Marilyn Monroe in London and Continuous Performance Improvement
This is an actual story.
I was the Insurance Broker House EVP for the world’s global oil corporation number two and got asked a delicate official favor from the Client.
To give you an idea of this piece of business, the Client was paying cash US$ 100 million for insured and re-insured premiums over their fixed and liquid assets. The latter via a major and reputable London Reinsurance Brokerage House.
So I went and met with the Worldwide CFO of the Client, and he said to me,
“…Mr. Agostini, we want to commission you to give Mr. Stewart Johnston a last warning … Their services to us either dramatically change to satisfy our needs and specifications, or we terminate them, not you … Please, take a plane to London and advise Mr. Johnston on our behalf …”
I said to Worldwide CFO of the Client, “…done…”
I made arrangements immediately to go to my world’s favorite metropolis, where I have many, many real-world accounts to comment about in some other due time.
The first day I took those magnificent breakfasts they give you in London, in which the mineral water is replaced for the sparkles of Dom Perignon.
London is a place in which I like to walk around, so I decided to go to Stewart’s office by walking, with little knowledge about the address direction.
So, I started my promenade and saw a gentleman dressed too informal and too bohemian and asked him,
“…Sir, Do you know how I can get to this Company’s head office?…”
And he replied, “…I have nothing to do with the financial systems or those opaque mates at Loyd’s of London …”, with huge disgust.
Not too far away, there was an impeccable gentleman who could be my grandfather and duly dressed up and he, all of the greatest sudden, said to me with politeness,
“…Sir, I know exactly where you want to go…Their office is so large and important that they have a Tube (Subway) station for themselves…!
In effect, I followed through his directions and I got there. I noted, as expected, that the head-office of the prominent Reinsurance Brokerage House was luxurious with some very nice frescos all over.
I asked for Mr. Stewart Johnston’s floor and office number and got there right away.
Up to this moment, Stewart had not the slightest idea of my out-the-blue visit.
Then, I was welcome by his gorgeous secretary. She was a beautiful blonde lady, dressed up ready to go Hail the Queen, probably in her mid twenties. She got me a nice seat right away and asked me if I wanted to drink tea or coffee.
She was a bit disappointed that I picked tea over coffee, considering that I was coming from the Western Hemisphere and not Far Asia.
Then, she advised me that Mr. Johnston will be meeting with me within five minutes. She seems friendly and entered a little small-talk conversation that went beautifully until she tried to give me a marked lecture on the pronunciation usage of the words “either” and “neither.”
As you know, in the English-speaking cosmos, each of those terms have two legitimate pronunciation, but she only preferred only one. Nobody has ever dared to correct my writing or speaking before. This was time #1.
Out of that I felt that the secretary whose “buttock” (and that of her employer), I came to save was giving me a lecture on diction.
Once the “master class” finished, I sat down with Stewart Johnston, who I had know for over a decade, and a dialogue exchange went like this:
Stewart (to Andres): Hello Andres? How are you?
Andres (to Stewart): Fine thank you, Stewart.
Stewart (to Andres): What are you doing in London?
Andres (to Stewart): I come to London twice a year every year but I am here to give you a very important message on behalf of our Multinational Client.
Stewart (to Andres): Really? Can you please tell me about it?
Andres (to Stewart): Certainly! You know that the Client assesses every form of performance and they have and utilize “performance indicators” for everything you and I do.
Stewart (to Andres): Indeed! And how much progress are we making?
Andres (to Stewart): Well, Stewart, as per the Client’s Worldwide CFO, your company’s performance is so low that merits the termination of your services unless you do something dramatic to improve your services.
Stewart (to Andres): Interesting. What can we exactly improve, Andres?
Andres (to Stewart): Very well. Here is list with the breakdown of ten (10) Reinsurance Indemnity Payment Checks that have months of delay and that they need to cash on. Make those payments immediately or please say goodbye to your U.S.$ 100-million account. It is up to you, Stewart. I forewarned that I have researched my sources and they mean to decapitate your company quickly.
Stewart (to Andres): I will look into this immediately and see which payments can be made right away.
Andres (to Stewart): Please make all of those payments the soonest.
Stewart (to Andres): Okay, Andres, I will take care of this now. Is there anything else?
Andres (to Stewart): Well, when I came into your office’s antechamber I was received but your beautiful and most-imprudent secretary. She gave me a cup of nice black Chinese tea and a dramatic lecture on how I should pronounce the words “either” and “neither.”
Stewart (to Andres): She did that? She is unconditionally terminated as of now, before you leave this office.
MODAL: When you are making millionaire commissions over 14 years, whether you are a guy or gal, do not EVER be so imprudent to be inconvenient to the person (savior) who has crossed the Atlantic to save you a U.S.$ 100-million account and your job, stupid.
ABSOLUTE END.
Authored By Copyright Mr. Andres Agostini
White Swan Book Author (Source of this Article)
www.LINKEDIN.com/in/andresagostini
www.AMAZON.com/author/agostini
www.appearoo.com/aagostini
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