That produced an approving mutter from Dieter’s faction. The mayor’s people sat in puzzled silence and Rolf’s followers looked to their leader for their cue.
“Let us go back to the organization for a moment,” Rolf said smoothly. “I believe there is more.”
“There is indeed,” Wiz said, relieved that he didn’t have to do his New Age Bugaloo around the difference between “revenue enhancement” and “tax increase.”
Up on the screen flashed an organizational chart of the Supreme Soviet.
“Now this,” Wiz said, gesturing with his pointer, “is your present structure. I’m sure all of you can see the inefficiencies and conflict potential implied here so I won’t dwell on them. Next slide,” he commanded before anyone could object.
Up on the screen flashed the current Miss July, blond, pneumatic and airbrushed to perfection.
Wiz closed his jaw with an audible snap. “Uh, that was just to make sure you were awake. Next slide.”
Up came an even more baroque organizational chart. Glancing at the legend Wiz saw it was for General Motors circa 1965.
“Here is my recommendation. A more modern, teaming approach to today’s challenges. Rather than concentrating the burdens, it spreads them throughout the organization to make management more effective.
“As you can see, this emphasizes creative teaming to empower all the members of the council to make the crucial decisions needed to create tomorrow. By establishing internal task forces, the Office of the Mayor can be freed from the day-to-day detail of running operations to concentrate on developing an action-directed migration plan to create tomorrow. These teams will prioritize opportunities for infrastructure enhancements using the new revenue stream as it comes on-line.” That got a stir of approval as the council members considered the opportunities for graft. “Naturally, every council member will have several team assignments to fully tap into the organization’s creative resources. I won’t bore you with the details of these teams,” mainly because I didn’t have time to work them out, “but I would like to point out the compensation committee, which will determine remuneration for the council members.”
“You mean we’ll get paid for sitting on the council?” someone asked.
“It seems only fair,” Wiz said blandly.
“And just who’s going to be on this compensation committee?” demanded a voice from the side of the room.
Wiz tapped the image at random with his pointer. “That is up to the personnel committee, here.”
“And who’s on the personnel committee?”
“That is the responsibility of the organizational committee. As a consultant it would be unethical of me to advise you on the makeup of these committees. I’m sure you will be able to work out these details among yourselves.”
A quick glance from the mayor to Dieter to Rolf showed them all deep in thought. Rolf was smiling benignly, Dieter was looking sideways at the other two and the mayor was rubbing his chin and nodding.
“Gentlemen, the tide has turned.” Up came a tidal chart for New Bedford, MA. “Opportunity awaits us. Fortune favors the brave.”
Up came the GM organizational chart once more.
“More importantly we must team together to form an empowerment matrix which will reinvent the corporation, uh, organization, in an entrepreneurial model to reach beyond the present to grasp the opportunities of the future!”
They didn’t quite give him a standing ovation, but there were one or two tentative claps from the back of the room.
Wiz let out his breath with what he hoped was a not-too-audible sigh.
“Very well. Are there any questions?”
“Can we go back to that last-but-two slide?” came a tremulous voice from the back of the room.
Malkin didn’t have much to say on the way home. That was fine with Wiz. He was weak with relief and completely exhausted from everything that had happened in the last three days. What he wanted now was sleep, not conversation.
However, Malkin did have one observation. “I don’t know if you’re the greatest wizard I’ve ever met,” she told him as soon as they came through the front door, “but you are sure the luckiest.” With that she turned and went up the stairs.
Wiz started to reply, but then he realized that she was right and that left him with nothing to say.