved back to Oregon from China. There's a recession. The company is not doing well. The boss in out of town on a business trip to South America won't be reachable until next week.
Well, pretty scary, but nice to be back in America. Life is easier here, and he's tired from so much travel around Asia. He'll find a job and focus on survival, and enjoying life in America with his wife and new baby boy. The familiar sounds of the city, the green forests and clean air, the smell of good food and the open space, this will be okay. Welcome home.
A week later, after seeing friends, taking walks with his wife and baby under the towering old growth Douglas Firs at his favorite park, eating every kind of American food - he completes the termination paperwork and says goodbye to his friends at the company.
Jim needs work, and money, now. Living overseas was expensive, it was great adventure, but it didn't make him wealthy. There's a recession, a new family, his career.
He finds out from the newspaper (that's where they advertised for jobs in the 90's) that Emerald Footwear is hiring for a customer service position. Resumes being accept by mail only, to a post office box.
He picks up the phone in the hotel room and dials the main switchboard at Emerald Footwear. Hi, this is Jim, I'm trying to send a letter, what's the name of the customer service manager there? Thanks. Half hour later, he dials the company swichboard and asks to speak to the manager, gets her on the phone right away. Lucky.
You have to see my resume, I'm perfect for the job. Look, I just want to fax it over, and if you like what you see, you can give me a call. Okay. The next day, he calls the manager, goes in for an interview and within a week is sitting in a cubicle doing customer service work.
The pay is not so great, but the corporate headquarters is comfortable and positive and looks like a brand new college campus. Jim finds he can get ahead by keeping his mouth shut and asking a lot of questions, reflecting a lot what other people say: Oh, you're saying this, I see, yeah, I can see that.
A job opens up to do research in the president's office, he gets the job because he had lived and worked in Asia. One day he's called into a meeting, and the president asks him, what should we do with our unproductive stores in China, what does your research tell you about what other companies are doing? The president is leaning toward franchising the China business out to local owners. Jim says, the research on other companies about the best retail strategy is about split, but Emerald should keep ownership in all China stores, and play hardball with uncooperative local governments in certain Chinese provinces, including shutting down stores if necessary.
The president doesn't see the logic and sides with his retail VP. Jim persists with his arguement and the president gets angry, but after heated debate, agrees with Jim. What you're saying makes sense, I appreciate your honesty. I agree, we should go by our gut here, the facts don't quite support your position, we'll see what happens. If you lose me money, it will cost you your job, I'm making you a scapegoat - smiles - now get out of here.
Jim continues to do research and occasionally gets to sit in on meetings with the president. He mostly observes, reflects back what people were saying, and keeps his mouth shut, only give his opinion when asked.
The next product season, China sales take off and China becomes profitable for Emerald. One day, the president invites Jim into his office for a drink of Scotch. Have you got any other ideas?
From then on, Jim becomes more of an informal advisor to the president, sitting in meetings, listening to opinions, and mainly offering his own analysis in private to the president after the department managers and executives have left the room. Often debating the man and losing, but never bored, and learning new things about business every day. No fancy title, no power, just freedom to listen and think and persuade.
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