Too Many Armoires

Tom was an important guy to FSK. It was Tom’s job to see to it that the Hotel construction initiatives were managed properly and with Fred’s full approval. I can’t fully explain Tom’s role but it is clear that Tom was important to a cost efficient operation of the hotels. Tom’s story is a nearly perfect example of the swift justice of the system FSK routinely applies. His crime? Tom was aware of what was nothing more than an honest mistake, a clerical error. It seems that an interior designer in the HBE/Adam’s Mark system filled out some paperwork improperly and ordered 418 armoires instead of 48. Now in most companies, this type of error would be handled early by someone admitting to the mistake and after admitting the error, action would be taken to correct it. Not at HBE/Adam’s Mark. The “fear of Fred” factor sets in and you have a fiasco of gigantic proportions. Tom, for whatever reason, became a part of the cover-up to a point where he authorized the delivery of 418 (instead of 48) armoires in the hope that the hotels would eventually absorb the furniture. Well FSK can’t be everywhere and the logic might work because the hotels are large enough to accommodate massive orders (banquet chairs by the thousands, night tables, dressers, etc.) How does Tom get busted? FSK gets the invoice for storage and begins a small investigation (more like a witchhunt) that explodes into the immediate firing of Tom. (The interior designer also lost her job to this SNAFU). I know, some readers of this story are saying well “sure, he deserved to be fired because he was keeping information from collect the other two and drive the 600 miles to Eagle Colorado from St. Louis. These three architects were convinced that once they got to Eagle, Colorado and completed their assignment that they would all be fired. Thinking they were “toast” they did as they were commanded. The road trip was, no doubt, a bonding experience for the three amigos. Much to their surprise, Fred Kummer did not take any further action and the three architects continued to work at HBE. Meanwhile the story of the late architects spread throughout HBE in just a matter of hours. It was the stuff of legends. It was months before the young architects could laugh at the experience. his boss that was costing the company money.” To you I say, that is why it is such a perfect example of an FSK story. It seems fair that Tom should be punished. But if you talk to the people who lived in and around this true story you begin to find out that there are plenty of conspirators and individuals equally as culpable. It just happens that Tom faced the music. He told Fred what happened too late. Tom left promptly and the next day the goons in personnel were loading his personal affects into brown boxes.