1
Fear at first—then wide awake. Is this my life I have at stake?


“YOU’RE FIRED.” The words hit Robb like an unexpected punch in the stomach. He felt faint, kind of giddy, and a little woozy—off balance.

The chairman’s message was a shock. Robb Reinhart had been CEO of Central Plains Foods, a major Midwestern food distribution company, for three years after logging almost four years as the senior vice president of marketing followed by five years as the company’s chief operating officer. While there had been some setbacks recently, this was completely unexpected. He was stunned.

Robb had come to the board of directors’ meeting with the same confidence and nonchalance that he characteristically had: No big deal. We’ll talk the numbers, review the go-forward strategy, endure some of the self-importance of one or two of the directors, and adjourn the meeting. Then I’ll go back to work at my real job—running the company.

It was true that the company’s business over the past two quarters was slower than usual, but the numbers weren’t all that bad considering the economy, a world jittery with the reality of terrorism, and the aftermath of 9/11 still palpable. After all, people had to eat, and Central Plains Foods distributed produce to most of the major supermarket chains as well as the independent grocery stores in the eight-state Midwest region.

What should have alerted Robb to the impending doomsday message from Chairman Dr. Neil Anderson were the comments he made leading up to Robb’s abrupt dismissal.

“My biggest concern is not the drop in revenues as you might suspect . . . it’s the disintegration of our culture . . . the indifference of our employees . . . a malaise that is destroying the spirit of our team . . . and a callousness toward our suppliers. These are the failures of leadership that will doom any great company, and we must have a change at the top to avoid such a fate!”

Disintegrating culture, indifference, malaise, callousness. What in the world is he talking about?

As the chairman droned on with his accusations, Robb’s vision tunneled and Anderson’s body seemed to loom larger and larger at the end of the table. At the same time, his bellowing voice increased in intensity, filling the room and making it close and stuffy. He felt as though he were in a Kafka movie as Mary Meyers, vice president of Human Resources, handed Robb the resignation papers to sign. The pen in his hand seemed heavy and slippery. The room felt hot, but Robb was chilled and damp.

Stay in Touch with Your Workforce.



2

When do we find “A Word to the Wise?”
Sometimes sleep will open our eyes.


“WAKE UP! WAKE UP, ROBB!” He heard his wife’s voice from miles away. “Robb . . . Robb.” He sat bolt upright in bed. In a cold sweat he realized that he had been dreaming.

“Sweetheart, are you feeling okay?” Sharon asked with concern. “You were moaning and groaning in your sleep and saying something about an ‘unfair execution.’ My goodness, you’re all sweaty and shivering. Do you have a fever?”

“No, no. I’m okay. It was just a bad dream.” Robb got up, fetched a glass of water, and put on a fresh pair of pyjamas. Before going back to bed, he stared into the bathroom mirror and thought he looked like he had been in a fight. He certainly felt that way.

What was that nightmare all about? I’m sure glad Sharon woke me up before it got worse. He stopped and remembered Sharon’s voice urging him to wake up.

Maybe this was more than a dream. Maybe it really was a “wake-up” call.




The More Experience You Have, the Wiser It Is to Listen to Your Gut!