STRESS, SUCCESS AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN
The Highs and Lows of A Woman’s Journey in the Corporate World
CARE: This is Chapter 51 of my book Stress, Success and Everything In-Between. These are individual anecdotes but to understand the professional journey in totality, I would recommend reading the book right from Chapter 01 onwards.
My area of command in the Meerut Zone was the largest of the four such regions,
having as many as 48 branches spread mostly over rural and semi-urban centres.
It was considered the most challenging Region as there were backlogs galore in
every branch, with innumerable grey areas crying for attention.
Soon after I got posted there, the zonal head issued a written order that my boss and I must jointly visit the branches and spend at least 20 nights a month out of headquarters to set the branches in order. I could not comprehend the rationale behind this order as we could comfortably return home after inspection, the farthest branch being just about 125 kilometres away. None of my predecessors had ever stayed anywhere overnight but the expectations from me were different. The irony was that there was no decent hotel to stay overnight in those places. But the big boss had a sadistic streak, and there was no point discussing the rationale of this administrative order with him. My boss tried to talk to him, but would he budge? We had no option but to comply with the instructions, which were totally irrational in my view.
Immediately, a branch visit was planned, and the Branch Manager was told to arrange an overnight stay for the visiting officers including me. Bewildered, he rang me up to ask where I would prefer to stay. His whisper on the phone sounded so strange, as if it was some hush-hush affair. Having spent all my childhood staying in the PWD Inspection Houses, thanks to my father’s government job, I felt an Inspection House was a safer option vis-à-vis a private shady hotel. I requested him to book one, if possible.
The morning after our first overnight visit to the branches, the bouncer
came by way of an anonymous letter placed on every table in the Zonal Office
before we reached the office. The letter alleged, “Ever since a lady officer
has been posted as Administrative Officer, the Regional Manager has started
dyeing his hair black to look young. In the past, he always returned home after
inspecting the branches. But this time, he decided to stay back and spend the
night with her at the Inspection Bungalow on the banks of river Ganga..….”
Going through the cyclostyled copy of the complaint placed clandestinely on my table, initially my face flushed with embarrassment. The writer’s insinuations were outright malicious. I was shocked and read it again and again and once again, and then could not help laughing at the absurdity of the imaginary contents. But my boss, who was on the verge of retirement, felt much too embarrassed. Flustered and humiliated, he rushed to the big boss along with the anonymous complaint.
He never told me what transpired there, but this led to the end of our joint branch visits. Then on, the Regional Manager refused to take me along on branch visits. Alas, my chances to learn from a seasoned officer vanished before my eyes, sacrificed at the altar of the skewed thinking of a pervert mind.
Whatever happened, the mandatory visits to the branches had to be performed, and I was now left to fend for myself. More about it later!
(To be continued.....)
*****
6 comments:
Whatever you stated above, it shows that some of very senior officers of our bank most often
act like Mohd. Tuglaq who used to place farmans that proved to be a flop show aur failure act. This always happens in Bank when some sadistic fellow as high office tries experiments such like this.
As I know, you have always been most popular and dynamic officer who decorated verious positions in Bank. I also worked under your high office at Dehradun main branch in early nineties.
With profound regards, I still enjoy those days having associated with you. --Sachin Mamgain
You have brought glory to each n every assignment you held, Ranjana ji. God bless you. People in Chandigarh even now remember you n ur successful tenure as CDO .
Complaints - that too anonymous- were the rage of the day. Each one of us had our fair as well as unfair share of these complaints. Alas, unlike in other organisations where such complaints are assigned to dustbin, anonymous complaints in our Bank were given due weightage. Nice reading. Awaiting next chapter....Vijay Gupta
Your journey may have been tortuous, but all credit to you for emerging psychologically unscathed and unscarred at the end of it all....Kanwal Bir Singh Bedi
Interesting episode. All's well that ends well. During my 3rd branch training at Ambala, where I was to learn advances, the BM was quite wary of female staff. The Field Officer was quite senior in age and quite conservative in his thinking. He squirmed when he was asked to take me on field visits. It was quite tough for me until two TO's joined the branch also for training. After that I would be taken with the other two, with a lot of resentment....Varsha Uke Nagpal
Ha ha, I remember those gentlemen and their foibles. Fun times in retrospect... MS Tripathi
The story “The Skewed Thinking of a Pervert Mind” offers a compelling narrative set in the challenging environment of a bank’s regional office. A lady administrative officer, finds herself in a complex and often hostile workplace, exacerbated by irrational orders from the zonal head and the malicious rumors spread by an anonymous letter.
The plot effectively captures the absurdity and the distress caused by the baseless insinuations, highlighting the pervasive issue of workplace harassment and gender bias. The author’s reaction—initial embarrassment followed by laughter at the absurdity of the accusations—demonstrates resilience and a refusal to be cowed by unfounded rumors.
The anonymous complaint serves as a critical turning point in the story, illustrating how the actions of a malicious individual can disrupt professional relationships and learning opportunities. The Regional Manager’s reaction to the letter, driven by his embarrassment and nearing retirement, adds another layer of realism to the narrative, showcasing the human vulnerability in the face of unjust accusations.
Overall, the story underscores the challenges faced by women in professional environments, particularly in male-dominated sectors. It poignantly portrays the impact of skewed perceptions and the importance of resilience and professionalism in overcoming such adversities. The lady officer’s journey, marred by the actions of a pervert mind, ultimately reveals her strength and determination to carry out her duties despite the obstacles.
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