The 7 Ps of Power: Enlightenment @ the house of spirits
I was privy to many an enlightening conversation in my lifetime; not by invitation but by virtue of being a very ordinary and colourless individual who can blend in the background and can be easily ignored. I am like your ubiquitous taxi/auto driver, housekeeping staff, waiter in a bar or a fly-on-the-wall. It has its merits. And I am not complaining because it helps me act my part as an honest medium relaying things in turn to you reader, who hopefully, will learn a trick or two from these scribblings and profit from it.
The following powwow I heard not so long ago and I am sharing it with you in 7 parts; for I know you can only invest so much time at a stretch during working hours while not getting distracted from playing solitaire or forwarding the latest jokes.
“I don’t know. I am elated and at the same time feel empty. Have been doing everything right. Performed well. Went beyond the call of the duty. I am part of all key implementation projects. Boss smiles at me once in a while. Don’t extend my lunch breaks or take multiple caffeine/nicotine breaks. Yet right from being served coffee at the table to being invited for Boss’s regular outings; from figuring in the grapevine often to being called in for board meetings — everything seems to be eluding me,” groaned the newly promoted executive (NPE), stirring the contents of the glass placed in front of the accountant who asked how it felt to be kicked upstairs, after languishing for 2 years at the same position.
The accountant did his bit indulgently, to cheer up the kid for he liked the lad. This here was a young man with a sense of humor who after seeing him surreptitiously browsing an adult site chose to include him in his spicy e-mail forwarding list. Where others would have not batted an eyelid in appraising the top management of the same or worse giggle knowingly during lunch-time; this man here did what a kid with a golden heart and a funny bone does. The accountant filled the pauses occasioned by the limitation of NPE’s lungs with encouraging words. “I know you have it in you to move into the corner office some day. Carve out your niche. Don’t give a quarter. Guard your turf with zeal. The future is yours.”
“Thanks old man. I was working hard for it and have performed beyond anybody’s expectations. Still don’t know how long it will take to get fast-tracked onto the road ahead that is promising and paved with gold. Can see my own cabin, corporate credit card, car with chauffeur and conferences overseas. But are they mirages?” The NPE was slowly slipping.
“Listen. I know you are one of the best performers and the brightest chaps around in this organization, and god knows if all goes well, in little over a couple of years, instead of me passing your vouchers, you will be signing my salary cheques. But…” The accountant paused for the bearer to replenish his glass.
“But what? Do you think I will not make it?” ejaculated the NPE.
“NO!” Like numbers and revenues, the accountant, with equal dexterity, can mask the ugly underbelly and paint a beautiful picture. But there are occasions when he too can call a spade a spade. And this was one such occasion.
“And I will tell you why. Tell me, what do you think will get you promoted continuously and takes you to the high seat of power”?
“Multi-tasking. Ability to raise flag at the appropriate time. And provide solutions before others even identify the problems…” the NPE was like a man in possessed, banging his half-full glass (for he was an optimist albeit a naïve one) on the table. He could have gone on and on, for he was a man who never bunked a lecture at the business school or never failed to memorize key quotations from any self-help or career building guides.
The accountant knew that and moved in quickly.“That’s precisely what the donkey thought before he got a good hiding and was kicked out by his master whom he served loyally all his life,” said the accountant.
“What donkey? What rot is that all about, old man?” NPE was confused and slightly worked up.
“Okay, I know you dig management consultancies, self-help gurus, chicken soups with moving cheese, matrixes and clever acronyms more than anything else. So at the cost of the readers not following the 6 other stories beyond this one; for they will now know the formula for attaining power; I will proceed to lay it out.” He took a paper napkin and scribbled legibly (for accountants like doctors are not known for their calligraphic skills) to put down the following equation:
Power = Position + Positioning + Proximity + Personality + Perceptions + PR + Performance
“I don’t understand. I thought…” mumbled the NPE.
But he never got to complete the thought as the accountant interjected, “I know you won’t. So here munch on these peanuts and listen to the story.” Downing the contents of the half-empty (for the accountant sees things for what they are) glass and acknowledging the bearer who moved in quickly bringing in reinforcements, proceeded the accountant:
The Donkey who cared not for Position and put purchase on Performance
“In a small listless village, a fair representative of both listless and listed villages that dot our vast landscape lived a Dog and a Donkey working for a washerman running a profitable venture. The Donkey used to wake up early in the morning, nibble fast on little bits of grass leftover from the previous night to get ready to carry the dirty load. The Dog on the other hand, though wide awake used to rest its head on the crossed fore-legs, close its eyes and lie down till the washerman came in and patted on its back, played with its ears, left a freshly made roti and a bowl of milk in front of it, commending it for the long hours it has put in during the night and the successful outcome of its vigil (for his money and valuables were safe in the morning when checked).
At mid-day, the Donkey used to pass its time eating the grass that grew on the banks of the river, alone with no company, while the Dog relished its rice and soup with the washerman household. And then it would retire under the shady neem tree in the backyard, nibbling on a bone left to it by the doting daughter of the washerman. A completely sedentary and envious lifestyle. The most it used to do under the heading of ‘work’ was wag its tail to shoo the free-riding flies away.
During evening, when the washerman came home it used to lunge onto him, sniff and lick at his feet (for the Dog though shameless was never short on the shrewdness department). The Donkey used to amble in carrying in the washed load and its own fodder, never a murmur or a word of complaint. Subjugation personified.
Dinner was no different, the Dog was fed to the gills, for it had a long and arduous and most critical part to play while the Donkey ploughed through the forage before thinking of the day ahead. It thought the perseverance it showed and its performance would reward it in the long run. It was happy doing its bit for god, countrymen and its master. It reveled in the knowledge that its diligence is what kept the people close to each other and the world peace prevailing.
But for him, the whole world would have been one big bad chaotic place. Thus thought the good Donkey. The Dog along with its fellow dogs had formed a network, wherein only a few of them had to keep vigil across the village every night and raise a robust woof when anything unusual was spotted. This would alert the other dogs who would chip in joining the chorus; driving the unusual thing away and thereby meet their K-9 Performance Indicator. This usually helped the Dog catch more than its 40 winks during which it hated to be disturbed at all. On the day of its vigil, though, it condescended to spend time faffing around with Donkey. The faffing was mostly centered around how the master can do more to it for all the feet-licking it does day in and day out.
The Donkey though surprised, for it thought the Dog had it all, lent a patient ear mostly. On occasions, it used to berate the Dog for not doing its duty diligently, for instead of engaging in long conversations, it should be doing couple of rounds around the house. It (the Donkey) said it was thankful to the boss for letting it do its job without interfering and giving it timely fodder.
One day, on its vigil, while engaging in such a conversation, the Dog failed to notice an unusual movement near the boss’s house. The Donkey though caught it from the corner of its eye and alerted the dog to do the needful. The Dog said it was none of the Donkey’s business to tell him what he should be doing, and anyway it’s much better catching the thief with the loot, red-handed than scaring the thief off before he did any noticeable damage when the boss won’t be any wiser to the incursion. The logic didn’t go down well with the Donkey, as it believed that prevention is better than detention.
It rose to the occasion and let go in full throat that which its ilk is best known and derided for. It brayed aloud. The thief of course jumped a few inches higher in the air, for it was a new alert system that he came across, but nonetheless made good on foot, in the process upsetting the well lined flowerpots of the house. The whole household got up, the washerman was out with the stoutest of staffs in hand, bracing for for an intrusion if any, for the Dog hadn’t barked.
The Donkey, seeing the boss come from inside, ran towards him for a pat or hug or a piece of roti; for one doesn’t know what goodies a good and honest performance brings in. Drinking in one sweeping glance, the upset flowerpots, the nothing-wrong-with-the-world lackadaisical demeanor of the Dog, the boss deduced that the Donkey went out of its line. THADOOM… came down the staff on the hapless and unsuspecting lowly creature. “BRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY” a gut-wrenching cry reverberated through the air, making even the stoutest-at-heart Dog to wince a wee bit.
A wise owl perched on top of the neem tree, witness to the whole, clucked his tongue and thought aloud, “Multi-tasking blah. Raising flag blah blah. If only we all render what our respective positions demand from us rather than being slaves to conscience.”
“I get it, so you will suffer if you try doing good for the boss,” said the now sober NPE.
“You got it from the Donkey’s perspective, which is good but not great. Look at it from the Dog’s point of view if you want to be on the winning and powerful end of the bargain.”
“Mmm…there’s something in that,” admitted the NPE.
“Hang on, here comes our patron saint of spirits to serve another round of salvation. By the end of it all my boy, you will be a true man(ager),” promised the accountant while adjusting himself comfortably in the chair. He then proceeded to enlighten him with another story.
You will like these as well!
|
Featured Tickles  Heal Your Relationships to Heal YourselfIt has been rightly said that this world is a mirror. It reflects back our inner/true reality to us. As within, so without. Everything in our life; our job, our economic condition, our dwellings, and the people in our life reflect one or the other aspect of our reality. Isn’t this a beautiful arra The Power of UnlearningAs I picked up the vacuum machine and started vacuuming the carpet in my living room, a sense of dissatisfaction loomed over me. It had been just about a year since I bought this vacuum cleaner and it was already low in its efficiency. The buzzing sound of the motor from that machine sounded healthy 15 elephant tethers that stop you from being creative!The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get old ones out. Every mind is a building filled with archaic furniture. Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it. - Dee Hock When still a baby, the elephant is tethered by a very thick Smoking a cigarette is like talking to your mother-in-law because...Once upon a time, many years ago, in prehistoric times, at a time when there were no cities, no buildings and perhaps even no villages, there was a hunter. He had had a successful day and was walking through a forest back to his tribe. He had slung a deer across his shoulder with some homemade rope Here Is Your D-I-Y Kit For A Leading Edge LifeManagement gurus and their disciples, thinkers, strategists and business process re-engineers have been busy propelling the modern world into not only coping with, but also keeping in step with the rapid changes of an ever shrinking, increasingly competitive and exhaustingly demanding global market. I Wish I Were A GoldfishI am told that a goldfish cannot remember anything beyond a 3 minute time frame. One of my favorite pastimes is to sit and watch our goldfish swim around lazily and rising up only to gobble at the food before going back to their contented existence. Their swimming around actually reminds me of chil The Fine Art of Persuasive Communication!There are many areas to look at in communication: a message is communicated through visual, vocal and verbal means. From that, comes the importance of body language, how we present ourselves, and so on. The visual and vocal elements are indeed very important to effective communication, but we will Teaching the teacherThe arbiter of knowledge and skills, the teacher, is a revered figure around the world. In India, the teacher is known as the guru, the wise one who can be trusted to lead the knowledge-blind and shine the light of competence and skills in the darkness of ignorance and incompetence. Over time it ha How To Nurture A Successful RelationshipHave you ever wondered how certain couples were able to stay together for many years? What are they doing right? What are the factors that contribute to the success of healthy, long term relationships? There are a few fundamental components that will improve your chances of having a successful relat Waves Of InspirationI stay in the coastal city of Chennai and one of my favorite pastimes is to explore the coastline that borders one side of the city. Starting from the crowded marina and Eliot’s Beach to the less crowded and secluded ones that dot the East Coast Road (or ECR as it is called), I have always found How To Be Depressed"Depression was, indeed, the hand of a friend trying to press me down to the ground on which it was safe to stand--the ground of my own truth, my own nature with its complex mix of limits and gifts, liabilities and assets, darkness and light." Parker Palmer I've never been through pregnancy depress Make an ass of yourself but do not let the world know...Many a time we are swept by that overwhelming feeling to bare all. Not to be mistaken with confession which is done after ensuring that there is nothing further to lose on account of reputation. I am referring to pure tear jerker stuff. Born out of righteous indignation. Or plain stupidity. The form Time management with the monksOne mile south of Georgia O'Keefe's beloved Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, thirteen miles down a cliff-hugging dirt road in the heart of Chama Canyon, you will find Christ In The Desert. The Benedictine Monastery is cloister to about twenty monks. I'd fantasized about retreating to the remote monastery Forcing yourself to get up early in the morning is pointless!A google search on early rising gives 1,500,000 results. Amazon has 6699 books on getting up early. Countless self-development ‘gurus’ have written books and articles that extol the benefits of getting up before your friendly neighbourhood rooster does. They have together compiled a list of 10 5 Reasons Why I Got Off My Tail And Found A New Passion!I've taken some time this month to clean out my Gmail inbox, the main goal being to have a completely empty inbox. I went through each email one by one, until I got to the very last entry. It was labeled "journal" and dated 12/14/06. I knew it was there for me to print and tape into my actual jour If Excellence Is Your Ideal Everything Else Will Fall Into PlaceA young man went to Gautama Buddha and sought the Master’s guidance on how to achieve Enlightenment. The conversation, which in my opinion must be required reading for anyone, went roughly as follows: Young Man (YM): Master, how long will it take for me to achieve enlightenment? Gautama Buddha ( |
Loading ...
Twitter 
Facebook
Subscribe