HEADING FOR SUMMER... and whatever it brings (Part 160b)

HEADING FOR SUMMER… and whatever it brings (Part 160b)

Even though there were a host of things on my 'platter’ for Monday, my main focus was on Jerry and the interviews for the branch jobs. Of course, he was late getting to work. I was trying to be positive when I approached his desk and asked to see the applications. He hesitated and handed me what turned out to be five of them. I asked where the rest of them were and he said he’d thrown them away. That did it for me. I can not deny that I just about exploded when I heard that. I can still hear myself yelling “YOU DID WHAT ?????” He hesitated for a second or two and repeated his statement that he’d thrown them away. My yelling continued when I asked why he’d done that and that they were to be a resource for when he might have to replace someone. My memory says he just gave me a blank stare.

There was more animated verbiage from me before I asked about the ones he handed me. I stood there kind of perusing them when he told me that these were the people he’d hired. I’m sure I used the same words again… “YOU DID WHAT ????” But this time he quite calmly stated that he’d hired them. I honestly didn’t know what to say or do… so I just stood there for a bit. I was about to ask who had given him the OK to actually hire them when he added that one of them was going to be his assistant branch manager. That announcement had me absolutely speechless.

My problem was that even though the organizational chart showed he reported to me it had been my thought for some time that he was getting direction from the Board's branch committee or some one person on the Board. I'd spoken to Hobie about it and was told to “let it lie”. However, when the ad for hiring the tellers was created it was Hobie who signed off on it. There was nothing in the ad about an assistant branch manager. In fact, the bank didn’t even have a job description for that position. I knew because I’d written the job descriptions for all non officer positions. I remember standing there looking down at him and wanting to call him all kinds of names but the bank was open to the public and, worse, there was someone at Bret’s desk which was right behind us.

I had seen Hobie at his desk when I had been behind the teller line a bit earlier so I told Jerry to follow me as I headed in that direction. The only thing was… he didn’t follow me. I kept on going and walked right up to the front of Hobie’s desk and threw the applications on it. I don’t think I’d been that mad since starting at the bank so Hobie had never seen this side of me before. The words were coming out of my mouth like bullets. It took less than a minute for Hobie to stand up and tell me to “shut up”. That got me back to a semblance of reality. He, obviously, knew my tirade was about Jerry. He picked up his phone and got Trish to bring him over. When I saw him walk into the area his demeanor had changed completely. He was wringing his hands much like you would expect someone who had done something wrong would do. To me, he looked pathetic and anything but someone who could be trusted with authority.

I wish I could write that Hobie reamed him a new a_s h__e… but he didn’t. The three of us were in discussion until the noon siren went off. Jerry came up with all kinds of mealy mouthed excuses of how he’d “misunderstood” the directions on just what he was to do during the interviews. The whole time he was talking I sat there with my blood pressure about as high as it had ever been. I’d pleaded with Hobie to let me be a part of the interviewing process and I’d been turned down. In my mind, the fault lay upon him. The big problem for the bank was in Jerry making a commitment for a position that hadn’t yet been created… the assistant branch manager. Not only wasn’t there a job description but there was no approved salary and that had to come from the Board.

Hobie took the lead on that and said he’d contact the lady and go over the situation with her. I volunteered to contact the restaurant where Jerry had held the interviews to see if, by any small chance, they could locate the trashed applications. Jerry was able to walk away with just a small reprimand. There was a lot I wanted to say to Hobie but fate intervened and Stan, from the brokerage office, walked in the front door and saw me. He’d given me materials to read and to use to make a decision on what to invest the money from my corporate bond that had just come due. I’d read the materials and made a list of questions about my choice but the morning had been so chaotic that I’d forgotten about getting back to him. We walked back to my desk and pulled out the questions. It only took a few minutes but by the time Stan left with my decision Hobie had gone to lunch. I was still very upset at the time but have looked back on the situation over the years and was thankful that Stan had appeared just at that time. (As an aside, my stock selection that day turned out to be a fantastic success.)

I continued to calm down by getting something to eat at the diner on Main Street. I seldom ever went there but I knew it would be quicker than the luncheonette across the street. Walking in the door I saw Jay, my old working friend from when I worked in data processing for the County. When I saw him I felt sort of embarrassed because I’d neglected to let him know I was now a partner in a top level stock car. He’d been a major part of my getting back into racing when we worked together and I was at a loss as to how to tell him about it. Walking up to him I had a feeling that June wasn’t going to be any better than May had been.

To be continued...