Armed with an
American MBA, I
stepped into the role
of an executive, ready
to take on the world

Aiming high, hoping
for high status from
the start, got shunted through
departments, something I
wasn't enamoured of

No doubt, the wrong
mindset, for that world-
renowned company did
have a well-laid out
training programme

The first posting, in
logisitcs, while sounding
high-tech, only tested
my ability to count tyres -
delivered  from all over

Tyres pushed into the
warehouse by the oldest
employee, not a day less
than sixty and five, assisted
by chosen contract workers

Some management training
this, I sat and brooded one
day, when the old man
approached, clearing his
throat deferentially

'My son too, studied 
accounts' he said softly
 without a trace of pride,
'sir, if you forgive my
asking, are you in accouting?'

'No job recommendations'
 I snapped impatiently,
refraining from asking, 'and 
my dear fellow, where is 
HE pushing tyres now?'

weeks rolled on, and the
the budding executive moved
on to higher planes, finally
to a role in the haloed
department of finance

a tough, smart cookie, the
head of finance, just a few
vintages more mature than me,
he turned an exacting eye
on me right from day one

At the first assessment
meeting, he used that
laser eye, then leaned 
back, closing his eyes, and
smiled, shaking his head

He then opened his eyes -
the smile had vanished- and
said sharply, 'you are compared 
with others, but also
against your own potential

Thus laid bare, my
dear fellow, you do
not  quite measure up,
you do seem to have fallen
behind, with miles to go'

A long way to go,
he says, but he can bet
his fat back that I have
other ways, I thought
as I left the dictator

Didn't I hear my friend
say that he laid his boss
flat on his back, flattering
him by inviting him to 
be his child's Godfather?

While I have no children,
I reasoned, a broadly
similar move can be part
of a multi-pronged strategy
to move up the grading scale

while I thus sat and
brooded and planned,
the old man from the
warehouse appeared at
the door, bowing, fidgeting

Receiving but a curt
nod, he said nervously, 
' I came to see my son
Vijay, sir, and wished to
pay my respect to you'

"Oh, Vijay, the office
boy?', I asked, smirking
a little, and he replied,
without a trace of pride,
'no, Vijay, Head of Finance'