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“Grouchy, annoyed, intimidating, but I think that’s his usual personality setting.”
“Monty is a good guy and an even better boss once you get to know him and the way he likes things done.”
“In that case, save me some time and some glares by filling me in on what he expects. I know the procedural way to handle the responsibilities, but not Montgomery’s specific quirks.”
I pull out a small yellow pad and an office pen from my purse to take notes.
“That’s a good idea, and we didn’t cover it when you were just stepping in for a few days when I went on vacation,” Lily remarks. “First of all, Monty hates the office coffee, so if you could pick him up a black coffee, no sugar or cream, from the coffee shop around the corner, it’ll lift his mood by about…twenty-five percent.”
“Nice. And easy enough since I like decent coffee to start my day too,” I tell her. “What else?”
“He’ll want you to go with him to every meeting and take detailed notes, but no audio recordings. He expects to have those notes typed up and saved to the corresponding file, as well as emailed to him the next morning.”
“Got it,” I say as I make a note of that.
“Typing the notes on a laptop using shorthand will save you time. All you have to do is read through it, edit a little, and you’re done.”
“That makes sense.”
“Other than that,” she says as she bites her bottom lip in thought, “put everything on his calendar, print it out at the start of each day and tape it to his door. Even though it’s on his phone, he likes to see it printed so he can jot down things to add in between and keep it up, so you’ll know where he is at all times.”
“Okay.”
“When a call comes in, get the caller’s name and phone number in case they get disconnected, and what the call is in regard to before asking Monty if he wants to take it. Spoiler alert, he’ll always take calls, no matter who they are or what he’s doing, except for his father. If Crawford Senior calls, put him on hold for a few seconds, then tell him Monty is out of the office, and you’ll give him a message.”
“I don’t even ask Monty if he wants to talk to him?” I ask. It feels odd calling our boss his shortened name so casually, like we’re friends, but since that’s what Lily calls him, I assume I can too.
“Don’t ask Monty if he wants to talk to his father unless you want to erase the twenty-five percent better mood from the coffee and go into the hole another fifty percent.”
“Wow. Okay. Anything else?”
“Hmm. Sometimes Monty will overshare things he probably shouldn’t about the company because it’s bothering him and he wants someone else’s opinion on it without coming out and asking for it. So, if he mentions plans to you, and you think of anything, even hours or days later, that could help the situation, speak up.”
“Right, because he seems like the type that loves conversing,” I remark when I look up from my notes.
Lily smiles. “He may seem intimidating at first, but the more you talk to him, the easier it gets. Just remember that it’s nothing personal if he’s grumpy. He never wanted to be a CEO, or to take over for his father.”
“He didn’t?”
“Nope.”
“What was he doing before he took over?” I ask curiously.
“Oh, you’ll never guess in a million years, but I’ll give you three tries anyway,” Lily says with a huge grin. I’m glad to see her spirits lifting.
“I know he has a law degree and he can be…persuasive. Was he one of those attorneys that sues corporations for a ton of money?”
“Nope. He does have a law license, but I don’t think he’s ever practiced.”
“Okay, well, I’ve seen the golf clubs in his office and photos of him with famous golfers on his desk. Did he play golf, like professionally?”
“God no. Monty hates golf. He only plays if someone important insists they meet on the green to talk business. And you’re down to your last guess.”
“Was he a banker?”
“Wrong again,” she replies with a laugh and then turns to face me a little more. “Are you ready for this?”
“Yes, I think so.”
