Elsewhere the news was not so good. Office Services was expected to be reduced in size by a third. Other than the partners, everyone was uneasy about their future. Uncertainty caused many staff to ask themselves whether they might do better elsewhere, and during breaks people could be seen studying the job adverts in 'Computer Weekly' or 'Accountancy Age', surreptitiously turning to a different page if anyone with influence walked by.
Lizetta and I continued to meet at least once a week for lunch. She believed that several partners were trying to use the reorganisation as an opportunity to get rid of staff they thought of as troublesome or not capable. She was fighting for a couple of people she thought were being unfairly treated. 'You'll be all right,' she said to me accusingly, 'you'll do very nicely out of all this chaos.'
'I'm back at my old desk, that's all.'
'Have you heard anything lately from the IT Unit you are about to merge with?'
'No. There's been no reason for me to contact them recently.'
'Their top man has found another job. He's moving on.'
The head of the new combined unit was to be called 'Director of Information Technology Services', and was to have a deputy. My assumption was that my boss would become 'Director', and his counterpart in the other firm his deputy. Lizetta's news meant the post of deputy might be within my grasp.
From Peter I learned that both jobs were to be advertised in 'Computer Weekly', and my hopes faded. Dozens of applications could be expected from people in senior positions in other companies. When the advert appeared my immediate boss, the head of the IT Unit, called me in, held up the newspaper and said, 'You've been keeping an eye out for this, I assume?'
'Yes, but...'
'Which job do you intend to apply for?'
'What would you say my chances were of getting Deputy Director?'
'Why don't you put in for both?'
'I assume you'll be Director, they've had to advertise because of personnel policy, but you're bound to be appointed.'
'They've offered me early retirement. I've spent enough of my life trying to satisfy all the old fusspots in this organisation. Sixteen years of dealing with them is plenty. Put in for Director. If you want it, you're welcome to it. God knows you're ambitious enough. You've been wily, the way you've cultivated your contacts among the partners. I have to admire the way you've done it. Myself, I never managed to overcome the instinct to tug my forelock to them; they've always thought of me as one of the servants. You can still put in for deputy. Make it a two-way bet.'