The party’s theme was initiative, but Ivan told Louis Sideways of Sideways Marketing that it would not make a difference. His team would not take the initiative to get things set up.
Ivan ran the company Ivan Inc., and for years, if he wanted something done, he had to do it. He always said it was because his name was on the company. When Ivan approached Sideways Marketing with this problem, the party was the only idea Sideways wanted to execute on.
Ivan booked a venue and sent out guest invites: An Evening of Initiative. Guests are to arrive no later than six. Then Ivan handed the whole project off to the top 11 people in his company and told them they could not ask him any questions.
On the night of the party, Ivan and Sideways sat in two folding chairs in the corner that Sideways took the initiative to bring. Nothing else was set up. No one came early.
Ivan kept making comments to Sideways. “The caterer should be here by now. Decorations should be up. There’s no band, no music, and no speakers.”
“We just wait,” Sideways said with a smile. “This isn’t a party. It’s a test.”
The 300 guests arrived at the venue around 6, although many came much later. There was not a check-in table. No one established a dress code or guest policy, so some people were in evening gowns, and others pushed strollers.
Ivan kept anxiously trying to make a plan, but Sideways told him to watch the leadership team to see what they would do. The 11 leaders were all being watched by Sideways associates scattered throughout the venue. Sideways kept getting reports that the 11 leaders were arguing and whispering, but no one wanted to do anything. No one wanted to find Ivan either.
The first person to approach Ivan was Courtney. Just out of college, she worked at the very bottom of the marketing team. She was significantly below the 11 leaders in the organizational structure.
“I know you don’t know who I am,” Courtney said, but Ivan interrupted her. He made a point to know everyone. He did the hiring. Sideways moved the conversation to the back room so that all eyes weren’t on them.
“Would it be okay if I had my band come down to play at the party?” Courtney asked Ivan. “We could just play covers.”
“That would be amazing,” Ivan said. “Way to take the initiative.”
“Just don’t tell anyone else,” Sideways added with a smile.
Courtney went off to call her band. Soon after, Erick from accounting, a loyal employee of many years, asked if he could order a bunch of pizzas from a place that also offered gluten-free and dairy-free options.
“Great thinking,” Ivan said with a smile.
Then out of nowhere, two of his leadership team’s spouses, Michael and Mary, stormed up to Ivan without their employed partners.
“Why is the party like this?” Mary asked.
Ivan nervously stammered through explaining that the whole thing had been handed off to the leadership team, and both clocked that their spouses had dropped the ball.
“We’ll fix this,” Michael said. Ivan looked at Sideways, confused—they didn’t even work for Ivan Inc.
Michael and Mary called their spouses over, and then other people followed. Chairs were found. People ran home to get decorations stored in different places. A famous friend of a friend was called down to give a speech.
By the time the band was set up and the pizzas arrived, things looked like a party.
“So what did I learn?” Ivan asked.
“We just watched who stepped up and who didn’t,” Sideways said. “I think you have your initiative team.”
“Courtney, Erick and two of my leadership team’s spouses,” Ivan said. “I guess I need to see if the spouses want jobs.”
Sideways couldn’t help himself. “Way to take the initiative.”