Chris had successfully dodged Jill’s gamified budget tracker for months. The last time she brought it up, she wanted a cartoon panda to pop up whenever someone saved money. He thought that battle was long won.
He was wrong.
One fateful Monday morning, Chris walked into a meeting where Jill, Steve, and—unfortunately—upper management were discussing “exciting new engagement strategies.”
Jill beamed. “And that’s why we’re bringing back the panda!”
Chris nearly choked on his coffee. “I’m sorry, we’re what now?”
Jill clicked through a PowerPoint that, horrifyingly, featured an animated panda in a business suit giving thumbs-ups whenever a department cut costs.
“This will boost productivity by at least 20%!” she declared proudly.
Inner Thought #1: I wonder how hard I’d have to hit my head to get temporary amnesia and forget this meeting.
Steve, ever the realist, asked, “How much will it cost?”
Jill’s smile faltered. “Oh. We assumed IT could just… make it happen?”
Chris sighed so hard he worried he’d pass out. “Jill, do you know how much work it takes to animate a panda? Do I look like a Disney animator?”
Unfortunately, upper management loved the idea. By the end of the meeting, Chris was officially in charge of implementing “PandaSave™.”
Later that day, he sent Barry a message:
“Okay. Maybe Zoom is the answer.”