Armed with her new plan, Miss Planner met with the new high-level managers from Farha-Smith in a big conference room. The twelve new arrivals were guided in by a harried secretary and took their seats around the polished conference table. They wore fitted suits and dresses in a spectrum that ran from black to blue to beige to gray. The men looked confident, and the women had a determined glint in their eyes.
"Thanks for coming today," said Miss Planner, opening the meeting. "My name is Jessica Kandel and I'd like to..."
"Miss Kandel?" interrupted one of the managers. "Is it okay if I call you Jessica? I'm David."
"Of course, David," she responded, smiling at him. "Most people around here call me Miss Planner. But you can call me whatever you want. We like to be friendly around here..."
"David Stern," he said, extending his hand to her.
"Eliza Ines. Pleasure to meet you."
"I'm Christopher Hamaide."
"Evan Albright."
"Rubin Parr."
The managers introduced themselves one after the other, smiling at Miss Planner and shaking her hand. She smiled back and greeted each of them warmly, getting them to feel welcome and setting the tone for the meeting ahead.
"I’m looking forward to working with all of you," said Miss Planner after giving everyone a chance to say their name and shake her hand. "You've all met Maxwell Bennet, I'm sure. He's one of our executive sales managers. He's another recent hire, and he's been doing a fantastic job. Next to him is his assistant, Line. The woman in the corner there is Kay Townsend. She's the program coordinator for the Chosen Ones' sister organization, Hands of Light. We have a brief video presentation prepared for you to give you all some basic information about our company, we'll do a Q&A session, and then I'll take you on a little tour of our offices here at the Tower. There's a lot of ground to cover, so let's get started, shall we?"
The top-level managers nodded their heads, eager to learn more about the mysterious white organization (or company, in their minds) that they'd be working with. The lights dimmed and a projected display appeared on a wall of the conference room. It showed a title card, 'A Quick Overview of the Chosen Ones.' A soft, pre-recorded female voice began to speak over a calming video of a time-lapsed city skyline.
"The Chosen Ones began as a community of spiritually-minded and politically powerful people who wanted to make a big difference in the world through acts of altruism. Using their combined resources, they bought up unused parcels of land in downtown Grandebelle with the blessing of the city government and developed them into community centers for the homeless. These days, the Chosen Ones maintain a low profile while continuing to work tirelessly to help the less fortunate in our society. We welcome you to join us in this selfless endeavor."
The display changed to an animated version of the Chosen One's logo, an eye in a maze of light blue and gold set against a background of clouds. A few of the managers shifted in their seats at the ominous sight. The voice continued.
"The Chosen Ones are an organization founded on an idealistic premise. Over the decades, our goals have changed to meet the demands of a struggling world and we've grown in the process, but our dedication to altruism, volunteer work, and community cooperation has remained strong and true. The vision for the Chosen Ones' expansion into the corporate sector was inspired by our belief that business can be a force for social good. It is our hope that someday the companies that prosper the most will be those with the greatest sense of social responsibility."
The video moved on to a grand, sweeping aerial view of the Chosen Ones' various temples and shrines throughout Grandebelle. The soft female voice continued. It carried the tone of a kindergarten teacher explaining to her students why caring and sharing was the right way to behave.
"While profit remains a central component of our business, our philosophy is that the money brought in should be used to create a better world. As a people-first organization, our people are of utmost importance and considered first in all business decisions. High returns are important to us, but not at the expense of our employees’ well-being, our planet, or our future. We are dedicated to making a positive, lasting difference in the lives of people everywhere. It is for this reason that the Chosen Ones' business endeavors prioritize community-involved business models and aim to create long-term growth over a quick profit."
The video was irritatingly vague, self-righteous, and sentimental. It was clear to everyone that the version of the Chosen Ones' story they were listening to was a complete fabrication with only the barest connection to reality. But it was a fantasy that Miss Planner's new team was going to have to learn to accept, because it was basically the only one they were going to be allowed to hear. The final scene of the video was of a row of smiling, waving people sitting on oversized leather chairs inside a luxurious office stuffed with priceless ancient artifacts and furniture made out of crystal. It was a clear appeal to the viewers’ greed, and it was shameless.
The room fell dark. There was silent for a few moments until Miss Planner turned the lights back on. She smiled at the group, then turned and started writing on the white board behind her.
"Once again, welcome to the Chosen Ones! We all hope you'll be very happy here," she said, still facing the white board. She drew two lines, dividing the board into a column labeled 'Questions' and a column labeled 'Answers.' She turned and faced the group, clasping her hands together.
"We're going to play a little game now. The goal of the game is to come up with questions about us, the Chosen Ones. The three of us would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have, from how we go about funding our operations to why the sky is purple. Who wants to start us off? It's Rubin, right? Please, ask away."
Rubin was a bulky man with a winning smile and a talent for detecting risk. When Farha-Smith was still around he worked as an executive underwriter responsible for deciding the fates of hundreds of businesses on the verge of bankruptcy. He stood up, clearing his throat and twirling a pen around in his fingers.
"What is the Chosen Ones' business model?"
"That's a great question, Rubin. Kay, would you like to take this one?" asked Miss Planner, using her marker to write down the word 'Funding' on the whiteboard.
"Of course, Miss Planner. The Chosen business model is simple. We provide services to the public, and we make a profit by charging for those services. We offer counseling and life advice to anyone who wants it, whether they are a victim of crime, homeless, or simply someone trying to make a change. We also sell products that promote spiritual well-being and offer a wide range of security and surveillance services. In addition, we have several highly profitable subsidiaries including a theme park and a network of gift shops in downtown Grandebelle. All of our profits stay in the organization to invest in further growth and expansion of the Chosen brand. It's a very sound and stable business model. We don't need to borrow to keep money coming in, and there are no outside investors to take a piece of the pie."
"Well said, Kay," said Miss Planner, giving a light clap. While Kay was busy talking, she was busy writing 'Services, Spiritual Well-being, Security, and Subsidiaries' in the 'Answers' column. "That was quite thorough. Who's next? Eliza, go ahead. Don’t be shy."
Eliza was a slim woman in her mid-40s with glasses and brown hair tied up in a messy bun. A smooth facilitator of business relationships and a good listener, she held the position of account executive at Farha-Smith.
"How does the Chosen Ones' management structure compare to other companies?"
"Maxwell, this one's for you," said Miss Planner, writing 'Management Structure' in the 'Questions' column with a furious stroke of her black marker.
"The Chosen Ones have a unique and flexible organizational structure that allows us to react to changing market conditions quickly. Our managers have the freedom to develop their own ideas and strategies without having to report to a higher authority. We promote from within whenever possible and encourage our people to take risks and innovate. We're very open and transparent about how we do things, and we believe it's important to listen to and learn from the input of all the people around us. That way, everyone can contribute their best ideas and make the most of their talents. It's a culture of openness and mutual respect."
"Thank you, Maxwell," said Miss Planner, writing 'Autonomy, Advancement is Easy, A Culture of Innovation, and All People's Input Matters' in the 'Answers' column. "Now, who wants to go next? You've been waiting to ask your question this whole time, haven't you, Christopher? Sorry to keep you waiting."
Christopher was a skinny old man in a faded gray suit. At Farha-Smith, he was a senior partner specializing in corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. He was a stickler for detail and a big fan of the old-fashioned, by-the-book approach to business.
"What is the Chosen Ones' secret to success?"
"That's a very insightful question, Christopher," replied Miss Planner, scribbling 'Secret Strategy' on the whiteboard. "But the truth is, one of our greatest strengths is that we make no secret of who and what we are. We have a simple philosophy, a distinct identity, and a clear mission. We don't try to hide anything. Our main business strategy is very much in the open, and we work hard to make sure we always stand out in a positive light. The products and services we offer the public are always of superior quality and value. We are proud to be a part of the community and to serve the public good. We know that the public trusts us, and we take that trust seriously."
Miss Planner wrote 'Simple Philosophy, Positive Reputation, Premium Quality, and a Part of the Community' on the whiteboard, a perfect smile on her lips.
"It's a clean, easy-to-understand business model that doesn't rely on gimmicks, secrets, or tricks. It's a model built to last. We have a lot of loyal customers who love the products and services we offer, and our reputation is so good that we don't need to spend any money or resources advertising ourselves. Our clients come to us."
The tiny Miss Planner set her marker on the podium with a dramatic thump.
"Of course, we're not entirely open about everything we do. We still keep some things a little bit hidden. But I see no need to hide anything from you fine people. When it’s time for the tour, we are going to show all of you something very, very special. Something so extraordinary, you won't believe your eyes."
