An associate’s appraisal

The scene - merger discussions rumble on, but life continues. It's Tuesday morning and Jordan is sitting at his desk at FFS and looking pensive

Jordan is due to have his appraisal with Rob tomorrow afternoon.  This would be his second appraisal since he joined the firm eighteen months ago from Pillar Book (280 partners, 1,200 lawyers, 6 offices around the world).

The first appraisal had been a bit of a non-event – only twenty minutes instead of the planned one hour, no agreed agenda and Rob obviously and embarrassingly underprepared.  Rob had apologised a couple of days later – “Sorry Jordan, I bet they did things a lot more professionally at Pillar Book”.  Jordan had reflected for a moment on some of the appraisal horror stories he had heard at PB, but remained silent.  If FFS were in misplaced awe at how amazingly efficient everything had been at PB maybe that suited him. 

Today he is most concerned about whether tomorrow would be the right time and place to mention that “substantial salary and benefits hike” that had been promised (or was it only hinted at)?

And then there was of course the whole question of the merger.  If pro and anti camps were forming in the firm – as seemed to be the case – which side should he be on?

Meanwhile Rob puts his phone down with a sinking feeling - when he should be elated.  Xenon Publishing had said they wanted him to come in and talk about an impending transaction.  At last!  After all those seminars they had attended and white wine and nibbles that had been thrust upon them.  But when their MD had said “2.30 …. or in fact any time tomorrow afternoon” his (still) puppyish enthusiasm had got the better of him and even as he looked at his screen and saw Jordan’s appraisal clearly fixed for 2.15, had said “Yes, of course, 2.30 is fine”.  Jordan had explained he would be out from 3.30 tomorrow. 

Rob decides to have a coffee to give himself a few moments thinking time over his diary car crash, but then he needs to pick up the phone and tell someone that the meeting needs to be changed.

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