Blog Week 18: When office relocation means office confrontation.
Sunday 26 March 22.01
Well neither Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat or Avenue Louiselaan have been selected for the new office location.
Somewhere else - but with no precise date about when we move.
Bill made the announcement at the end of the day. No one really said anything - everyone just wanted to get home for the weekend. Shame because the office had spent more money than usual on the food-and-drink for the meeting.
Monday 27 March 23.32
This afternoon we had a meeting about last Friday's meeting.
Something went wrong with the way the news of the office relocation was announced in the other office.
Now people there are kicking up a fuss about how they were told and where the new office will be.
Personally I do not see a problem with the location - metro, tram and bus links seem as good as anywhere else in Brussels.
Anyway, we had another meeting today as Pierre and Bill wanted to let all staff grievances be "aired and cleared".
No one said anything - apart from Mockney commenting that Gare du Nord would have been a better location. I think he honestly believes that.
Bill and Pierre were content, to the point of self-satisfaction, with the situation in our office. I wonder what has been going on in the other office?
Tuesday 28 March 20.39
I have been dealing with (or liaising - as Bill puts it) an outside PR company today. The internal communication aspects of the merger are to be handled more professionally in future. The consultants were in charge of this issue, but the recent experience with the other office has called for real specialists to be called in.
Wednesday 29 March 23.43
The outside PR company and the consultants are at war. It is so obvious (even to me) they do not get on.
I had to help set up a meeting between them at our office today. After both sides has sat in silence in the conference room for 10 minutes, I had to announce that Bill and Pierre had been delayed and would arrive a little later.
With just the consultants and the PR company in the room, the meeting had more the feel of a bitter litigation battle between a divorcing couple - all defensive body postures, suspicious facial expressions and unfriendly voices. The fact the "small talk" was so poisonous did not leave a very good impression - particularly given everyone is supposed to be on the same side.
Later I mentioned, in passing, what I had seen to Mockney and he casually replied that the consultants are concerned that the PR company is going to take away the external communciations acitivities as well as the internal activities. How does Mockney know? More importantly, why do I not know?
Just before leaving I had to organise a conference call between Bill and the managing partner of the other office, Johan. Bill kept repeating how he had to "knock heads" together.
Friday 31 March 00.33
First the explosion and then the silence.
Another emergency meeting between the PR company, consultants and Bill, Johan and Pierre.
I had shown everyone in and was closing the door behind me, when Bill launched into a tirade against both the PR company and the consultants.
As I walked away, the distant sound of Bill's voice reverberated around the air. Ok so I exaggerate a bit - but I am trying to make my life sound interesting ...
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