Nia was a hardworking woman, but a recent promotion at the shop turned her into an aggressive and pushy boss. She got away with everything until she decided to insult and fire the former watchman.
It had only been a week since Nia had been promoted and she still couldn’t believe it. She was now the general manager of a fashion brand shop.
A few years before her promotion, Nia had lots of ideas about how she would improve the shop if she had the chance; she kept them in a folder. That morning the binder was on her desk as she spoke to staff shortly before the end of the working day.
“Very well. Does everyone understand the new protocols we will be following?” – she asked.
The staff responded with nods, good-natured smiles, and a few soft yeses.
“I don’t want anyone to be negligent or deviate from my new rules. To make sure of that, here’s what we’ll do. Anyone who does not comply with the new rules – whether it’s a uniform, greeting customers, or making a counter – will lose a bonus for a month.”
Nia watched the faces of the employees become serious, and at the same time proudly smiled at her idea.
However, the staff was completely shocked by such a radical decision. They couldn’t work knowing that the slightest mistake, whether conscious or not, would cost them money that goes to pay most of their bills.
They looked at each other in shock, wondering if they should try to reason with Nia.
Despite the fact that she had changed a lot over the past week, everyone in the store was happy for her. They all knew how hard she had been working on this for the past three years, and they all knew her tremendous commitment to her work.
They were happy to observe the path of an employee who started as an intern on the floor and eventually made it to the top.
However, the woman’s newfound courage did more harm than good to the store and the people who worked in it.
From the first day at her new job, she changed everything, demanded unrealistic results from people she considered hardworking, and reacted to the slightest mistake with anger and discontent.
But knowing the young Nia, who dreamed of this job, no one dared to tell her that she was not suitable for the role of manager.
Finally, a completely unexpected person decided to talk to her.
“Nia, my child, I have something to say,” Victor raised a trembling hand and smiled.
Reluctantly, Nia turned to him. She wasn’t in the mood to listen to comments or suggestions from the 68-year-old shopkeeper.
“First of all, let me say that we are all very happy to help you realize your vision of the store, Nia,” Victor said, causing a smile on the lady’s face.
“But I think this new debt will make us work in fear. None of us wants to lose motivation, and perhaps we can find a way to turn a blind eye to small mistakes…”.
Nia rejected Victor’s suggestions and couldn’t help but imagine what the other team members were thinking as they nodded their heads in approval of the old man’s speech.
“I cannot allow Victor to talk to me as if we are in the same rank. I don’t want to let other employees talk to me like that too,” Nia thought.
“Victor, that’s enough!” she exclaimed, to everyone’s amazement.
“How about correcting your own mistakes before making suggestions, eh, Victor? Do you think I don’t notice that you come to work late every day? What about the length of lunch breaks? Perhaps in the past, you were allowed to do all this, but those days are over. From now on, according to my rules, you must…”.
“Nia, there’s a reason why I’m the latest…”
Nia couldn’t believe that the old man had interrupted her again. Watching other employees look at her and waiting for her reaction, she decided to set an example once and for all.
“I don’t care about your reason! And you didn’t get permission to interrupt me, did you?”.
Victor froze in disbelief because he had never had to endure the anger or insults of this woman before.
“Let this be an example for all of you,” Nia said. “Anyone who makes excuses to me will be excluded. Just like Victor, who will soon leave us!” she said.
Victor’s face turned pale, and he was ready to beg for his job back.
“That’s right. You’re fired, old man! Thank you for all the years of service. But I have a feeling that you are no longer fit to work here. Please leave!” Nia looked almost happy with this treatment of the old man.
Realizing that nothing could change Nia’s mind, Victor quietly walked out of the store, and the staff watched, shocked and with tears in their eyes.
Perhaps it was the end of Victor’s work as a storekeeper. However, the next day something more incredible was going to happen to him.
Mr. Gordon, the owner of a multimillion-dollar chain of shops, frowned and refused a cup of coffee this morning when he was told that Victor had been fired.
“She did WHAT?” Mr. Gordon couldn’t believe Nia was so hard on the watchman.
Nia was new and didn’t know that Victor was the first person appointed to the company. He was an indispensable part of the company’s success throughout the city.
It was out of the question for Mr. Gordon to allow someone to insult a man who was like a godfather to the company.
“Bring him…” he asked. It turned out that Victor waited patiently outside, hoping to tell his version of events. “… And call a quick board meeting! NOW!”
An hour later, Nia scolded another experienced employee when the voice behind her called out to her.
“Nia? I heard about you firing Victor. Well, if you’re not too busy, I’ll introduce you to the new regional manager you’ll be reporting to”.
Nina was looking forward to a sophisticated young man or woman entering the glass doors.
“It can’t be… it’s… Victor?”
It was Victor, the same old man she had rudely fired the day before, who became her boss thanks to Mr. Gordon, who now smiled at her.
“Victor has been working in this company since the first day, even before it became a chain store, even before my wife and I had enough money to hang a normal sign outside the store. I am sure that his rich experience will help him in his new leadership position.”
“Of course, he will continue to arrive later than all of you, since his wife Marta is still struggling with her chronic illness, and our Victor is the only person she can rely on…”.
This revelation of Mr. Gordon caused Nia a feeling of deep regret. She looked at the old man who was listening with dull eyes. The old caretaker had never worn a suit in his life. But in a three-piece suit, with a smile on his face, Victor looked like a regional manager that day.
“The first thing Victor has to do is fire everyone who’s been unprofessional the last few days!” said Mr. Gordon, looking at Nia.
Nia felt as if someone had removed the carpet from under her feet. Victor had every reason to fire her from her dream job.
“Victor, I’m terribly sorry that I treated you like that yesterday. Please don’t fire me. It won’t happen again. I can’t afford to lose this job, Victor. Do you forgive me?”
Victor was shocked when he saw Nia burst into tears. He had no intention of firing her. In fact, Victor was still surprised by his own promotion and the way his boss protected him.
“Nia, my child, why should I have to fire you? I know how much you give to this job. We all know that. Sure, you’ve let a bit of success get to your head, but I’m sure that’s a mistake any of us can make one day.”
“I’m not mad at you and I’m not going to fire you,” Victor assured the woman. He then turned to the rest of the staff and said in a cheerful voice:
“Come on, let’s all get to work now. The strange feeling is to give you orders, both old and young. Come on, do your job well!”
“Nia,” Victor said, clearing his throat and putting on his glasses. “Let’s go through your binder, shall we? You do have some fantastic ideas…”.
It was the beginning of a new chapter in the life of Nia, Victor, and the shop. While Victor continued to run the shop, Nia was his right-hand person. The duo had an exceptionally bright working dynamic, and they made the shop the most successful in the chain’s history.
