Opening the Door

Moody clouds sailed across the sunset sky, catching the orange and red glow beautifully.?A slight autumn breeze blew the remains of someone’s lunch across the car park – can of coke and a crisp packet, just now they came to a rest in the far corner of the enormous car park.?Beyond the edge of the car park, the thorny bushes towered high and stood like sentinels, guarding the rest of reality from the community that worked within its borders.

As Gary turned, taking a last drag from his e-cig, he wished that for once, the break would last as long in practice as it seemed on paper.?As he got older, the breaks seemed to get shorter, and there never seemed to be enough time to clear his thoughts.

His mind was elsewhere – he had a great job in a business he felt loyal to, and relished the challenges that came his way… but recently the challenges just seemed to be coming thick and fast.?Almost like they were gathering pace… testing his limits.

Having worked as a senior ops director for some years now, he’d seen it all.?His now-greying hair ruffled in the breeze, as his eyes caught sight of his colleague, Joanne heading into the car park in her new cherry red Corsa. He raised his hand in a quick wave, and flashed a knowing smile. Joanne flashed a nervous smile back – clearly she too, was feeling the pressure.

The fact of it was, they needed more resources, more data, and up to date technology.?His teams were spread out these days – and rather the car park being full of the usual carnage of cars at this time of day – people both coming in for and finishing their shifts… the car park was eerily quiet.?In the advent of working from home in the pandemic, there had been no choice.?They’d all gone and worked in their homes – packed up all their laptops and took the boxes of personal items that adorned their desks.?Home life had become the norm for most now, and not many wanted to return - who could blame them!?

Frustratingly though, the business had yet to put a plan in place more formally, and people felt unsure about their future and their roles.?Many wanted to stay at home, others wanted a balance, as their dog and 4 kids got in the way. Gary knew that their lives had probably changed forever now, and he felt the expectations of his team keenly.

Yet that was only a part of the pressure weighing down on Gary’s shoulders. Business wasn’t doing as well as it should.?His team held the keys to the answers, but they were a relatively small business, and they couldn’t afford the technology required to get them where they needed to be… after all, who can afford to hire four analysts in this day and age?

His face tightened as he felt all his hard work slipping away before him… his passion was still strong, and all he wanted to do, was to see his teams get the support they needed… but how?

As Joanne got out of her car and crossed over the grass verge, her eyes said what he already knew… she was thinking the same thoughts as him.?She smiled, nodded briefly, and flashed her ID card to the reader, and opened the door....

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As a young kid at school, I always said I'd be a writer.

I thought that meant I'd be a novelist.

It didn't - I don't have the patience to write a book - I've made the attempt many times in the past... and I get two or three chapters in, before I lose motivation for it.

But I have become a writer - right here on Linkedin. And I do create opportunities for people like Gary and Joanne to solve their challenges!

If you would like to know how Gary and Joanne's story ends, then I'd love to get in touch with you and tell you the story of what's possible for them.

Message me on LI, or email me at [email protected].