Tell Me I am all Yours……Aargggghhhhh!!!
Well truly Aarggh!! This becomes a small chapter in my book of life. I am stuck in corporate services like many others in this nation. It’s the end of the year and as my HR says . “It’s time for your appraisals”. Other than just appraisals it’s time to get your feedbacks, time to get kicked by your bosses, time to kick them, time to tell your peers ‘Oh I have loved working with you (Ya I surely did)’ and finally as we say strategize our next move in the company. You could also get away with all this and instead catch hold of the HR and strategize the other way.
If my team wanted to reset our action plans, we had to go through our Program Manager. My Project lead is sweet bumble bee who-knows-it –all but anything we do has to go through the Big Guy..The Program Manager. Well being a big talker and another know-it-all, they suggested me talking to him. This specimen, our Program Manager is the queerest creature of all. I would certainly title him ‘A true intellectual’ who works without seeing the sun or the moon. He uses his smile and his charm as his talisman.I haven’t made any requests to this aberration yet but this time I had to take proper channels. Moreover it wasn’t just my request but many who trusted me. To find a needle in a haystack is easier than finding him in our 5 floor office. I made an initial study of how to convince, combat and capture him. I understood that unless we were really thick skinned and persevered for around a year, things could be only as good as today. Never had I so much phobia about putting my suggestions than this time. Moreover this guy was a quintessential manager , really difficult to impress. And if you had a 5 point agenda, you would end up telling only 2 and agreeing with his view on the other 3.I decided not to give up either.
Counting by 1’s and 0’s, I did an extensive analysis on taking on this situation. I even made a flowchart of my requirements. I could only pray for luck and courage. I went up to him and requested for a meeting. He was a lanky guy but definitely charming in any the eye of any Venus. So if you are a Venus and you want to talk to him, it can be not so easy. Anyway I stuck to my guts and my captivating abilities and went ahead for the meeting. Mr.Program Manager smiled at me and says “ Tell Me, Malaika I am all yours..”…What ???Ooops …For a moment all the equations in my head stirred. He had played the kings gambit. I gathered up the courage and brought out my agendas. However like many others I could put forward only 3 in my five pointer agenda. This guy was not just a high profile bookworm but emotionally highly intelligent. I managed not to victimized by notions of virtuous behavior. I tried hard so that I wouldn’t hurt my Achilles tendon. I finished the meeting in 20 minutes. Phew… No wonder he was the senior Program Manager. He knew how to talk with his head. Well I bet he would have faced a same kind of guy 10 years ago ,else how would he know how to satiate so many people.
As for me, this turned out to be another learning chapter. I guess I ll have to go through another year of this mortal combat if I needed vindication. Now soon I ll have part 2,3 ,4 of this meeting. Sticking to my agenda might reform me into an activist. Dont be surprised to find me in front of some dam with Medha Patkar fighting for my agendas coz I think I am certainly getting a drive from great men like these.
Well truly Aarggh!! This becomes a small chapter in my book of life. I am stuck in corporate services like many others in this nation. It’s the end of the year and as my HR says . “It’s time for your appraisals”. Other than just appraisals it’s time to get your feedbacks, time to get kicked by your bosses, time to kick them, time to tell your peers ‘Oh I have loved working with you (Ya I surely did)’ and finally as we say strategize our next move in the company. You could also get away with all this and instead catch hold of the HR and strategize the other way.
If my team wanted to reset our action plans, we had to go through our Program Manager. My Project lead is sweet bumble bee who-knows-it –all but anything we do has to go through the Big Guy..The Program Manager. Well being a big talker and another know-it-all, they suggested me talking to him. This specimen, our Program Manager is the queerest creature of all. I would certainly title him ‘A true intellectual’ who works without seeing the sun or the moon. He uses his smile and his charm as his talisman.I haven’t made any requests to this aberration yet but this time I had to take proper channels. Moreover it wasn’t just my request but many who trusted me. To find a needle in a haystack is easier than finding him in our 5 floor office. I made an initial study of how to convince, combat and capture him. I understood that unless we were really thick skinned and persevered for around a year, things could be only as good as today. Never had I so much phobia about putting my suggestions than this time. Moreover this guy was a quintessential manager , really difficult to impress. And if you had a 5 point agenda, you would end up telling only 2 and agreeing with his view on the other 3.I decided not to give up either.
Counting by 1’s and 0’s, I did an extensive analysis on taking on this situation. I even made a flowchart of my requirements. I could only pray for luck and courage. I went up to him and requested for a meeting. He was a lanky guy but definitely charming in any the eye of any Venus. So if you are a Venus and you want to talk to him, it can be not so easy. Anyway I stuck to my guts and my captivating abilities and went ahead for the meeting. Mr.Program Manager smiled at me and says “ Tell Me, Malaika I am all yours..”…What ???Ooops …For a moment all the equations in my head stirred. He had played the kings gambit. I gathered up the courage and brought out my agendas. However like many others I could put forward only 3 in my five pointer agenda. This guy was not just a high profile bookworm but emotionally highly intelligent. I managed not to victimized by notions of virtuous behavior. I tried hard so that I wouldn’t hurt my Achilles tendon. I finished the meeting in 20 minutes. Phew… No wonder he was the senior Program Manager. He knew how to talk with his head. Well I bet he would have faced a same kind of guy 10 years ago ,else how would he know how to satiate so many people.
As for me, this turned out to be another learning chapter. I guess I ll have to go through another year of this mortal combat if I needed vindication. Now soon I ll have part 2,3 ,4 of this meeting. Sticking to my agenda might reform me into an activist. Dont be surprised to find me in front of some dam with Medha Patkar fighting for my agendas coz I think I am certainly getting a drive from great men like these.
posted by malaika at 9:06 PM
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