One of the more mysterious things about the charms of the president of our company was related to me by our former HR director, Susan. A few years ago now, an employee came over to Susan in HR to voice their concern over another employee in their department, and this other employees ”actions”.
Susan took the employee into the HR conference room where she felt safe to explain her concern to Susan:
“She has a picture on her desk.”
“A picture?” Susan asked.
“Yes, a picture.”
“I see, is there something wrong with this picture? Perhaps an underdressed model or something?” Susan inquired.
“No, nothing like that, it’s a picture of her and Les (the president) at the Christmas party.”
“I see, a photograph of her, and Les, at the Christmas party, and this is on her desk?” Susan reiterated, to make sure she had a full grasp of the complaint.
“Yes, and what I want to know if what are you going to do about it?”
A little taken aback, Susan continued, “Do? I’m not quite sure what the problem is. It’s a photograph taken at the office Christmas party. It doesn’t sound like it’s offensive or violates any HR guideline. Is there another issue here, has something else happened?”
“But it’s facing out!”
“Out?” Susan asked.”Yes! OUT!” The employee announced, becoming more enraged the further she got into her complaint, “She doesn’t have the picture facing her, she has placed the picture so it’s facing outwards, so everyone can see she had her picture taken with the President of the company at the Christmas party. She’s just showing off and I don’t like it!”
“Would you like me to see if Les can take a picture with you?” Susan offered.
“No! I just want her to face her picture in. I don’t want to see her showing off how ‘buddy buddy’ she is with the President - I don’t want to have to see that everyday when I come to work.”
I don’t recall how Susan diffused this situation, though I do remember seeing the photograph, and now that Susan mentioned it, it was still facing out….
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Friday, August 06, 2004
Le râteau
I can remember being thoroughly impressed when I found out that Susan had worked for non-other than Martha Stewart herself. Perhaps from that moment forward Susan shone with an inner light not quite seen before, whatever the case, here was a great chance to find out what the real Martha Stewart was like.
Susan related several stories, the most memorable being the gardener and the cats. Susan was outside on a crisp New England morning, new to her position, eagerly waiting for the show to begin filming. Susan waited with interest as Martha called over one of her Mexican assistant gardeners and requested that he bring her “le râteau” for the next shot.
Perhaps all of Martha’s gardeners are required to speak French, however, Susan hadn’t known this when screening people to work for Ms. Stewart and this poor fellow spoke fluent Spanish and a smattering of English, but no French.
Susan watched as the gardener blinked a few times, then obligingly ran off to fetch whatever Martha had requested. Susan, not speaking French either was wondering what Ms. Stewart had asked he bring her, perhaps a kettle, maybe a garden gnome or possibly a modicum of potpourri to sprinkle on the ground.
The man ran back to Martha with a shovel in tow, which he presented to her, rather like a peasant approaching a haughty queen of old with a gift to appease the gentry. Well, Martha exploded, yelling “I clearly asked for le râteau and here you come with la pelle! Are you an idiot? Don’t you know what le râteau is? Because this ISN’T IT!” Here was where Susan began honing her HR skills that would serve her so well at CSA.
After smoothing over the situation, a harried Susan recalled how they then went inside for an interior shot, Martha’s famous long haired Himalayan cats were carefully positioned by the set designer on the sofa next to her in an artful arrangement. This piece of the show had Martha extolling the virtues of cats and how to take care of the long haired breed.
The moment “cut” was yelled, Martha shoved the nearest cat from the sofa and was demanding the rest of the animals be removed from her furniture, and where was the cleaner with that damn “le chiffon”?
Susan related several stories, the most memorable being the gardener and the cats. Susan was outside on a crisp New England morning, new to her position, eagerly waiting for the show to begin filming. Susan waited with interest as Martha called over one of her Mexican assistant gardeners and requested that he bring her “le râteau” for the next shot.
Perhaps all of Martha’s gardeners are required to speak French, however, Susan hadn’t known this when screening people to work for Ms. Stewart and this poor fellow spoke fluent Spanish and a smattering of English, but no French.
Susan watched as the gardener blinked a few times, then obligingly ran off to fetch whatever Martha had requested. Susan, not speaking French either was wondering what Ms. Stewart had asked he bring her, perhaps a kettle, maybe a garden gnome or possibly a modicum of potpourri to sprinkle on the ground.
The man ran back to Martha with a shovel in tow, which he presented to her, rather like a peasant approaching a haughty queen of old with a gift to appease the gentry. Well, Martha exploded, yelling “I clearly asked for le râteau and here you come with la pelle! Are you an idiot? Don’t you know what le râteau is? Because this ISN’T IT!” Here was where Susan began honing her HR skills that would serve her so well at CSA.
After smoothing over the situation, a harried Susan recalled how they then went inside for an interior shot, Martha’s famous long haired Himalayan cats were carefully positioned by the set designer on the sofa next to her in an artful arrangement. This piece of the show had Martha extolling the virtues of cats and how to take care of the long haired breed.
The moment “cut” was yelled, Martha shoved the nearest cat from the sofa and was demanding the rest of the animals be removed from her furniture, and where was the cleaner with that damn “le chiffon”?
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