Little White Lies by Paul Watkins Page B

assistance in this area as well as his entertainment business. From where I sit, he’s been overwhelmed for some time now.
    I have prepared an agenda for the meeting and the appointment is the first item of business. We might as well get right into it because I don’t think he will pay attention to anything else until we get it out of the way. Entering the library, I find him sitting at his desk, reviewing the agenda I provided for the meeting.
    “Good morning, Mr. Jackson, did you have a good trip?” I ask, making every effort to sound as though I am filled with good cheer. Actually I am full of the good stuff. Seeing A.J. again, not that he’s been gone that long, is always a boost. He has an aura of energy around him and one can’t help but feel it as soon as you come in range. He exudes confidence. A slight nod acknowledges my greeting, otherwise no reaction.
    “You may have heard that your Atlanta, Restaurant 2, manager quit. We, Mr. Wilson and I, made a new appointment to replace him. I would like to explain what happened and why we appointed that particular manager.”
    How’s that for taking the long way around the barn? This time the response is a blank stare. I’m trying not to smile… he’s so pissed-off he looks like he’s about to bite the desk.
    “As you may know, the manager quit, without notice, on the twenty-fifth. I received a call that night from Mr. Wilson. He wanted to contact you at that time and give the news to you directly. Also, he wanted guidance from you regarding the person you would like to appoint as a replacement.
    “I decided it was not an appropriate time to call since you were about to go on stage. While any type of managerial change is always important, I did not believe this was an issue you had to be involved with right then. So after talking to Mr. Wilson for a while, I decided to help him with the decision. He seemed to have a pretty good handle on the staff and I figured you would probably want to go with an acting position before making the appointment permanent. A probationary period will give you and Mr. Wilson an opportunity to evaluate the manager in the actual job.”
    I pause to see if he would like to comment. The steady stare continues as before… perhaps a bit more intense.
    “I told Mr. Wilson to talk with both candidates,” I continue. “That is, tell one why she got the job and explain the probationary period; and tell the other why he did not get the job and what would have to change or take place for him to be in line for the next opening. Both interviews were documented and signed off by all parties with copies in their personnel files.
    “Mr. Wilson made the recommendation, but I made the decision. He is on record as wanting to go directly to you with this. I think Mr. Wilson sounds like a good man and with a little guidance he could probably be a lot more help than he is now. Eventually you will need real managers who can pull their own weight. As your organization grows these people will have to take on more responsibility. You are paying people to do a job… they should learn to do it.”
    I have a hunch all this good advice is falling on deaf ears.
    “Phil, I’m not going to shit you on this.”
    Ah, the silence is broken.
    “I want you to know I have a real problem with you getting into my business at this level. I mean, what the hell do you know about any of this? Nothing, that’s what! Not a goddamned thing. And Lionel doesn’t know much more. You two could have screwed things up… big time! As it turns out, I probably would have done the same thing, except I would have made the appointment permanent. I believe in making the manager secure. I have found that people do a better job when they feel secure in their position.”
    “Do you mean all managers, or just certain managers?”
    The not so obscure reference to my situation does not seem to bother A.J. in any way. He’s so full of it he could fertilize half the corn crop in Iowa just