Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories: True Leader Helps Ordinary People Achieve Extraordinary Things

Read the most intriguing novel "The Peace Crusaders" athttp://peacecrusaders.blogspot.com (or buy the full novel from Amazon)

For everything you wanted to know on building leadership and management, refer Shyam Bhatawdekar’s website: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com

(Also, refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

True Leader Helps Ordinary People Achieve Extraordinary Things

(The case study presented below deals with “leadership”. It emphasizes one particular aspect of leadership and that is: “leadership means making ordinary people do extraordinary things” (Refer: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.net/index.php/2010/02/03/leadership-means-making-ordinary-people-do-extraordinary-things/ or http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/leadership-means-making-ordinary-people.html. This case study reflects similar sentiments.

For many other management case studies/management anecdotes, read at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/)

Shaan Bhatkar had truly earned the reputation of being the fastest and also, most promoted manager. First, his first employer “Universal High Tech Products Ltd” and now his second employer, one of the top most ranked companies of India, “Prestige Motor Company Ltd” had recognized his learned as well as innate leadership qualities.

While he had broken all the management conventions by becoming “manager” at a very young age of 27 in his first company, all and sundry used to go to visit his cabin in his second employment with some excuse or the other to peep and have a look at the person who had joined them from outside and was promoted just within one year to the position of “senior manager” at the age of 29 or so, overriding company’s guidelines on promotions and salary raise. He had turned into an enigma. This was perhaps the first such incident in Prestige Motor Company Ltd.

Within a very short time of joining his second employer, Shaan Bhatkar expanded his work and inducted more than 20 new people taking the strength of employees in his department to 26. He formed a formidable team whose presence was being felt throughout the organization. Shaan was head of “systems department”. It was a new concept introduced by him. Systems department would work as a very strong interface between the various line departments of the organization and the computer programming department (these days we call it “information technology” or I T department).

It was found earlier that in absence of creation of “systems department”, the user departments used to directly interact with the computer programming department. Though computer programming department was manned by brilliant programmers who were highly educated engineers of various engineering disciplines with excellent grip on programming, their very nature of programming work would not allow them adequate time and inclination to understand the exact requirements and intricacies of the user departments. They dismally lacked the appreciation of the various domain areas or the functional aspects of the organization. The result was invariably a half cooked; user unfriendly, computer system full of problems as far as the user departments were concerned. It had a significant negative impact on the promotion of computerization in the company. Management of the company got concerned about it.

Around this time, Shaan Bhatkar proposed creation of the new “systems department”. Management liked the idea of this department being responsible to define the system requirements, carry out the system design work, get it programmed by the computer programming department and also assist in implementing the system in user locations. The persons to man this department would have in-depth knowledge of the domain areas or functional areas for which they would define the systems and additionally, they would also have a decent grip on the computer programming requirements, the hard core technical aspects of computerization.

His team was mix of two kinds of people- at the higher end, he had functional experts with impressive, high end, formal qualifications and with long experience in various domains and at the lower end, he had implementers with just about any low end formal degree in any discipline who would iron out all the kinks that would be faced by the user departments in implementing the computer systems so designed, programmed and implemented. The persons of this section had flair for the hands on field work and had great service orientation and they were very user friendly. They would hand hold the users in implementing the computerized systems. However, due to the nature of their work, they were placed at the lower rungs of the hierarchy.

Shaan Bhatkar had augmented this second section of implementers by one young boy Anant Joshpura who had just become eligible at an age of 18 (minimum age criterion for employment) to be able to join a corporate organization. Shaan had reasons to recruit Anant. He had seen in him the qualities like enthusiasm, sincerity, service orientation, analytical capabilities, eye for details and hunger to learn though Anant was just about a commerce graduate with a poor second class- academically not much to talk about.

Shaan’s assessment of Anant Joshpura proved to be correct.

Then among the routine, there came a day of excitement. The first PC (personal computer) of the country was bought by Prestige Motor Company Ltd and it was installed in Shaan’s department for exploring its capabilities etc. For computer programming department which was manned by highly qualified professionals and who were used to work on the main frame computer systems of that era, the PC was thought to be a toy and that’s how it was bypassed to Shaan Bhatkar.

Shaan had no particular man to work on the PC. In his free time he himself used to fiddle with it and he soon realized the potential of a PC. He wanted to put it to real use in the organization. He pulled out Anant Joshpura for this purpose.

He called Anant and asked, “Do you know COBOL language?”

Anant Joshoura got scared, sheepishly he answered in his broken English mixed with his mother tongue Marathi, “Sir, I know only two languages, Marathi and a bit of English. I have not heard about COBOL language.”

Shaan realized his mistake. He then explained to Anant about the new PC and also explained that the programs on that PC were to be written a computer language called COBOL.

Shaan then said, “Anant, I want you to learn to work on this PC under my guidance. You have excellent analytical capabilities and therefore, you will be able to learn computer programming quite easily and fast. I am deputing you to learn programming and COBOL with an outside training institution for a period of two to three months. Our company will foot the bill.”

Anant was very apprehensive initially. He was scared that if he did not come up to the expectations of Shaan in learning programming and COBOL; he might lose his job from the company. He sounded his concerns to Shaan.

Shaan assured him, “If you fail in this, you will revert to your earlier assignment of system implementer. But I am sure that you will succeed. Every day I read in the magazines that the PC is the future of the computers and if you get a grip on it early on, that much better for you. You will retire at a junior position if you continue as the system implementer but as an expert on PC, only the sky will be the limit for you.”

With this assurance from his leader, Anant plunged into an entirely new territory. And he was smart enough to pick up everything that was expected of him. By the end of three months of training, he started writing programs in COBOL quite proficiently.

On Shaan’s recommendations, the company decided to induct more and more PCs in the organization in the planned and phased manner. Shaan proposed an awareness training for the future PC users of the organization. He assigned Anant the new responsibility of training the people at various managerial levels in the working of PCs. Anant hesitated a lot to start with. How could he face the seasoned managers who were much experienced and older than him and were at the hierarchical level far higher than him?

Shaan advised him, “They do not know a naught about PCs. You are the most educated person on PCs right now. So….”

Soon, Anant Joshpura was not only knowing most about the PC, he was even recognized as a good COBOL programmer even by the highly educated and experienced programmers of the hard core computer programming department who were writing the programs on the main frame computers. Anant started mingling with them pretty freely and learnt lots more about computers and programming. He learnt a few more computer programming languages.

One day he approached Shaan and requested, “While I am formally assigned to working on PC, I would love to work with the main frame too. Can you formally assign me to do that?”

Shaan was convinced that Anant must make his future career in hard core “information technology (I T)”. He recommended Anant’s transfer to the computer programming department through the chief of company’s HR department. The chief of HR declined saying that the company rules did not permit an ordinary commerce graduate to be a part of highly technical computer programming department. As per company rules, only engineering graduates or postgraduate with first class could work in that department. Anant was not eligible.

Shaan wished to recognize the contribution of Anant and since the doors to computer programming department were closed to him, all Shaan could do was to promote Anant by one grade. But that would still put him in a junior hierarchical level. Shaan believed that Anant’s caliber deserved much higher position in the organization. But company’s red tape would not allow this.

Anant sought advice from Shaan, “Now that my future here is almost sealed, what do you suggest?”

Shaan said, “The IT (information technology) area is going to explode in the entire world like nobody’s business. IT is the future. Keep an eye on the prospects in other companies. They may need a person like you as an IT specialist. If you had any chance of faster progress in our own company here, I would not have suggested you to look out for a job. But now it makes sense. You are just about 20 and you have more than 40 to 45 years ahead of you. Yet must build up your computer software skills at the best possible levels while you are here. I will allow you to work with computer programming department informally though you will be at same junior level getting same salary.”

It seems that Anant took the guidance of Shaan to his heart. He went on improving his IT capabilities.

And the Y2K fever attacked the world. As compared to other countries, United States of America needed the maximum number of computer professionals, literally thousands of professionals who could go through each and every computer code that was mostly written in COBOL and fix up the Y2K bug.

Who else were the better people for such a job than those in India- the ones who had a deadly combination of knowing two most important languages: COBOL and English?

Anant Joshpura was not to be left behind. He soon shifted to USA along with one of the many Indian companies who got contracts from companies in USA to fix up their Y2K problem.

Then onwards no one could stop the progress of Anant Joshpura. He went up from strength to strength and the last news from him to Shaan Bhatkar was that he had just taken over as Vice President (Global Software Delivery) of a startup.

Order online your copy/copies of "Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories" from Amazon

For “out of box thinking” articles by Shyam Bhatawdekar, refer: (Out of Box Ideas) http://wow-idea.blogspot.com/

Novels and Stories

Novel "The Peace Crusaders" http://peacecrusaders.blogspot.com

Novel "Good People" http://good-people-novel.blogspot.com/

Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories http://funny-shortstories.blogspot.com/

Stories Children Will Love http://stories-children.blogspot.com/

Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories: In Praise of Narrative Report and Aide-memoire

Read the most intriguing novel "The Peace Crusaders" at http://peacecrusaders.blogspot.com (or buy the full novel from Amazon)

For everything you wanted to know on building leadership and management, refer Shyam Bhatawdekar’s website: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com

(Also, refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

In Praise of Narrative Report and Aide-memoire

(The case study given below essentially deals with “Personal MIS” or “Voluntary MIS for Self”. You may like to read another case study of this genre titled “Boss Saved His Job” at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/boss-could-save-his-job.html or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.net/index.php/2010/01/14/boss-saved-his-job/

For many other management case studies/management anecdotes, read at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/)

Mr Shaan Bhatkar had achieved the distinction of becoming the youngest “manager” at his age 27. He was the fastest and most promoted person in Universal High Tech Products Ltd. Even the media took notice of him and on his last promotion; many of the local newspapers published the following article. An excerpt from one of the published articles is reproduced below:

“This is the first time in the history of Universal High Tech Products Ltd that someone has broken all the management conventions. Mr Bhatkar has been once again promoted superseding all the first four senior batches of management trainees. He is the youngest head of the department at the age of 27, not of just one department but two very important departments (and simultaneously reporting to two different bosses). It’s a spectacular achievement of Mr Bhatkar, his exemplary leadership qualities have been truly recognized by the company……………”

This kind of publicity did not escape the eyes of the head hunters. The recruitment agencies are always on look out for professionals whom they could recommend to their clients and if the client company recruited that candidate, they would earn a fat commission for providing such services.
Within very short period of Mr Shaan Bhatkar’s publicity in the news papers, he gained status of a celebrity in his own rights and many head hunters started sending feelers to him. It was quite a new experience to him being offered many new opportunities in many of the blue chip companies. He had never looked outside for any opportunity while working in his existing company Universal High Tech Products Ltd since he was already doing so very well there. He was, therefore, not much concerned about changing job at that stage.

He went on avoiding these head hunters for quite some time. But when he got an offer of possibility of a rise in his salary and perquisite by around 60% of his current salary (as against a normal rate of maximum of 15% raise prevailing then in the job market), that too from a head hunter of very high credibility, he could not sideline it.

Series of interviews between Shaan Bhatkar and the new employer company were arranged by the head hunter. The new employer company “Prestige Motor Company Ltd” was the top most company of the country during that period- company with highest prestige and the most respected and sought after employer.

Money offered was unquestionably high. Bhatkar had no qualm with it. Yet, the total package did not appeal to him on one single count i.e. the new designation. The new designation offered was no different from his current designation i.e. “manager”. He was expecting it to be at least “senior manager”. Though he was mature enough to understand that designation of different companies were not comparable, yet psychologically, changing job for the same title was not acceptable to him.

He discussed his concerns with the boss-to-be in the new company Prestige Motor Company Ltd as well as with the HR chief of the company. They appreciated his arguments but put forth their compulsions in not agreeing to his request. They said, “If we select you, you will be the youngest “manager” with us. We have a good number of bright and high profile people like you with us with considerably more experience than you but most of them are “assistant managers” and only a few of them are “managers”. If we bring you in as “senior manger”, most of them will get highly demotivated, particularly when you are an outsider. However, we do not wish to lose you only on this one point. We wish to make an offer to you which is like this- if you can prove yourself in the first one year with us, we will promote you to “senior manager” as a very exceptional case. As per our normal guideline, we do not promote people unless they complete at least two to three years in one grade. But we are willing to break that guideline for you if you come out with flying colors in just one year’s time.”

Shaan Bhatkar said, “Can you please document it in my offer letter?” To which the HR chief regretted, “That will not be possible- that’s against our policies. But do give it a thought. We definitely need you on our team and ours is a gentleman’s promise.”

Before leaving the company subsequent to his interview, Bhatkar made an aide-memoire (kind of minutes of the meeting) on what all went on between him and the interviewers from Prestige Motor Company Ltd. He came home, discussed the entire thing with his wife and after a great amount of thinking about the new job offer, they decided to take a chance. Shaan Bhatkar decided to join the new company.

Within a few weeks of joining the new organization, Shaan Bhatkar realized that the new job was more challenging than what he initially thought. The work environment was highly competitive and yes, his colleagues in other departments were far brighter. Proving oneself just within one year in this kind of setup was an uphill task. He thought, “But I must give it a try.”

He immersed himself in the new assignment fully. Soon he set up a system where his direct reports would give him a monthly narrative report describing the next period’s goals, achievements on the previously decided goals, the financial implications including the financial benefits of those achievements and anything else they thought was important to report. He also got into discipline of making this narrative report for his own goals and achievements right from the very first month. These narrative reports were not part of any organizational formal systems. He had instituted them only for his own department on his own. He used to consolidate the reports from his direct reports and his own narrative reports and send the consolidated narrative report to his boss. He did not know what the boss did of those. He enquired from boss’s personal assistant and he told that boss was passing those reports promptly to him without any comments and he was simply filing them. He even made a sarcastic remark, “No one else reporting to the boss makes these kinds of reports.”

The days became weeks and weeks became months and it was almost the end of the first year in Shaan Bhatkar’s new job. And there was hectic activity of performance appraisal going all over the organization. There was an excitement in the air about the impending promotions and salary raise. Shaan Bhatkar was keeping his fingers crossed.

HR department’s representative was in and out of Bhatkar’s boss’s cabin many times in the past one week. They were jointly finalizing the list of people who would be promoted and who will get the salary rise.

The appointed day came and rewards were declared simultaneously all over the company. Shaan Bhatkar was nowhere in the picture. He met the HR representative for his department immediately and enquired about his own case. HR representative was a bit surprised by Bhatkar’s queries. However, he replied, “Mr Bhatkar, you have completed just about one year in the company. As per our company guidelines, one needs to stay in one designation at least for three years; in exceptional cases, may be two years.” Then he walked away.

Shaan Bhatkar realized soon that the promises made to him were not shared at any level in HR department. His own boss seemed to have overlooked his case, perhaps, in his very busy day-to-day schedules. Or there was a possibility that his work was not appreciated by his boss as anything spectacular. He knew that he deserved promotion only if he had achieved some thing extraordinary- that was their agreement.

Shaan Bhatkar went to his own cabin, pulled out all the twelve narrative reports and the final thirteenth report he had made as a covering report with an executive summary. He wanted to review all of them once more to critically examine whether his achievements in the first year were impressive or not. He also pulled out the aide-memoire where the proceedings of his job interview were documented by him where promise of promotion within first year was also noted down.

He examined his narrative reports as a third person without any bias towards himself. Interestingly, he had some benchmark figures too with which he could compare his own achievements. After half day’s serious and critical repeated analysis, he kept on coming to one conclusion, “Mine has been extraordinary performance in my first year on the job and so, I deserve promotion to “senior manager” as per the promises made.”

Having got satisfied on this cont, he took appointment with his boss for a personal meeting. He wanted at least one hour of boss’s uninterrupted attention. Boss agreed.

Shaan Bhatkar made a very methodical and convincing presentation based on his thirteen narrative reports to his boss. As he went on unfolding the facts and the figures through his presentation, the boss went on becoming more and more interested in his presentation. He asked for clarifications and even made notes. And at the end of the presentation, Shaan displayed the aide-memoire on agreement of condition of his promotion.

Boss did not utter a word. He collected all the thirteen reports, the aide-memoire and also his own note pad where he had jotted down the facts and figures presented by Bhatkar. He wanted to waste no more time and had immediately decided to go to the number one of the organization whom he was reporting. He wanted to impress the number one by sharing with him the kind of contribution his department had made to the organization. He manipulated in his own mind that he could also bask in the glory of his subordinate; after all Shaan Bhatkar had worked under his guidance, he could rightfully claim.

He left Bhatkar in his cabin and dashed to number one’s office with all the papers he had gathered. He asked Bhatkar to wait till he returned.

Bhatkar’s boss met the number one and they had a closed door conference at the end of which the number one thanked Bhatkar’s boss profusely for his contribution and also signed a paper authoring a raise in his salary and he also signed one more paper authorizing promotion of Shaan Bhatkar as “senior manager”.

Bhatkar’s boss dashed with those authorizations to the chief of HR who prepared the formal documents announcing the salary raise to Bhatkar’s boss and promotion to Shaan Bhatkar to the level of “senior manager.”

Bhatkar’s boss, with a grin all over his face, joined Shaan Bhatkar who was waiting for him to return. The boss shook hands with Shaan Bhatkar saying, “My heartiest congratulations to you. I am promoting you to the post of “senior manager”. Keep up the good work.”

Order online your copy/copies of "Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories" from Amazon

For “out of box thinking” articles by Shyam Bhatawdekar, refer: (Out of Box Ideas) http://wow-idea.blogspot.com/

Novels and Stories

Novel "The Peace Crusaders" http://peacecrusaders.blogspot.com
Novel "Good People" http://good-people-novel.blogspot.com/
Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories http://funny-shortstories.blogspot.com/
Stories Children Will Love http://stories-children.blogspot.com/