83. THE CALL OF CONSCIENCE (2006)

 STRESS, SUCCESS AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN 

The Highs and Lows of A Woman’s Journey in the Corporate World

CARE: This is Chapter 83 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.

When I got posted to the Corporate Centre, I received a chorus of well-meaning yet slightly ominous advice. My well-wishers, with varying degrees of concern etched on their faces, offered a litany of "dos and don'ts" for navigating the treacherous waters of the Corporate Centre.

"At Corporate Centre," one whispered, "even the walls have ears. Be very careful what you say."

"You never know who is connected to whom," another warned. "Discretion is paramount."

"Refrain from your...er..brutal honesty," a third advised, a touch of nervousness in their voice, "especially when speaking to seniors."

The most common refrain, delivered with an almost religious fervour, was: "Never say no to the boss. Never. They do not take it well."

The day of reckoning arrived sooner than I expected. I was scheduled to present a detailed project update to the top management. My heart pounded as I walked into the imposing boardroom for the first time in my career.

The top man, a figure of absolute power and authority, zeroed in on a specific activity. "How long will this take?" he demanded.

I took a deep breath, determined to be honest. "With the current resources," I replied, "it will take at least three weeks."

His face contorted in anger. "Three weeks!?! I want it done in one!" His voice boomed across the Board Room, making me flinch.

I stood my ground, though my insides were churning. "Sir, given the constraints…"

He cut me off. "Mrs. Bharij! I am disappointed. The spark I saw in you in Chandigarh...it is gone." The words stung, a public humiliation in front of top management. My face burned, and a lump formed in my throat, but I forced it down. I would not let them see tears in my eyes.

He then turned to my senior colleague, his voice suddenly smooth. "You tell me. How long will it take?"

My senior, a master of political manoeuvring, looked smug and offered a vague assurance. "Don't worry, sir. We will get it done. Soon." No timeframe. Only empty words. And the top man beamed, completely satisfied.

The irony was that, due to high dependence on another department, nothing could be accomplished even after three months. The meeting ended, but the humiliation lingered, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

Weeks later, I accidentally found myself walking alongside the top man in the corridor. A forced pleasantry was unavoidable.

"How is your project going?" he asked.

Remembering the chorus of warnings, I swallowed my pride and manufactured a glowing report. "Extremely well, sir! I even visited a few branches incognito during my trip to Delhi yesterday and spoke with customers and staff. They are thrilled! They say it's the best thing the bank has ever done."

He beamed, his earlier anger forgotten. "Keep it up!" he said and disappeared into his office.

I had passed the test, but the lie gnawed at my conscience. For days, I seethed with self-disgust.

Finally, I reached a decision. Never again! My conscience was more important than my need for approval, no matter the price. I would rather face the consequences of my honesty than live with the weight of a lie. And I stood by this resolve till the end of my career, not bothering about the consequences I had to face.

(To continue...)

*****

82. DECODING THE CORPORATE JARGON (2005)

 STRESS, SUCCESS AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN 

The Highs and Lows of A Woman’s Journey in the Corporate World

CARE: This is Chapter 82 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.

Upon my next promotion, I was required to work alongside a reputed management consultancy company, which the Bank had engaged to re-engineer the business processes to make them at par with global standards.

Being a hard-core banker for thirty-five years and hands-on with the systems and procedures of the Bank, I knew the principles of Indian banking but nothing about the advanced methods used in other countries to enhance customer satisfaction. I had to bridge the gap between my homegrown wisdom and the global best practices as we had to work together to design and implement the drastic changes the Bank had envisioned.

Though the Consultants were there to guide us, they could not advise us without understanding our existing processes, necessitating constant dialogue between them and our team members.

As a traditional banker, I was totally unaware of the corporate jargon. I knew only the archaic official language used in the Bank, which we humorously called Bank Officialese. On the other hand, the consultants were masters of corporate jargon, spoken with a slight American accent and peppered with modern management phrases. I found their language both amusing and confusing in the beginning.

My first encounter with the consultants was a phone call.

"I wanted to skedule (schedule) a meeting with you, Ms Bharij," one of them called up and said.

Did he say skedule when he wanted to say schedule? Oh, American accent! In our Bank, we just landed up in another office without seeking a formal appointment. If we needed to check availability, it would be a curt, "I want an appointment," not this fancy scheduling a meeting.

The next day, they arrived exactly on time- five of them, all dressed immaculately in black suits and white shirts, though all had different-coloured ties. One of them carried a laptop trolley. I was mighty impressed by their punctuality, mannerism and the Men-in-Black vibe.

"Hi! How are you?" I asked their team leader as they walked in together.

"I am good. I am good. How about you, Ms Bharij?" He replied cheerfully.

Good? Opposite of Bad? But we always said, "I am fine," or "I am ok". Should I also say I am good? I pondered.

They introduced themselves, each presenting a business card, not a visiting card, mind you and that too with both hands. Ouch! So formal! So business-like! The discussions began, and I started juggling two tasks: understanding the new concepts and suggestions for implementation in the Bank and deciphering their baffling jargon. It was like learning a new language on the fly, with phrases like, "You cannot compare apples with oranges." Apparently, one cannot compare them.

When one of them suggested preparing a Laundry List, I looked askance and wondered which laundry they were referring to. Hmm... It meant a complete to-do list and had nothing to do with the pile of dirty linen I had left at home.

What did they mean by repeating a phrase like My take? Why could they not say "Your view" or "My opinion?"

And what was the meaning of ballpark figures? Did they arrive at these figures while playing baseball in the Oval Maidan on Sundays? But do they get time for that? Ok, got it! These were only estimates, which could always be dismissed if they did not work.

The same was the case with back-of-the-envelope calculations. When I heard this expression for the first time, it made me wonder whether they did not have calculators or even proper paper. Why did they have to use the back of an envelope? Hmmm... these figures were the ones they quoted as rough estimates. I asked them when they could provide accurate data. One of them assured me he would do it within a week if he could leverage his bandwidth. Eh? Do humans also have bandwidth? Earlier, I thought bandwidth pertained only to wi-fi or the Internet. I realised during the dialogue that humans also have bandwidth. Why could he not simply say time permitting?

Discussing the initiatives further, one of the consultants suggested we aim at the low-hanging fruits first. The "Apples and Oranges" statement had confused me enough earlier, and the concept of low-hanging fruits compounded it further.

The acronym TAT popped up frequently during the entire discussion. I soon learnt that it meant "Turn Around Time," a concept that became a big pain point for all operatives.

They suggested we try to create Synergy between the branches and the CPCs. Oh my God, could it not be called cooperation?   

The next confusing word was core competencies and the deliverables. Before I could get the hang of these,  there was the suggestion for mystery shopping. I wondered what shopping I was required to do? I frowned, and he clarified it was an incognito visit to a few private banks. Ok! Got it. This shopping was not about buying shoes; it was to gather information about the systems and procedures of competitor banks surreptitiously. Uh oh, it was industrial espionage!

And then there was the constant question: Are we on the same page? Which page? I looked at the document. The presentation was over. It turned out it only meant, "Do you agree?" Why could they not just say that?

By the end of the meeting, someone summarised the takeaways. Now what was that? I had heard of takeaways from a restaurant after dinner, but takeaways after the meeting?

One of the takeaways was that I should engage with the Managing Director and align him with one of the proposals. Are bosses like car wheels now that they need to be aligned? I thought we discussed the proposals in the Bank, but engaging with the boss and aligning him with our idea was the new confusing vocabulary.  

Before leaving, they asked me to keep all those issues on my radar screen. Radar screen? Was I to act like an air traffic controller now? I thought.

Decoding corporate jargon was like learning a new language. It was an enlightening experience. It took some time, but eventually, I succeeded in decoding the corporate jargon.

(To be continued...)

*****

81. THE HEADY SMELL OF POWER (2004)

 STRESS, SUCCESS AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN 

The Highs and Lows of A Woman’s Journey in the Corporate World

CARE: This is Chapter 81 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.

Grappling with hard-core defaulters, two years at RAR Branch passed in a jiffy. Profits started rolling in. Life was good. Then, bam, I got a change of position. I was moved to the position of Circle Development Officer. It was lateral movement, but they perceived it as a 'promotion'. In the new role, I was responsible for everything in the circle except the actual business. Transfers, postings, training, promotions, bills, residences, furniture, and all other resources… basically everyone's happiness or displeasure depended on my decisions.

I was amused to feel the transformation: it was nothing short of dramatic once I was saddled with the new role.

The usually indifferent Security Officer leapt forward to open the car door when my car reached the portico. My usual briefcase was now perceived as too heavy for my delicate hands. It was quickly picked up by the Messenger, who was waiting at the entrance gate. Until the previous day, I carried a much heavier briefcase myself.

At the lift, the liftman, who previously would not even look in my direction when I pressed the button, balancing my briefcase and purse, saluted me with military precision. He rushed to open the lift reserved for the exclusive use of the top triumvirate. 

I reached my new office to find a beautiful bunch of large red roses decorating my table. Soon, the office room started smelling of the sweet scent of sycophancy. Even before I settled down, a never-ending stream of departmental heads walked in to introduce themselves, along with impressive bouquets of fresh flowers. Roses, Lilies, and Orchids in myriad colours filled up my room. In my entire career, I had never been felicitated like that.

There happened to be an already scheduled dinner that evening. I was the centre of attraction, and they vied with each other to take care of me. Trying not to be rude to anyone, I overfilled my tummy with the goodies being forced on me. Finally, the dinner ended, and it was time to leave.

In the departure area of the hotel, I stood behind everyone else as in the past, waiting for my car to come. Invariably, it was the last one, trailing behind all the high and mighty in the carefully orchestrated car procession. But that evening, my car was driven in soon after the top trinity drove away. That evening, I led the parade of peer-level colleagues. The pecking order had changed overnight.

The heady aroma of power, which I had never tasted earlier, came with a vengeance. It was intoxicating. It was dangerous. I knew this game. I had seen glimpses of this played before. The constant stream of flattery and the subtle manipulations could lead to the insidious erosion of judgment. This newfound attention was a new experience. I was fully aware that this respect was for my position, not for me as a person.

Every night, I prayed for strength, humility and wisdom to resist the heady feeling of power. Every morning, I reminded myself that this is not for me. This is about them. This is for my position. It will vanish the day I move from here. It was challenging, easier said than done. I tried to remain grounded, remembering that my role was to serve the institution and the employees and to ensure fair and equitable treatment for everyone. I kept reminding myself to stay humble, focus on my responsibilities, and resist getting intoxicated by power.

The heady smell of power had to be desisted under any circumstances, for it was stealthy, subtle and treacherous and could erode my judgement.

(To continue....)

*****

80.THE TAMBOLA TRAP (2003)

 STRESS, SUCCESS AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN 

The Highs and Lows of A Woman’s Journey in the Corporate World

CARE: This is Chapter 80 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.

On that day, my desk was a battlefield of papers. Twenty thick files, each crowned with a three-page brief, glared at me. Today was the day of reckoning: a crucial videoconference with the Corporate Centre was scheduled that afternoon at 3 pm to discuss the status of non-performing assets handled by my branch. I had to revisit each summary and make notes on the margins based on the likely questions in the video conference. I wanted to have all the details at my fingertips. It was an important videoconference with the Corporate Centre, and I did not want to be caught on the wrong foot. Panic gnawed at me as I looked at the clock.  

"Fifteen minutes per note. Five hours minimum. If I work non-stop, I can finish the revision by 3pm," I muttered, calculating grimly.

I buzzed for my PS, "No interruptions. Absolutely none!"

“Yes, Madam. Will make sure,” he knew the importance of the videoconference. 

An hour later, the cell phone screen flashed Big Boss Res. The call was not from my boss but from his wife. "Hey Ranjana! What are you doing? We are having the Ladies Club meeting at my place today. Come and join in the fun!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious, but I shook my head. "Sorry, Madam. I am neck-deep with work today."

"Oh, come on! Nobody in the Bank can be that busy. You may be having a site visit due. Right? Tell your boss you are out inspecting some unit," she suggested.

I giggled at her playful suggestion, "Madam, I have a videoconference with the Corporate Centre, which is crucial."

"That is no issue. Ask someone else to attend."

"I cannot, Madam. The meeting is with the Corporate Centre."

"Hmm…Okay, okay. I understand you are actually very busy. But at least come over for lunch."

"Madam, I need to prepare. If I am unable to answer the questions in the meeting, your husband will kill me..." I trailed off, imagining his stern looks if I could not clarify the position.

"Ah! Do not worry about him. I will take care of that. I will tell him not to say anything to you. Do not act pricey now. Just come for lunch. It will take the same time as going to the lunchroom." She was in no mood to relent, but I had to. With the First Lady insisting so much, further resistance would have been too discourteous, and I caved in, albeit reluctantly.

The Bank House was nearby, and I was there at 1.30 pm sharp to find myself amidst a whirlwind of fun, colour and chatter.

“A pair of eight, eighty-eight!” The announcement went.

“Line!” someone yelled, and there was a lot of activity in that corner.

“Bogey! Bogey!! Bogey!!!” Some other women shouted, and the process was resumed.

“One and six. Number sixteen. Sweet sixteen,” a new number was announced.

About thirty fashionably dressed divas were engrossed in a lively game of Tambola. The First Lady greeted me warmly. "Thanks for coming! Here, play on my ticket while I arrange lunch."

The numbers were being announced, but my mind was elsewhere. Loan recovery, one-time settlement, implementation of SARFAESI, status in the Debt Recovery Tribunal, and the next hearing in BIFR were looming before my eyes. I felt a pang of guilt. I should have been at my desk, not here.

In ten minutes, lunch was served. The vivacious ladies wanted to play one more round of Tambola but had to get up much against their wishes. I admired their colourful silk sarees, fine jewellery, nicely done-up hairstyles and well-manicured nails; none of them was less than a diva. They discussed fashion, gossip, cookery and what their husband liked. Had I become a party pooper by coming here?

A lady with a glint in her eyes remarked, "Lucky you! Enjoying the party here while my poor husband is slogging."

She was right, but her words stung. Coming for lunch that day was no enjoyment for me; it was a forced choice. But could I share it with her? The wise say silence is golden. So I smiled and left for my office to finish the remaining preparation.

At 3pm sharp, I was in the Conference Room with the files, folders and notes, ready to face the barrage of queries. As we waited, someone from Corporate Centre conveyed that the videoconference was called off due to unforeseen exigencies.

Once I was back in my office, I wondered what dessert was served at lunch. Did the ladies play a few more rounds of Tambola? A strong feeling of loss suddenly started agitating my mind.  

(To continue....)

*****