In the days since he returned from his infamous business trip, Ves spent most of his ti in the design lab by himself.
Sure, he regularly collaborated with Gloriana. He also offered regular tutoring sessions to both Alexa Streon and the guest ch designers from the Vulcan Empire.
Each of them enabled Ves to remain sowhat connected to the happenings within the Design Departnt.
Nonetheless, ever since he recruited a whopping 25 Journeyman ch Designers at once, Ves felt out of touch with the rest of the institution.
He missed the presence of many of the old-tirs such as Juliet Staros and Sara Voiken.
They had all opted to undergo EdNet training for a maximum duration of 4 years, which ant they would be missing out on this crucial developnt period.
Yet they all felt the need to undergo training in an accelerated virtual learning environnt because they knew they would fail to keep up with the developnt of the clan.
Ves looked forward to reuniting with the new and improved Larkinsons, but there were still a few more years to go before they rejoined the clan.
This should have been an opportune mont for him to forge new friendships with the second-class ch designers that were beginning to assist with updating a lot of old and outdated Larkinson ch designs.
Ves did not need to do a thing. Despite being the man in charge of the Design Departnt, he rarely involved himself with the managent of all of the design teams these days. His ti was more valuable than that. The less ti he spent on getting bogged down on trivial affairs, the more ti he had left for more essential design work.
No one blad him for this transformation. He was the most successful ch designer by far. He commanded respect far beyond that of a normal Senior ch Designer. The cute little low-ranking ch designers all stared at him with outright hero worship whenever he walked past their workstations.
Ves had beco a living myth to all of the old and new ch designers.
In order to fill up the leadership gap, Gloriana had jumped at the opportunity. By now, she had firmly established herself as the de facto leader in charge of the Design Departnt.
Whenever ch designers wanted to obtain approval to start a new design project or request additional funding, they turned to Gloriana rather than Ves.
She was the one that allocated resources, approved design projects, set the overall schedule and mandated additional training.
Gloriana did not mind the additional work and responsibilities. She enjoyed the power she held over her subordinates.
The self-worth she gained for becoming the queen of the Design Departnt subsequently boosted her mood whenever she spent ti on her own design projects.
Ves had nothing to complain about her leadership style. She was stern but fair. She always held herself to a higher standard than the others, which made it easier for the ch designers to et her demands.
Of course, not even Gloriana could handle everything herself. She had learned how to delegate a few responsibilities to more notable ch designers such as Alexa Streon and Kelsey Ampatoch.
It did not take a lot of thinking to understand why Gloriana leaned so much from the two notable Journeyn.
Both Alexa and Kelsey were genuine first-class ch designers. The first was a forr Terran scion. The latter was a remarkably talented and ambitious forr Rubarthan employee of Isthmus Manufacturing.
Since the pair had studied first-class ch design at renowned and demanding Terran and Rubarthan ch design universities, Ves expected to rely heavily on them when they were finally ready to design the first batch of first-class Larkinson chs.
In the anti, what made Alexa and Kelsey so helpful to Gloriana was because their illustrious backgrounds granted them a lot of unique advantages. Alexa could easily manage relationships between the Premier Branch of the Larkinson Clan and the Terran ancient clans that ran the Terran Alliance. She was able to negotiate favorable deals and utilize her extensive connections to get a lot of useful stuff done on New Constantinople VIII.
Kelsey lacked local connections, but what he brought to the Design Departnt was a higher standard of professionalism.
He had worked for Isthmus Manufacturing for multiple years. During that ti, he participated in many design projects and worked alongside a lot of different ch designers. Even if he was just a cog in the machine, he spent enough ti within this well-run institution to understand how it worked!
Gloriana soon learned to appreciate the forr Rubarthan's experience. The managent of the Design Departnt began to undergo a noticeable shift.
Everything beca a little more structured, formalized and efficient.
Though Gloriana was careful to preserve the customs that made the Design Departnt a great place to work at, she did not shy away from importing the best practices that Kelsey had learned from his previous employer.
The differences were obvious to Ves. Gloriana ran the Design Departnt a lot better than Ves had ever done when he was in charge!
When Ves spent a few days observing the leadership dynamic of the Design Departnt, he decided that his wife had done such a good job that it was ti for him to acknowledge the inevitable.
This was why Ves summoned Gloriana, Alexa and Kelsey to his office in the morning of the next workday.
"Why have you called us here?" Gloriana asked as she left Hekkel outside the office door. "And why did you not discuss your intentions with beforehand?"
Ves waved his hand before him. Three tal plates hovered down from the ceiling and unfolded into a set of chairs.
"Please sit down."
They all did.
Ves folded his hands on his desk. "I won't waste too much of your ti. I called you here because I think the Design Departnt has grown and matured so much over the past years that the ti has co to reorganize its leadership structure."
His wife predictably lit up when she heard that. She was not stupid. She instantly deduced what Ves had in store for this eting. He glanced at her enthusiastic eyes for a mont before he took a deep breath.
"After contemplating the state of the Design Departnt and my place in it, I have decided that it is high ti for to implent necessary organizational reforms. In truth, I don't see this as a change in policy. I am rely formalizing a circumstance that has already co into being."
The three Journeyman ch Designers all looked up to him with expectation. Alexa and Kelsey had also figured out what this eting was all about.
"My first decision is to step down from the position of head designer after the conclusion of this eting. I won't leave the Design Departnt, but I will no longer involve myself in its managent. It is an unnecessary distraction to at this point. I will instead assu the position of elder designer that I have created for myself."
That was a more radical step than the three had predicted!
They already guessed that Ves wanted to hand over leadership responsibilities, but to do so in a decisive fashion was a bit extre!
"Can you explain the position of elder designer to us?" Gloriana asked. "It is not a standard industry term."
"That's because I ca up with it a few hours earlier. My goal is to create a position for myself that allows to enjoy a great amount of seniority but without the obligations that typically co with a high position. Aside from that, I think that I will not be the only one who has need of this position in the Design Departnt. When we bring in future ch designers who are much more capable than others, yet do not want to distract themselves with leading a large amount of subordinates, they can assu the position of elder designer and channel all of their productivity in what they do best."
Everyone looked thoughtful at that. The explanation made sense.
"You are planning for the possibility that we may hire other Senior ch Designers and possibly even Master ch Designers." Gloriana said.
Ves nodded. "Yes. I am not telling you to go hire a Master right away, but if you ever decide to do so in your new capacity one day, then the Design Departnt should already be prepared for such an eventuality."
"And what is my new capacity, exactly?"
"While I am still in charge of the Design Departnt, I will not transfer the title of head designer to you. It is far too understated of a title given your actual importance and responsibilities. I have decided to appoint you as the director instead. This will bring you on par with the directors of other strategically important institutions and make it easier for outsiders to take you seriously."
Gloriana swelled with pride and happiness. Becoming a director of the most critical departnt of the LMC and the Larkinson Clan was a huge boost in validation!
She could finally brag about it whenever she attended the occasional high-society gathering on New Constantinople VIII!
Ves directed his attention to the other two Journeyn.
"Alexa. Kelsey. The two of you are relatively new to the Larkinson Clan, but you have already made many contributions. One of the key principles of my clan is that rit should be acknowledged. There are many ch designers who have worked with for a longer ti, and while I occasionally favor them at tis, that does not stop from elevating you to greater positions of responsibility. Doing so is best for our clan. I can think of no one else in the Design Departnt that can do better at your new jobs. Starting from today, each of you will receive the appointnt of vice-director of the Design Departnt. In reality, your work and responsibilities will not change all that much. You have already been fulfilling this role. I am rely making it official."
The forr Terran and the forr Rubarthan both looked pleased and humbled by his praise.
"Thank you for your trust and confidence in us." Alexa placed her hand on her heart and made a short bow.
"I will endeavor to prove to the entire clan that you have made the right decision to appoint to the position of vice director." Kelsey Ampatoch eagerly said.
The latter was a lot more enthused about this promotion than the forr!
Ves recalled that Kelsey used to work as a low-to-mid level grunt in the much larger Isthmus Manufacturing.
The winner of the Fey Shaper Contest expressly resigned from his old company and caught Ves' attention for a reason. Kelsey wanted nothing more than to break through the societal barrier that stalled his promotions and ascend into a bigshot!
Ves gave the two new vice directors a mont to celebrate their promotions before turning to his wife again.
"Once you beco the director, you will be in charge of the Design Departnt. You don't need to ask for permission to change stuff to your liking. I implicitly trust you that you will not do anything that will lead to severe dysfunctions. Do not forget that I still have effective control over the LMC, so do not think I am unable to override your orders anymore. If there is sufficient cause for alarm, I can use my ownership of the company to force a change in policy. Please do not give a reason to resort to this asure."
His wife turned serious. "I have not overlooked the fact who is truly in charge. I will not give you any reason to intervene in this fashion. The Design Departnt shall prosper under my directorship. I will do my best to turn it into the most desirable work environnt of our clan!"
A new era had begun for the Design Departnt.
Ves gracefully resigned from his leadership position while Gloriana officially gained her first fief as its queen!
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