“At least he’ll have a mansion,” I commented, looking around at my tiny studio, a place I could barely afford.
“Oh, don’t worry about any of that. This is just a starter apartment - a place to spend a little time while you get your feet under you.” She sounded so positive, and I wished I could be as well. “Just think, a year from now you’ll have a new job, a new life, and probably a total hottie who dotes on you like crazy. This is all temporary.”
The rest of the evening passed with Gia and I working through the bottle of wine as the sun set. But when she left, I felt so damn alone. I’d given up everything to come to White Pines.
And part of me worried I’d made the biggest mistake of my life.
Duncan
I stood before the tall, arched window of the conference room, downtown White Pines below in the distance. My private practice was situated in the hills above the city, giving me a killer view of the area. But I had bigger things on my mind than appreciating the view.
“Dr. Pitt,” someone spoke from behind me. “The year ahead…”
I tore myself from the view and turned around, facing the conference table packed with my staff – doctors from the various branches of my private practices throughout the state.
“The year ahead is going to be unlike anything else,” I said. “And I hope you’re all ready for it.”
Every set of eyes was on me.
“Details would be nice,” Dr. Alana Shaw, a pediatrician from my Colorado Springs office, said.
My mouth curled into a slight smile. She was challenging me, no doubt about that. And some men or women in my position might take offense to that. Not me. I loved when my employees held my feet to the fire to make sure I was the right man to be in charge. Standing at the head of the conference room table, my hands clasped behind my back, I was in my element.
Being a leader wasn’t easy, of course. But what’d be the fun if it were?
Without saying a word, I moved slowly, confidently, over to the MacBook on the end of the table. With a few quick keystrokes, I brought up the PowerPoint of my plan for the upcoming few quarters. It appeared on the TV behind me, everyone present giving it their full attention.
“You want details?” I asked. “Here they are. As you all are well aware, Pitt Medical Group has been having a banner year. Through careful management and skilled care, I’ve established our private practice as one of the finest medical care outfits in the state. Hell – the country.”
But before I went on, I caught myself. “Actually,” I said. “I haven’t done anything.” I let my words hang in the air, the audience appearing somewhat confused. “We’ve done it. Together.”
I gestured to the screen behind me. The picture was of Colorado, red dots here and there on the map to indicate the five locations in the state where we operated. “When I started Pitt Medical Group, I had one goal in mind – to provide the best medical care in the state of Colorado and participate with as many insurances as possible to get care to all. To that end, I hand-picked the most skilled doctors in region, plucking you from overcrowded public hospitals and giving you everything you needed to rise to your full potential.”
My words went over well, judging by the pleased faces in the audience. But not a single word was untrue – my staff was so good I didn’t need to bother with false praise.
“I took a risk in expanding from one location here in White Pines to the rest of the state. But I’m beyond pleased to report that every single one of you has lived up to the very high expectations I’ve set.” I looked each of them in the eyes. “However, we’re not done. Not by a longshot.”
I leaned forward and tapped the arrow key, bringing up the next slide. Gasps sounded from the audience, and I grinned. I’d been hoping to shock them, and that seemed to be just the reaction I’d elicited. I rose, slipping my right hand into the pocket of my light-gray slacks, letting my thumb hang out.
“How many locations is that?” Dr. Sean Price, my lead ENT guy asked.
“Ten. Five more locations.” I swept my hand before the screen. Five new blue dots were on the map of the state. “By this time next year I want a Pitt Medical Group in every major population center of the state, with multiple in Denver and Colorado Springs.”
“You think you can expand that quickly?” Dr. Price asked. “We’re going to need to double our staff just to fill the ranks. Hell, we’re going to need to do more than double it.”
“I know. And this is where all of you come in. Over the last year you’ve proven to me that you’re not simply excellent doctors, but excellent talent scouts as well. When I brought you on board, I gave you free rein to hand-pick your staff, just as I hand-picked you. And that’s what you’re going to do next. I want you to go through your teams, find out which among your people will be the most qualified to run their own office. I know it won’t be easy to part with them, but you’ll soon have the opportunity to refill your ranks.”
“You think it’ll be that easy to find new people?” Dr. Mary Weiss, the head of my psychiatry division, asked.
I nodded my understanding. “I know it will. We’ve been establishing something of a reputation over the last year, a place where doctors have the resources they need, where they don’t have to fight with a massive, bloated bureaucracy to do what they’ve been trained to do. When you work for me, for us, all you have to bring to the table are your skills and a desire to help. And that’s made us an incredibly attractive place to work.”
I stepped slowly away from the screen, letting the staff take in the sight.
“I’ve emailed all of you the resumes I’ve been collecting over the last year. Among them you’ll find some of the best talent this country has to offer. You’ll soon see that the problem won’t be finding talent but deciding from among it.” I grinned. “And try not to fight amongst yourselves for the top picks.”
Light laughter rose from the crowd. I could tell my plans were going over well.
“Now,” I said, straightening my back and squaring my shoulders. “I’ve given everyone much to consider. But I’m not done with you yet. What I’ve shared are merely my plans for the next year – but I’m thinking beyond that.”
I stepped to the computer and pressed another key. The image that appeared was not simply of Colorado, but all of the surrounding states in the region. And they all had dots indicating expansion. More gasps followed along with quiet chatter flowing through the room.
“I want to leave you with a taste of what I’ve got in mind not for simply the next year, but the next three years.” Another grin appeared on my face. “And the next five.” One more keystroke pulled the image back even further, this picture showing the entire United States, a dot in every major city.
The gasps from the audience suggested they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
“When you joined Pitt Medical Group, you signed up for the career of a lifetime. And I’m going to give it to you,” I announced. “In one decade, I want us to grow from a highly successful handful of private practice centers to an institution that rivals the hospital industry. And you’re all coming along for the ride. Thank you.”