Oh happy day

CHAPTER TEN

[And here we are. The last chapter of WidgetCo's story. If you’re new and want to catch up, start here.]

Monica walked into the conference room fifteen minutes before the emergency board meeting was scheduled to start to find Jones in her seat at the head of the table, and Peter, his VC buddy on the board, seated at his right, fiddling with his phone.

Without even raising an eyebrow, Monica took a seat in the middle of the table. Arun and Gary came in and sat on either side of her, both looking graciously impassive. They stood to welcome each board member that arrived, shaking hands, clapping shoulders.

“We called this meeting to discuss an urgent problem with WidgetCo’s current leadership,” said Peter, as soon as everyone was settled. Jones, his chin jutting, could hardly contain his excitement. “We believe that Monica must be replaced as CEO immediately. And that Jones must become Chief Product Officer. These steps are essential to securing WidgetCo’s future.” Peter called a vote.

But the only person who raised his hand in favor of Peter’s motion was Peter himself. (Jones was not a board member. He couldn’t vote.)

Gary nodded to the other two board members in the room. “Actually,” said one, “we believe the problem resides with Jones. Monica has the board’s full faith and trust as WidgetCo’s CEO. Her strategy has gotten exceptional feedback.”

“I don’t know why we are even having this meeting,” said another.

“There is a reason,” said Arun. “It’s time for me to officially step back. Monica will be sole CEO of WidgetCo. I will resign from my Co-CEO position and just have a board seat. I’d like to vote on this now.”

Every hand in the room except Peter’s and Jones’s went up.

Peter bolted the second the meeting was over. After Monica, Gary, and Arun said goodbye to the board members, Jones, who was waiting in the hall, stomped up to the three of them and said, “You can’t fire me. I quit!”

“Really,” Arun laughed. “That’s really how you’re going to say it?”

“HR will get in touch with you, but you’re welcome to clear out your desk now,” said Gary. “And I’ll take your badge.”

Two weeks later, all is well at WidgetCo. Not calm. Everyone is insanely busy. But all is well.

Monica and Justine have bonded. They are both running at full speed to stay ahead of the inevitable emerging competitors. “It’s nice to be part of your team, Monica,” said Justine after a marathon strategy review. Monica was surprised. Those were the nicest words Justine had ever said out loud to anyone at WidgetCo. “Same, Justine,” she replied. “Same.”

Monica met with April. “Take that ferocity and build us a multi-market, multi-audience, multi-channel strategy. Come back in two weeks and wow me. Oh - and we need Emily in our senior team meetings. Will you let her know?”

April walked into Emily’s office with a huge smile on her face. “You know that mythical seat at the table? You have it now. Heaven knows you’ve earned it. Congratulations!”

Hector and April got Monica to approve two people for a sales enablement team. Emily was so happy she nearly cried when she heard the news. Gary’s last act before he officially went on long term health leave was to suggest a possible Chief Product Officer to Monica. “I think he’s brilliant and humble, which is just what we need, but what matters most is whether you and Justine feel the same way.”

“Gary, I am going to miss you every day. I’m not sure what I’ll do without you,” said Monica.

“You’ll do amazing things Monica,” he said, in full paternal mode. “You’ve managed to steer us through the chaos. You can handle anything WidgetCo has to face.”

“You’re the new chief Monica cheerleader and supporter,” Gary said to Hector when he came to say goodbye.

“On it my friend,” said Hector. “It will be my pleasure.”

At the end of a demanding but happy Thursday, Marcus came to Clara’s desk. “You had your meeting with Monica today, didn’t you? How did it go?”

“Good. She wants me to meet with the potential CPO candidates. And she wants to make me a senior director. And I, I, I still can’t believe it.” Clara looked up and noticed that Marcus looked less happy than usual. “What’s up with you?”

“I’ve decided to leave,” he said. “The experience with Jones really showed me how one bad person can derail a whole company. I know we’re on the right track now, but I started looking for a new gig when things were really bad and I got an amazing offer.”

“Oh,” said Clara, looking down. She felt hollow inside.

“No one knows yet. But I wanted to ask you two things.”

“Sure.”

“Would you be a reference for me? They need peer references for a background check.”

“Of course!”

“And, uh,” Marcus looked down for a second before he looked up and met Clara’s eyes. “Now that we won’t be working together anymore, maybe we can have dinner sometime?” He paused. “Not as friends.”

“Oh,” said Clara, as she grokked the look in Marcus’s eyes. “M - may - maybe.”

She smiled a little half smile and then, too embarrassed to maintain eye contact, Clara turned to her monitor and went back to work on her PRD.

Jones and Peter had clearly never heard the maxim: ‘Never ask a question when you don’t already know the answer.’ But that’s only one of the dozens of communication mistakes they made. Clara, Emily, Marcus, and Monica, on the other hand, used their communication skills to lead WidgetCo into its future. Every leader must also be a great communicator!

[Need to catch up? Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven, Chapter Eight, Chapter Nine. You can also find extra tidbits of WidgetCo backstory on poseycorp’s blog.]