Vertigo at the Corporate Summit

Jenny was standing on a swivel chair trying to pin the new Financial Projection Chart banner on the conference wall when David called up to her. “So you think we’ll get this presentation chart finished in time before the Board of Directors get back from their golf trip?”

“I don’t know” Jenny started.“It’s kinda hard to tell when you’re doing this prep work. Let alone pinning a chart straight.”

“Yeah that’s right Jen” David replied. “I mean, there’s pinning it. Then there’s making sure the data and figures are right, then you gotta watch out for decimal issues.”

“Thanks for the endless and turgid reminders, unlicensed accountant” Jenny interrupted.

“You’re right, my bad” David chuckled. “Well hopefully we finish this report in time. I’m looking forward to the office karaoke and drinks later with the rest of the team, how bout you Jen?”

Jenny paused and took a deep breath before answering. She knew in her gut that the reply she anticipated giving would not be a gleeful one that David would have wanted. “Honestly Dave, I’m not sure if I wanna go.”

“What’s the reason?” David asked rhetorically.

He had a gut feeling about why she did not want to join him and the rest of the team, but he felt he needed to hear her say it out loud for reassurance. “Well I…I haven’t really been in the spirit since my idea for the Marketing Strategy got rejected. Plus the Creative Director was always keen on your Budget suggestion so it’s kind of a painful reminder.”

“Ah come on, Jen” David began. “This has been our duo’s tradition since internship. We’ve been rolling like this for over 4 years now. We take a brainstorming session at the coffee shop for an hour and a half before the karaoke starts, looking for strategy inspiration and of course we gotta get some spicy nachos from Taco Bill’s right before we buy that high priced mineral water.”

Jenny chuckled as she briefly stopped smoothing the vinyl banner along the edge of the wall that was high off the ground from where David was talking up to her. “Yeah, the brainstorming sessions” Jenny began sarcastically. “Any other week this would’ve been the best night ever, but on this day I think I’d rather wallow in work stress and throw myself a little pity party in that regard. I just kinda envy your success too much and I can’t really focus on anything else, no matter how hard I try.”

“Envy me? Jen 24 hours ago you couldn’t even stop bragging about your pivot tables. You even snapped on Gary for miscalculating the discount.”

“Oh give it a rest, Einstein’s cousin” Jenny interrupted. “It’s not so much that, I just…I just miss feeling competent. The flow, the easy approvals. It all hit me like a sack of bricks when they scrapped my draft.”

“I get that completely, Jen” David started. “You are something else, but it got to a point where you started just being a perfectionist and that had to end.”

“I get that, Dave, but accepting failure is easier to say you’ll do than actually doing it.”

“That’s completely true partner, but you have to start slow and gradually work towards confident work.” David asserted.

“How can I start being confident? I don’t even know what the first step is” Jenny replied as she adjusted the corner of the banner.

“The first step is knowing that your talent is valid and that your coworker will be here to see you through the review.” Jenny paused and stood up on her tiptoes on the chair to address David. “I don’t know if I can whoa” before Jenny could finish the chair wheels rolled and she lost her footing on the slick carpet.

“Jen!” David called out alarmingly. Jenny fell backwards but caught herself on the top of the whiteboard frame. With her entire body hanging from the frame she was barely holding onto the metal edge as she was slowly losing her grip.

“David, help me!” Jenny cried as she dangled from the whiteboard. “Gosh I can’t reach up there before the frame snaps”

David quickly assessed. “Jen you have to let go!”

“Let go? Are you crazy?” Jenny called out. “Yes” David replied sarcastically. “Just trust me!”

“But the projector” Jenny stumbled as she was losing her grip.

“Jen, put your faith in me right now!” David shouted. “JEN, I PROMISE I’LL CATCH YOU!”

“OKAY! I’M LETTING GO!” Jenny struggled.

“COME ON, I GOT YOU!” Jenny lost her grip and fell back while screaming in terror. Before she could hit the conference table her fall was broken by David who fell to the floor as he caught Jenny. “Are you okay, Jen?”

“Yeah, Yeah I am. Thanks to you” Jenny replied.

“I told you that you can always count on your team to be here for you. Believe that.” David stated firmly.

“Yes, I believe it.” Jenny and David embraced each other with a hug. With hope for the future project they were appreciative that they could rely on each other to always be there for one another regardless of whose Paperwork got chosen.