Page 149 of Mario
But he is certainly the first to come barging into my office demanding access to information not essential to his role in the company.
And he'll be the last.
It's almost impressive, actually.
But painfully stupid.
I have never been one to admire stupidity.
“Sir,” he says, but I can see that his brain is finally starting to function again. He swallows and looks around, as if just realizing where the hell he is and what he’s doing. “Sir, the access was granted for a reason.”
Now he’s trying to save face, but his face is reddening. It won’t be long before sweat starts dripping down his face.
“Yes,” I say. “For a position you no longer hold.”
He licks his lips, and his eyes dart around.
“My-my role still intersects with—”
“With warehouse certifications, vendor shipment records, regulatory documentation, and transport audit trails, yes?”
“Yes, sir.” Then he seems to gather his bravery enough for one more try. “With respect, Mr. Conti, that is a very narrow view of my responsibilities.”
“With respect, Mr. Hanley,” I say, the danger in my tone clear now, even to someone as thick as Peter Hanley, “I am the one who decides the scope of your responsibilities.”
“Well-well, I’m sure Ms. Murray is very capable,” he says, apparently changing his tune about her because he realized he stepped into it.
I feel my patience thin dangerously.
“But there is institutional knowledge here,” he continues. “Some of us have been with the company long enough to know why certain things were done the way they were done.”
“And yet, you have been unable to provide a single example to me or Ms. Murray as to why the information you requested is relevant to your current responsibilities or how it will improve them, nor have you been able to explain how your lack of access will prevent you from performing your job satisfactorily.”
“As I explained to Ricardo on Friday,” he says, “I need to see the bigger picture.”
“And what did he say?”
“He dismissed my concerns,” Peter says indignantly, firing back up again. “He said that Ms. Murray was correct in removing the access.”
“So you decided to skirt the chain of command and come directly to me.”
“I-I expected my access to be reinstated by today, but when I got in—”
“I can’t imagine why you would think so. Then again, I suppose even a direct answer can miss its mark when there is nothing substantial for it to strike.”
He opens his mouth as if to speak, then shuts it.
Miraculously, I think he understood I just called him dumb.
“The issue,” I continue, steel in my voice, “is not that Ms. Murray does not understand your old access. She understands it perfectly. You had permissions attached to a prior role, and when you moved departments, those permissions were not revoked.”
His jaw works, and his eyes are growing a bit desperate.
“That was not misconduct on my part.”
“No,” I say. “That was incompetence from the people who allowed it to continue. What is becoming clear is entitlement from you.”
His eyes flash before he controls it.
