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True Story #12: Negotiation tactics for disgruntled employees
With university graduation a mere four months away, Charlie decided to entertain the possibility of moving into a management position with his company. So one evening while at work, he called the store manager he was working for and asked to speak to him in his office.
 Once they were both situated in his small office he began his speech.
“I have some good news!” He spoke confidently and seriously, “Five years ago I began working here with nothing more than a high school diploma. Now, after much work, sacrifice, and discipline, I am sitting before you now with over five years of experience and a Bachelor’s degree in Business. I know how the company works, I have been working closely with some of the managers, so I know what the job requires, and I feel that I have what it takes to do it. In addition, I have a degree, which makes me more qualified than some of the managers who are currently working for you. I would like to be considered for promotion to become a manager.”
Charlie sat back in his chair confident and satisfied with his performance and waited for his boss's response. Charlie had spent hours practicing and perfecting this moving speech in order to ensure that the wording, emotion, and tonality came just perfectly so that he could make it as convincing as possible.
"Here it is," he thought to himself. "Finally, after five years of all-night studying, final examinations, a thousand pots of coffee, and an exorbitant amount of student loans later, I was on the Fast Track to Success!"
His boss leaned back in his chair and, after a moment of reflection, became very serious. He leaned in closer to Charlie and put his arm on his shoulder, as one does when one is about to impart priceless wisdom or give someone an offer they could not refuse.
“Here is what I am going to do for you, Charlie.” He began, pausing for a dramatic effect, “in three months we will be looking for a department manager for the fabrics and crafts department. Apply for the position in the Personnel Office, and if we choose you for the job, it would mean a $0.50/hour raise, and it’s the first step into a real position of power for you. And who knows, in ten years you could very well work your way up to store manager, just like me.”
“Fabrics and crafts?” Charlie repeated as he shook my head in disbelief and disappointment.
“Ten years?” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
 Charlie exhaled as his body sank into the chair and the last five years of his working life flashed before his eyes. Suddenly he felt duped as he remembered all of the motivational posters that were strategically scotch taped to the walls of the employee break room and placed above the computers in the human resource office where employees went for their bi-monthly computer-based job training and brainwashing sessions. Those posters, promising career advancement and limitless horizons, were what originally attracted his attention and kept his loyalty despite the low hourly wage, long hours with no weekends off throughout his years of employment with the company. Now? Those posters mocked his innocence and gullibility. Now? Charlie was a prime candidate for Big International Conglomerates looking for new recruits with his age, education, and who wanted their shot at becoming Successful Business Men and Women; and the best that this schmuck would offer him was department manager of fabrics and crafts?
For a minute Charlie thought about being angry at his boss, but then reality set in.
"To him I was just another nobody that happened to work at his store. It wasn’t a question of whether he was taking me seriously and that my education meant nothing to him or not. The question was why should it? I was easily replaceable. He could easily find a new employee fresh out of high school to replace me, and for a fraction of the cost. This is Business 101."
Anger turned into disappointment, and then into resolution, and Charlie's boss could see it in his eyes. He had underestimated why Charlie was sitting in front of him. Charlie straightened back up and looked his boss directly in the eyes, to which his boss pulled back in his chair not sure what to be prepared for.
 “I would like a raise.” Charlie retorted. “I work in the most productive department in the store, I do all of the manager’s jobs when he is not there, I organize the lunch breaks, I make sure the surrounding departments are adequately covered, and it is I that all of the other employees come to when they have a problem.”
“Well…” his boss cleared his throat and replied uneasily, “I am not sure that I can increase your pay.”
“Why not?” Charlie replied bluntly, holding my eye contact with him. His boss had no response, and he refused to look him in the eyes.
“I’ll tell you what.” He said finally to clear the air, “I will talk with the District Supervisor and clear it though him, okay?” He was trying to signal the end of our meeting and get Charlie out of his office as fast as possible.
“You are the manager of a multi-million dollar revenue store, and responsible for over 500 employees, and yet you have to ask your boss if you can give one of your employees a mere $0.50/hour raise?” Charlie posed and then paused for just enough time to let him think about it, and then gave up.
Charlie wanted to show him that he was not someone to push around, but he didn't want to appear to deface his authority and risk getting fired.
“Fine.” He said, “Please talk to the district manager for me. I’d appreciate it.”
“You’re disgruntled, aren’t you?” Charlie's boss asked him as he stood up and headed toward the door.
“Disgruntled?” Charlie replied despondently, not even looking at him. “Now why would I be disgruntled?” True Story. |
True Stories Archive
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True Story #20
Coming soon...
True Story #19
Open an illegal business at 4 a.m.
