I know that someday we shall be together again – Unknown.
It took a week for us to get things sorted out before we proceeded to setup dates for presentations/sessions/interviews to collect the information for each predetermined function and sub-function of the domain of the project focusing on:
- Why do they perform that function;
- What does it take to complete the job in terms of resources including information, skills, and technology; and
- What is the ultimate product or service.
We wanted to make sure that people assigned from each functional area are dedicated to the project schedule and prepared to meet with us. Harold was doing an excellent job as a coordinator for the project. At the same time the DG (Director General) who was assigned for our project was also a reasonable guy. We needed all the help we could get to make the project a success. Nobody we came across had any clue about the methodology that we were following. Luckily, the consultants we had assigned for this project had gone through each step of the methodology more than once and I, as a project manager, was feeling quite comfortable with our team.
I was talking to Lynda almost every night. She was doing fine. Our friends were checking on her to make sure that she wasn’t lonely. She was going out with them to casinos and restaurants and at the same time she was back to making breakfast for everybody on Sundays, which gave her another reason to keep her busy. Lynda had left notes everywhere in the kitchen to remind me what is where for me to cook whatever I want but make sure that I also keep the kitchen clean. I was working late as I didn’t have anybody at home waiting for me.
In the morning, I never bothered having anything to eat before I left for the office, but when I got to the office, I used to have coffee and toast in the cafeteria. If I decided to eat lunch, I would go with Adam and other consultants or take some clients to lunch. I used to come back in the evening to our condo, basically tired and sleepy. I used to be so tired that I didn’t feel like doing anything including eating. Most of the nights I used to have cereals in the evening while watching TV or speaking to Lynda. Adam and Jenifer used to invite me for supper to their place or take me out for supper.
Harold knew my situation. He knew that I live in Las Vegas and came back to Canada for a visit and ended up working on the project. He also knew that Lynda went back to Vegas. He used to say to me – Mir, you’re working long hours every day and you should take some time off to go see your wife in Vegas. He also knew that we had a fixed contract and it wasn’t based on the number of days we put in. I decided to take a break on Friday to go to Vegas.
Lynda came to pick me up at the airport and took me home where she had already cooked a nice meal to celebrate. We had a wonderful time. I remember the next morning when I got up early in the morning and went to the Clubhouse for my regular exercise, sauna, and swimming. I met folks at the Clubhouse, and they appeared to be happy to see me. I thanked some of them for keeping an eye on Lynda while I was gone. I was there for almost a week; we took folks to dinners and lunches and enjoyed their company. Adam spoke to me on the phone several times and told me not to worry about the project. He said everything is going just fine, dad.
When I got back from Las Vegas, we had to go to British Columbia (BC) to visit and discuss what we were attempting to accomplish for the department. It was very critical that we explain to them what kind of project we have, and we also needed their input on various aspects of their functions and how those functions are being performed even though the contract in Ottawa was specifically focused on the functions being performed in headquarter. Nevertheless, I wanted to understand how the internal mechanism works for them.
Environment Canada had Research Centers and Laboratories in BC, primarily falling under the Pacific and Yukon Region. These offices were focused on environmental research, wildlife protection, weather forecasting, and enforcement.
When we got back, I was supposed to go to Vegas for my 60th birthday on April 11, 2001. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to Vegas and Adam ended up taking me out to a nice Indian restaurant and giving me an expenses fountain pen for my sixtieth birthday. Lynda was very upset as she had tickets to go to the show where Smoky Robinson was performing in Vegas. Smokey was Lynda’s favorite singer, and he very seldom used to come to Vegas. I suggested Lynda take one of her girlfriends to the show which she ended up doing and they had a wonderful time.
Harold was a nice man, and he was doing an excellent job of coordinating project activities. He also told us that IBM had requested a meeting as soon as they found out that they didn’t win the contract. They brought some vice-president with them to demonstrate their level of interest in the contract that they lost. He said they were very interested in finding out why and where they didn’t meet the requirements. They specifically wanted to know if the price they had quoted was the main reason for not winning the contract. Harold also told us that he explained to them very slowly so that they could understand it clearly. He told IBM that the price wasn’t the main reason for them losing the contract. They came very short to meeting specific requirements related to ABC direct experience working in the federal government whereas the winners had extensive experience not only working in the federal government, but they also had worked in the scientific environments which was a part of the Department of Defence (DND).
Herald also told us that IBM was very curious about knowing the name of the company that won the contract.
We completed the project earlier than we had planned which wasn’t unusual for us but it surprised Environment Canada. I made the final presentation to walk through the recommendations that we had articulated for the next phase of the project. I spent the remaining time writing a proposal for much more money than we had made, explaining why they should go ahead with the proposed plan. The proposal that I had written, I proposed Adam as a project manager to run the show, and I put myself as project advisor. Adam had worked very hard to establish himself. The folks we were working with had no problem whatsoever with Adam being the project manager. Everybody appeared to be happy with the overall performance and thought it was the right time for me to go back to Vegas.
Coming back to living in Vegas was a welcoming change. I spent a great deal of time with Lynda and our friends in Vegas.
After a couple of weeks, Adam called and informed me that our proposal at Environment Canada has been approved, and he will go ahead and initiate the project. I confirmed the fact that I am always available to him either on phone or if necessary to come back to Ottawa for a short visit.
In Vegas, I went back to attending meetings at the Data Processing Association and was surprised to learn that most of the members remembered me. Earney Mayor was always a great friend who used to go with me wherever I went. I also went back to teaching a couple of classes at Community College.
Some friends came from Ottawa and stayed with us for a couple of weeks which kept us busy taking them places and spending time with them.
Around late in April 2002, Adam called and said that he is in the process of writing a proposal to do Activity Based Costing (ABC) for Department of National Defence (DND) including some of their main functions performed and located in British Columbia. I asked him how I can help to win the contract. I remember asking if he wanted me to write the proposal. He said he got enough material that we included in other proposals which could be refined and used but what he really wanted to tell me was that the RFP (Request for Proposal) was designed for bigger companies with the offices in Victoria, British Columbia. I said then that it will be very hard for us to win it, son. He said he had an idea to write a proposal suggesting that a senior resource in Victoria will be assigned to the project, giving them the impression that we have the presence of our company in Victoria. I thought that might work and told him to go ahead. He also said that perhaps I should go to Victoria and look around. I said your mother is not going to like the idea of me disappearing for a year or two, but I will see what I can. Adam also said if I am not prepared to do that, writing a proposal would be worthless exercise, dad. I said leave it with me; son and I will see what I can do. In the meanwhile, go ahead and write the proposal. I also asked him if the Environment Canada project is going alright? He said everything is going just fine, and he also got a couple of relatively small projects since I left Ottawa.
As soon as I got off the phone with Adam, I realized that it would not be easy for me to seek cooperation from Lynda unless I come up with some kind of angle to convince her that it’s worth our while to help Adam as much as we can. I went in the living room where Lynda was reading a book and wanted to know how things were going in Canada. I said everything is going just fine, but Adam wanted to talk to me about an opportunity in Victoria, BC, to do some business. She said, tell me more about it. I said why don’t we go out for lunch and I will fill you in. Before we left for a restaurant, I asked her to give me five minutes as I had something to do on the computer. She said fine and went into the bedroom to get ready while I went on my laptop to find out some information about the city of Victoria.
We went out to lunch for our favorite place and when we ordered our meal, Lynda said what’s up, old man? I said nothing much except that there is an opportunity to do ABC project with DND including their offices in Victoria, BC, where they perform certain functions related to the project. She said Adam wants you to write a proposal, does he? I said not really. As we had done some work for DND in Ottawa, and they are familiar with our work but this time they wanted to do something bigger including some of their functions in Victoria and they are looking for a bigger company with the offices in Victoria to handle the business locally instead of sending consultants from Ottawa to do the job. She said I don’t understand what difference it would make to them where the resources come from as long as they get their work done. I said it doesn’t have to make any sense to us as consultants about what the clients want but the important thing we need to take into consideration is that we don’t want to give them any reason or excuse to reject our proposal.
I continued – Adam is very much tied up with the Environment Canada as that’s his first big project that he is managing, and he also got a couple of other small projects. He needs help desperately to get any more work. She said I understand but what does he need? I said he was wondering if he should write a proposal to say that we, as a company have a senior resource who is located right in Victoria to continue to provide the support they may need during and after the project is done. Furthermore, I guess he also thinks that if he proposed my name as a senior resource, folks at DND may feel comfortable as they know my name and work that I have done for them in Ottawa. She said, do you know the length of the project. I said not really, but it cannot be less than a couple of years. By this time the food was served, and we continued talking while eating our lunch.
Lynda said when you decided to be retired as soon as we got to Vegas in 1997, I had doubts that you couldn’t possibly stay away from the company that you had created in Ottawa. Initially, you were very good as you concentrated upon teaching and taking some small projects here in Vegas to spend more time with me. Then, things changed, and you disappeared for a while to help Adam out in Ottawa. I interrupted her and asked her what her point was. She said it appeared to me that now you are trying to disappear again.
I said I am not going anywhere, babe. We are just discussing what Adam was thinking. I continued – I thought you and I decided to help Adam while we can get him established in the business. He’s only 28 years old and manages a complex project in Ottawa. We mustn’t forget the fact that he wanted to be a doctor, and I had no doubts in my mind that he would have been a wonderful doctor, but he came to work with me, and he got hooked on me. Moreover, Adam is going to be a better businessman than I am partly because he is smarter than me and partly because he didn’t have to go through what I had gone through to make a living in this country. I am sure he would multiply the company and transfer it to his kids. I remember saying – We are just discussing the possibilities of winning that contract and there is always a possibility that we wouldn’t win. I continued – what all I am saying is that we should let him go ahead to write the proposal suggesting that I will be there to look after the support they may need. She said alright I agree with all the things you said, and I am all for supporting Adam as much as we can get him going.
I suggest that writing a proposal doesn’t mean we will win, but if we win the contract. If we won the contract, I could go and work there during the period of contract. The good thing is that Victoria is much closer to Vegas than Ottawa. It may only take a couple of hours to fly. Also, Victoria is supposed to be a nice city.
Lynda said – What else do you know about Victoria? I said – If you remember when I was working with Mark Bowes, we had a project with the Forests Department and as a part of the project I had to visit Goldstream Provincial Park located 20 kilometers north of Victoria in Longford. I also know that Victoria is the capital of British Columbia, sits on the craggy southern end of Vancouver Island. With abundant parkland, it’s known for outdoor activities. Lynda asked if Victoria is located on the ocean. I am glad that I had a couple of minutes to go online to enquire before we started driving for lunch. Accordingly, Victoria is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria, BC, is defined by its Pacific Ocean coastline, featuring a historic, busy inner harbour, numerous beaches like Willows and Gonzales Bay, and robust marine tourism, including whale watching for orcas and humpbacks. The city’s culture, economy, and recreation are deeply intertwined with the Salish Sea. Lynda said it sounds great. Perhaps if you get the project, I will get to visit Victoria, too. I said indeed.
Lynda said so what do you think we should do to help Adam. I said as soon as I finished teaching my last class in May, we should plan to go to Victoria. Just to explore the possibilities without any guarantees. She said it sounds like a good plan.
