Chapter 157: Arranging the Work
In the meeting room, Roger looked dreadful. He still didn't understand why Hannah dominated his meeting. Before Mann could speak, Hannah asked, "Vice President, shouldn't those uninvolved in these projects be excused?"
Roger remained silent. It was a waste of everyone's time. Hannah, interpreting his silence as acquiescence, dismissed the uninvolved attendees and asked Mann to brief the remaining group on the project. Following the report, she solicited suggestions.
Roger, visibly flustered, was speechless. He held these meetings to assert dominance and criticize staff, but never to actually manage the work. The room fell silent, the tension palpable. Roger’s face was ashen.
After a long pause, he snapped, "This is your job! You're asking me what to do? What does the sales department do? Think harder! Don't come running to your boss for every problem, or we'll dock your salary!"
Hannah sneered. She knew Roger's incompetence stemmed from his preoccupation with her father and his aversion to learning anything substantive about the business. She responded, "We intended to solve this problem efficiently, but you've wasted our time. I expected you to offer solutions. Or perhaps I misunderstood the purpose of this meeting?"
"Enough!" Roger roared, his face purple with rage. "I'm simply being responsible! Why are you so angry?"
He couldn't speak, mortified. The awkward tension persisted. Roger seethed, furious that Hannah consistently made him look inept. He stood abruptly, silencing the room.
Coldly, he said, "Hannah, you're new. There are things you don't understand, and I don't want to create a situation where your father claims I'm bullying you. I'm giving you time to improve, but remember, this isn't a playground; results matter. Prove yourself."
"Understood," Hannah replied respectfully.
Roger, wanting to strike her, suppressed his anger and stormed out. Hannah sneered at the slammed door. He wouldn't call another meeting so easily.
Turning to the remaining staff, she said, "I'll keep this brief. Everyone except Mann can leave." Relief was evident in their departing glances; meetings consumed valuable work time.
Addressing Mann, Hannah explained, "I planned an afternoon work session, but we can preview my ideas now and refine them. We'll discuss details later."
They outlined a preliminary program. At 2:00 pm, Hannah convened the project team. "To keep it concise—a half-hour meeting. Rose will time us," she announced.
Her meetings were always intense and focused; any distraction meant missing crucial information. She continued, "Yesterday, I visited the Light Building. As Mann reported, there are three issues: subway cancellations, reluctant luxury brands, and high rents. Let's tackle them. The subway disruption isn't critical; our target market rarely uses public transport. The key is attracting brands."
"Merchants are likely concerned about sales. So, we need strategies to boost sales—that's our focus today."
Hannah presented a marketing plan, emphasizing its preliminary nature and the need for collaborative refinement. "First, increase brand awareness through advertising. Second, incentivize several luxury brands with rent concessions or a VAM, using their presence to attract others. Third, leverage e-commerce to reach high-end customers, essentially making the mall a large online marketplace."