9 Kate

I had met Kate just once. She’d been the final of my eight interviewers during the hiring process. I liked her instantly, as I’d since found out was common to nearly everyone in the company. Her story was in some ways the story of Zagrum, and like Zagrum’s story, Kate’s was freely passed along to new employees. She had joined the company fresh out of college some 25 years earlier, with a degree in history. One of the first 20 employees at Zagrum, she started as an order-fulfillment clerk. In those days, it seemed that Zagrum’s future was in perpetual doubt. After five years, Kate, by then Zagrum’s director of sales, left the company for a better opportunity, only to change her mind after a last-ditch personal appeal by Lou Herbert. Since that time, and until Lou’s retirement, Kate had been second in command at Zagrum. At Lou’s retirement, she was elevated to president and CEO.

“Hello, Tom,” she said, extending her hand to me. “It’s good to see you again. Is life treating you well?”

“Yeah, I can’t complain,” I said, trying to ignore for the moment both my surprise at meeting her and the disaster that was my home life. “How about you?”

“Never a dull moment, I’m afraid,” she said with a chuckle.

“I can’t believe you remember who I am,” I said.

“What? Forget a fellow St. Louis Cardinals fan? Never. And besides, I’m coming to meet with you.”

“With me?” I said incredulously, pointing at myself.

“Yes. Bud didn’t say anything?”

“No. Or at least I don’t think so. I think I would’ve remembered that.”

“Well, maybe he wanted it to be a surprise. I guess I ruined it for him,” she said with a grin, apparently none too sorry. “I’m not often able to take part in these sessions, but I try to when my schedule allows. It’s the thing I like most of all.”

“Meeting hours on end talking about people’s problems?” I said, trying to make a joke.

“Is that what you think’s going on?” she said, a slight smile on her lips.

“No, I was just kidding. It’s been pretty interesting, actually, although I have a few questions about it.”

“Good. I’d expect you would. And you’re with the right person. There’s no one better than Bud to learn all this from.”

“But I’ve got to say, I’m amazed that you and Bud are both going to spend your afternoon with me. I mean, isn’t there any more important use of your time?”

Kate stopped suddenly. And just as suddenly, I wanted to rephrase my question.

She looked at me seriously. “This may sound funny, Tom, but there really isn’t anything more important than this — at least not from our viewpoint. Nearly everything we do here at Zagrum — from our job formulations to our reporting processes to our measurement strategies — is built on what you’re now learning.”

What does this have to do with measurement? I wondered. I couldn’t see the connection.

“But I wouldn’t expect you to have a feel for the seriousness of it yet. You’ve only just started. I do think I know what you’re saying, however,” she continued, starting to walk again, although more slowly than before. “It does seem a little like overkill to have both Bud and me tied up with you this afternoon. And the truth is, it is overkill. I don’t need to be there. Bud is much better at explaining it all than I am, anyway. It’s just that I like this stuff so much that if I could — if I didn’t have all the other responsibilities that normally tie me down — I’d be there every time. Who knows? One day I might yank the responsibility from Bud and take it for myself,” she said, laughing at the thought. “Today is one of the rare times I can come, although I might have to slip out a little early.”

We walked for a moment in silence. Then she said, “Tell me how it’s been going so far.”

“My work?”

“Your work … yes, but I really mean your experience today. How’s it been going?”

“Well, other than being told that I’m in the box, it’s going great,” I replied, smiling as much as I could.

Kate laughed. “Yeah, I know what you mean. But don’t take it too hard. Bud’s in the box too, you know,” she said with a gentle smile and a light touch to my elbow. “And so am I, for that matter.”

“But if everyone’s in the box anyway,” I said, “including successful people like you and Bud, then what’s the point?”

“The point is that although we’re still sometimes in the box, and probably always will be to some extent, our success has come because of the times and ways that we at the company have been out of the box. This isn’t about perfection. Far from it. It’s simply about getting better — better in systematic and concrete ways that improve the company’s bottom line. That kind of leadership mentality — at every level of the organization — is what sets us apart.

“Part of the reason I come to these sessions when I can,” she continued, “is to be reminded of some things. The box can be a pretty tricky place. You’ll understand a lot more about that by the end of the day.”

“But there’s something I’m confused about right now, Kate.”

“Only one thing?” she said, smiling, as we climbed the stairs to the third floor.

“Well, maybe more than one, but here’s one for starters: If there really are two ways of being — the out-of-the-box way where I see people as people and the in-the-box way where I see others as objects — what makes you one way or the other in the first place?” I was thinking of Laura and how impossible she was. “I mean, I’m thinking of a situation where it’s impossible to be out of the box toward someone. Really impossible.”

It seemed like I should continue the thought, or the question, whichever it was, but I couldn’t think of anything else to say, so I just stopped. “I think maybe Bud should be in on that answer,” she said. “Here we are.”