Office rules
968 Words
(Sebastian)
The next morning, I got to the office before anyone else.
Work had always been the easiest part of my day. Numbers made sense. Contracts made sense. People usually did too. Zara Morgan was the first person in a long time who refused to fit into a place I understood.
Priya knocked once before stepping inside.
"Good morning."
"Morning."
She placed a folder on my desk.
"The rebranding team will be here at nine."
I opened the folder without looking at her.
"Is Zara coming?"
"She confirmed yesterday."
I nodded once.
"Good."
Priya looked at me for a second.
"Is there anything else you need?"
"No."
She turned and left without another word.
I looked over the project notes, but I wasn't reading them. Every few minutes my mind went back to the conversation in this office. She'd walked away because she believed that was the safest choice.
I couldn't blame her.
That didn't mean I liked it.
At exactly nine, the conference room started filling with people from marketing, design, and finance. They greeted one another while finding their seats. A few looked nervous. That wasn't unusual whenever I called a meeting.
The door opened again.
Zara walked in carrying her laptop and a notebook. She wore a dark blue blouse with black pants, and her hair was tied back. She looked around the table before choosing the chair farthest from mine.
I smiled.
She really believed distance would solve this.
"Good morning," I said.
Everyone answered together.
Everyone except Zara.
She opened her notebook, ready to work, and refused to look in my direction.
I let the silence sit for a moment before speaking again.
"Thank you all for being here. This project is now my highest priority, and I expect the same level of commitment from everyone in this room."
Nobody said a word.
I looked around the table before continuing.
"We have one chance to get this right. I don't want ideas that play it safe. I want ideas that people will remember."
Several people nodded as they wrote notes.
I picked up the remote and brought the first presentation onto the screen.
"This rebrand isn't only about a new logo. It's about changing how people see this company. Every department will work together, and every opinion matters if it improves the final result."
I looked toward the marketing team.
"That includes our newest member."
A few heads turned toward Zara.
She finally looked at me, but only for a second.
"I've reviewed Zara's work," I said. "Her ideas are one of the reasons she's sitting at this table. I expect everyone to treat her as part of this team."
No one argued.
One of the designers leaned forward.
"When do we start sharing concepts?"
"Today."
I changed to the next slide.
"Marketing will prepare three campaign directions before Friday. Design will create sample branding for each one. Finance will give us realistic budgets before next week's meeting."
Everyone wrote down their assignments.
I watched Zara as she filled another page in her notebook.
She never once looked my way.
"You'll also challenge each other's ideas," I said. "If something doesn't work, say so. Don't stay quiet because I'm in the room."
Several people exchanged surprised looks.
Most were used to agreeing with whatever I said.
"Questions?"
A hand went up near the end of the table.
"What happens if two teams disagree on the direction?"
"The best idea wins," I answered. "I don't care where it comes from. If an intern has a better plan than a director, we'll use the intern's plan."
This time, Zara looked directly at me. There was surprise in her eyes before she lowered them back to her notes.
The meeting continued as the first ideas appeared on the screen.
One by one, each department explained where they thought the company should go. Some suggestions had promise. Others sounded too familiar to stand out.
Then I looked toward the marketing team.
"Zara."
She looked up.
"Your thoughts."
A few people turned in her direction. She closed her notebook before standing with a calm expression.
"I think we're trying too hard to impress people," she said. "Most companies promise the same things. Better service. Better quality. Better prices. After a while, it all sounds the same."
No one interrupted her.
"If we want people to remember us, we have to give them something real. We should show them who we are instead of telling them who we think they want us to be."
The room stayed quiet.
One of the senior managers cleared his throat.
"That's a nice idea, but it isn't much of a strategy."
Zara looked at him without losing her composure.
"It's the beginning of one."
I watched the exchange without saying a word.
She wasn't afraid to defend her opinion, even with people who had been at the company for years. That wasn't something I saw every day.
"I agree with her," I said.
Every eye turned toward me.
"People don't remember empty promises. They remember honesty. Build the campaign around that."
The senior manager nodded once and wrote something in his notebook.
I looked around the table.
"Use the rest of the week to develop your ideas. We'll meet again on Friday, and I expect every team to come prepared."
Everyone gathered their notes as the meeting came to an end.
Chairs moved back, conversations started, and people began leaving the room in small groups.
Zara packed her laptop without looking at me.
Just before she reached the door, I spoke.
"Ms. Morgan."
She stopped but didn't turn around right away.
"We'll talk after Friday's meeting," I said.
She gave a small nod.
"Understood."
Then she walked out, leaving me with one thought.
Working together wasn't going to make forgetting her any easier.
- Writer
