High Ten

2Make the Call

Sam awoke at 5:45 a.m. He didn't need an alarm clock because his stress woke him. By 6:05 he was showered, dressed, and out the door before his wife woke up. After a 20-minute commute, he arrived at his office. Sam liked being first to work because he felt safest in his office without having to talk to anyone. As he turned on his computer, he saw the business card that had been standing in between the keyboard keys for a week.

He picked up the card and thought, “How's an old man who still uses a business card going help a tech company?” Satisfied with his rationalization not to call, Sam returned the card and started working.

At 7:40, Sam was startled by a rare event: a knock at his door.

“Hi, Sam.” Dana, the head of the customer service division, was looking distressed. “I know you're busy, but can we talk for a minute?”

“Uh, sure, Dana,” replied Sam. “Come in.”

Sam sat, but Dana remained standing. Before Sam could speak, Dana opened up.

“I'm sorry to tell you this, but a few things have me upset. I should've said something sooner, but I didn't want to jeopardize my job.”

Sam was stunned. Because of her show of emotion, he didn't know how to respond. Lucky for him, Dana wasn't finished talking.

“When I came to Stamina, I was quiet. But my work here brought me out of my shell. A few days ago, at a meeting, Rick belittled me in front of everyone. I know you're good friends, and Rick's okay as a person. I'm upset because he and a number of people here don't take ...