Page 60 of A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances
‘What happens to Alex if they decide to bury his research?’ I asked then winced – I’d bit the inside of my cheek.
‘Hanging on to Alex is part of their strategy. In many ways his mind was one of the most valuable parts of his company. They don’t want him to go to a competitor and build something similar.’
But he trusted ATG with his work. It’s not just a product, it’s his promise to his dead mother, I wanted to protest. Instead, I nodded.
‘I know I don’t need to tell you this,’ Miranda said, which meant she absolutely thought she needed to tell me this, ‘but it’s crucial that Alex doesn’t get wind of what’s happening. He’s almost at the end of his six-month lock-up period, but there’s a secondary retention bucket built into his agreement, which would tie him to the company for two more years. ATG are very keen that he takes up this option. They want his brain working for them.’
Alex had mentioned this the first time we’d spoken – that if things went well in the first few months, then ATG were going to fund more research. Except he’d assumed he’d be building on his work that was being sold to hospitals to help sick people whose illnesses might be missed. But if they took our recommendation, Alex would be unknowingly signing up for another two years stuck at the company that had killed off his life’s mission, working on whatever was their priority.
‘Wouldn’t they be encouraging him to sign another contract under false pretences?’ I asked.
Miranda laughed. ‘Trust me, your Alex is as sharp as a knife. He would have known that this was a possible outcome, and if he didn’t work it out himself, his lawyers would have explained it to him.’
I paused, gathering my thoughts.
‘Look, nothing is set in stone. In my experience you can never second-guess what a bunch of executives will do,’ Miranda said with a reassuring smile.
‘Okay,’ I said, feeling a small wave of relief. I’d learned in this job that nothing was over until it was over.
‘There’s something else I want to talk about. I didn’t plan to ambush you on the weekend. But, now we’re both here, it’sprobably a good thing that you’ll have more time to reflect,’ Miranda said. I braced, sensing this wasn’t good news either.
‘Sure,’ I said, trying to sound as upbeat as possible. Like I wasn’t completely rattled from the conversation so far.
‘I’ve had preliminary conversations with some of the key partners about your promotion case,’ Miranda said.
‘Thank you,’ I said.
‘They’re concerned that you’re not aligned with a sector or practice group,’ she said.
‘But that’s always been my value add. That you can staff me wherever. That I’m a jack of all trades,’ I said quickly. The words rolled off my tongue because I’d been told them so many times.
‘That’s true,’ Miranda said. ‘At the more junior levels that’s been incredibly valuable. But now you’re on the cusp of a leadership role. You’ll be managing teams. You’ll be the go-to person for the client. You need to be an expert; you need to be a thought leader in a field.’
I stared at her for a few moments blinking, before I pulled myself together.
‘Okay. Got it,’ I said. ‘I mean I’ve got a lot of experience in industrials—’
‘You can’t just throw a dart at a sector,’ Miranda said with a laugh. ‘Whatever area you pick, you’ll have to be committed to it for the next few years as you build your partnership case. And then when you’re a managing partner you’ll be living and breathing the world of whatever you decide. Let me tell you from lived experience, you’ll need to love your area or it will be almost impossible to stay in the race.’
I gulped. ‘Have I left it too late?’ I asked.
‘No,’ Miranda said. ‘But the firm, well, the corporate services world, is moving towards a model of expertise. People don’t want to pay what we charge for generalists anymore. They want people on the team who know their industry inside and out.’
‘I get it,’ I said. I’d been hoping that I could be the exception – the human skeleton key they kept around for when they ran out of people who had let themselves care about something.
‘Let’s have another conversation when we’re both in the office,’ she said with a smile that was so empathetic it made me want to scream. ‘And have a think about the healthcare sector. You’ve been a natural on the ATG case.’
‘Oh no, I don’t—’
‘Becs,’ she said. ‘Just think about it. At the risk of sounding unprofessional, I really care about you. You’re like a daughter to me. Except one that does everything I say. And I don’t want you to make any rash decisions that you’ll have to live with, without really thinking them through. Now, I have to go wow a bunch of fellow nerds with my speech.’
I watched Miranda and her billowing lime-green dress disappear out of the hotel’s ballroom. Then on autopilot I walked to my first session of the day.
I pulled my conference emblazoned notepad and pen out of my gift bag.To Do, I wrote a heading at the top of the first page. What was I meant to write next?Pick sector to fall head over heels in love with for rest of professional career. Decide whether to tell Alex that his dreams could be shattered.
I made it through the first five minutes of the session before I realised that I wasn’t going to be able to concentrate, so I snuck out. Had I ever left a lecture or a work event early? Probably not.
Without really thinking about where I was going, I walked to the river and collapsed onto its grassy banks. It was a crisp sunny morning that would turn into a steaming, languid afternoon. I called Lily.
