How to Get Ahead Without Murdering your Boss (5 page)

"Yeah?" Paul tried to appear interested but edged closer to the door.

"We're just about to sign a lucrative deal with a Chinese manufacturer. I am about to become a very rich man and I'm not going to let a bunch of bloodsuckers take it away from me."

Paul held up his hands in mock defence.

"Okay, mate, whatever you reckon. Look, I'm just going around trying to warn people that the cyclone's changed course and is heading back this way. You might want to think of joining us back in the lodge. It's the strongest building."

"What? Nonsense. Cyclones never hit here. Besides, I can look after myself. I'll grab a couple more bottles and settle in here for the night."

"Suit yourself. I'll…"

There was a knocking at the door.

Paul leaned over and opened the door.

"Arnold I was worried…," Yasmin Perfect rushed in with the wind, chattering and soaked through.

She saw Paul and her manner changed. "Arnold, we were worried, I was just coming to, to see if you wanted to join us in the lodge."

Arnold smiled. "Well that's very considerate darling. Paul here was also very concerned for my welfare. Seems I'm very popular tonight."

"Well I'll leave you to it then," Paul smirked as he closed the door behind him.

He pulled his collar higher and headed back to the lodge.

9

Back in the kitchen, Lou was organizing supplies with the chef. "Thanks so much for a wonderful dinner, Clara. It must have been difficult with the power going on and off."

Clara lifted a box effortlessly with her muscular arms. "Yes, well I'm used to rough cooking. Ten years in a top Sydney restaurant, it can get cutthroat. I'd much rather handle a few power shortages than the knife-throwing histrionics of your average big city chef."

"So you're glad you made the sea-change?" Lou handed her a crate of water.

Clara shouldered it and placed it on the shelf above her head. "No need to ask Lou. Here I can step outside and see the trees. I can breathe. Money's not everything."

Lou stood with her hands on her hips in mock anger. "Was that a crack about the salary?"

"No but if you ever do hit the big time remember the little people who helped you get there!"

Lou grinned. "Absolutely!" She paused and surveyed the storeroom. "So you think we have enough here to feed these people if we get stuck here?"

"For a month if we need to, but I'd hate to think that we have this bunch here for that long." Clara rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Of course if we have to resort to eating each other, as the only qualified chef I get to choose who goes first."

"Yeah who would your choice be?"

Clara nodded towards the corridor behind Lou. "Well here's someone who would be near the top of the list."

"Lou? I'm sorry to interrupt you." Kylie tapped on the kitchen door.

"Don't worry Ms Humann, we're just getting supplies together in case the cyclone does hit us." Lou wiped her hands on a towel and smiled. "How can I help you?"

"Well I was just checking to see if there was any way to use a phone? The phone in my cabin doesn't seem to be working."

"Yes of course, let's try the one in the office. It might be just your phone as the main line was working earlier this evening."

"Clara can you finish here while I look after Ms Humann?" asked Lou.

Clara nodded. "No problem. This won't take long and then I'm off to bed."

Lou led Kylie down the corridor and turned into the office.

"Just through here Ms Humann."

"Kylie please."

"Kylie." Lou picked up the phone. "We're in luck. There's still a dial tone," she handed over the receiver. "I'll leave you to your call."

As she left Lou wondered who she was calling at 11pm on a Friday night. She was tempted to stay and put her ear to the door but that would hardly be ethical. Tearing herself away she headed towards the bar to see what the rest of her guests were up to.

The glow of the fireplace failed to lighten the mood of the current occupants in the lounge. Ed Senior was propped up at the bar, drooping into his scotch and Nathan Clearview was sitting near the fire looking very depressed and holding tight to a bottle. The CEO and his PA were noticeably absent.

Lou took another look at the morose Nathan and decided he was beyond her powers of hospitality.

"Mr Senior, I'm probably going to have to close the bar soon." Lou went behind the bar and started to wipe down the counter.

"Ed please."

"Ed." Lou stopped her cleaning and looked at him with some sympathy. "How about a nightcap before turning in?"

"Oh of course of course, we need to get our beauty sleep, don't we? This is a lovely place, reminds me of a resort I visited with my wife in Jakarta many years ago."

Ed rambled on. Lou tuned out, nodding and smiling while she watched Nathan Clearview in the corner. Kylie suddenly appeared at the door, looked about, saw Nathan, and joined him at the fireplace. She was very animated about whatever news she was sharing and he listened intently, nodding. Kylie looked up and saw Lou watching them and smiled briefly, whispered to Nathan and then stood up and came to the bar.

"Can I get you something Kylie?" asked Lou.

"No thanks, I'd rather stay fresh for tomorrow. We have a lot to get through." She looked pointedly at Ed, who was suddenly engrossed in his drink.

"Well good night then."

"Good night."

"And I'll need to say good night to you too Ed as I have a lot to tend to with the weather." Lou started to put the bottles away in the drinks cabinet.

"Yes of course dear. Good night." Ed didn't move.

Nathan stood up and swayed a little. He clutched at the mantle piece.

"Are you okay Mr Clearview?"

He grunted and nodded. He said a curt good night and staggered out of the door.

Lou turned to leave.

"You must think us a strange bunch do you Miss…" Ed was focusing on her now, rather than the contents of his glass.

"Lou please."

"We aren't all as we appear."

"How so Ed?" Lou leaned back towards the bar, trying to work out an escape route.

"Well I wasn't always like this — washed up." He paused and looked back down at his drink. "I'm getting the flick soon you know."

"Really? How do you know?"

"I overheard Arnold on the phone before we left. I don't know why he bothered to bring me on this retreat. Some perverse pleasure. That man's mind is so twisted you could spend an eternity trying to decipher his motives.

"But I don't fit anymore you see. Twenty, even ten years ago, I could still charge into new markets and sign up more customers than they could supply, but not now. Everything seems to have changed. The way you do business. There doesn't seem to be time for an old man like me." He lowered his voice as if in confession. "I don't feel comfortable using a mobile phone you know. Fifteen years ago no one did but now you are considered strange if you say you don't want to be contacted after hours and if you don't spend all of your time checking emails."

"You don't…?"

"No I don't own a laptop either. There's one for me at the office of course but I've always preferred actually speaking to people, getting to know them, you know?"

"Yes. That's not a talent many people have. It's a gift."

"You are kind to say so but no, it's a skill that they don't seem to care about these days. I helped them build up this company through my own sweat and blood. Spent months away from my family. My wife died last year, my children don't speak to me and what have I got to show for twenty-five years dedicated service? A bunch of ungrateful teenagers taking over the company and sacking me."

Ed shook his head and his shoulders started to heave. Lou was afraid he was going to cry. She could hear the bitterness in his voice. He reminded her of her own father who spent most of his life tied to the office and then suddenly dropped dead only two years into retirement. She suddenly felt sorry for Ed. "Would you like another before I put the bottle away?"

"Why not? Strong's paying for it." He tried to smile but failed. Lou could see how deeply unhappy he was.

Lou poured him a generous measure and then quietly put away the bottle and locked the drinks cabinet.

"Well I need to turn in. Good night Ed."

"Eh? Yes goodnight."

As Lou left the room, she crashed into Paul as he came around the corner.

"Whoa, that was good timing. You off to bed now?" He hadn't taken off his jacket and she could feel that he was soaked through.

Lou disentangled herself from his arms. "Yes I am. Is everything all right outside?"

"Yes all ship shape and honkey dorey."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They stood staring at each other for a few seconds. Lou broke first. "You should really get changed out of those wet things."

Paul leaned towards her. "Is that a proposition Ms Able?"

She took a step back. "I am concerned about the health of all of my guests Mr Handy."

"Damn. And here I thought I was special." Paul pretended to be hurt. He sighed. "I guess I'll get over it."

Lou smiled, "I have no doubt you will. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Paul watched her walk down the hall and then stood trying to decide whether to have a drink or turn in. He went to the door of the lounge, saw Ed sitting at the bar with his head in his hands and decided against a drink. Clipping his coat he turned once more into the rain and to bed.

10

"So your charm didn't work so well on Ms Able." David couldn't resist interrupting.

"I was simply biding my time," Paul smiled.

"Yeah, right."

"Well anyway, good thing you chose to insult me there because we are up to the third letter. E for ENVIRONMENT."

David frowned and shook his head. "Nope, sorry, you've got me there. Tell me more, Obi Won."

Paul chuckled. "Okay, well, if you were listening to Ed pouring out his heart over a few drinks you'll see that he is a classic case of someone who hasn't kept up with the changing environment around him. He knows that he is out of step, but doesn't know how to do things differently — and he isn't really motivated to try. As an employee, or even in your own business, you need to keep in touch with what is happening for your clients, your colleagues, and about the world in general. You need to be able to speak the same language, to feel confident about where you're headed, and not fall behind."

"And I guess if you know what is happening out in the world you are better positioned to see opportunities and then build some strategies to make use of them."

Paul nodded sagely. "You are on the right path, Luke."

David laughed. "This is getting interesting. I can't wait to see who gets murdered."

"I'm happy to continue, but all this talking is making me a bit thirsty." Paul looked pointedly at the empty bottle on the table in front of them.

David sighed. "Take your point, wise one. My round I think."

Paul ran a hand through his curls and rubbed his head. "Righto, now where were we?"

Summary

Environment

To ensure you are aware of current and future trends in your working environment, think about the realities of your marketplace:

• What local market place issues do you need to take into account in your career plan?
  
• What will your occupation and industry look like in five, ten, twenty years?
  
• What skills, qualifications and knowledge will be in demand in the future? For example, what impact will globalisation, technology and social change have on your career?
  

Saturdays always started early for Clara. An early morning power walk around the grounds just as the sun was rising was the most enjoyable part of her day. She could almost believe that she was the only person on earth. Even though it was still raining, it had lightened and the wind had died down a little. She could not see the sun but a light was spreading through the rainforest and she could just make out the cabins spread out on the hill.

She turned to the cliff — her favourite part of the morning's walk. She could hear the sound of the crashing waves against the rain and breathed in the spray which flew up onto her face. The edge was slippery and she was careful where she placed her hiker's boots. She thought she heard a strange cry from the rainforest and turned, but the lodge and cabins spread out silently behind her. Lou was sometimes up this early, but Clara usually had the morning to herself. Must have been a catbird. She moved closer to the edge, reaching her arms over her head and breathing deeply into the wind. Releasing her arms she flopped forward and shook herself like a rag doll. Her yoga teacher had encouraged her to try this move for relaxation. She still suffered from anxiety attacks as a result of her stressful previous job and religiously followed her yoga and tai chi daily.

Breathing in the misty horizon her eyes followed the huge waves as they crashed into the cliff below. On the shoreline she saw something move on the edges of the water.

Another piece of refuse that ended up here from the shipping channel out to sea? It was hard to tell in the rain, and she shielded her eyes and moved a little closer. Suddenly the ground started to give and Clara panicked and quickly scrambled back to more solid footing.

From what she could make out, it was a body and it wasn't moving. It was hard to tell who it was but it was a male and there was a good chance it was one of the guests.

As she started to run back to the lodge Clara thought about Lou. This was turning into a rotten weekend for her boss.