Sunday, December 18, 2005

THE Boss

Hi,
I get up every morning, go to work....return by late evening; most of the times, late night....work for a minimum of 10 hours a day, sometimes 6 days a week. About 70-80% of my time as well as intellect is taken up by the work.
Who am I : an employee or a boss ? For my team members, I may the boss; but for me, the Project Manager is the boss; for him the Project Co-ordinator is the boss, for him the COO is the boss, for COO, the CEO/GM/MD is the boss, and he in turn is bossed by the Chairman of the company. Even the chairman is not free to do as he wishes. He has to keep in mind the best interests of the Board of Directors, the share-holders, the investors... So, who is the boss and who is the employee ?
If you ask me, we are all employees. The real boss is sitting high up there. In fact He is everywhere. Omnipresent.
As we begin our career or life, we go thru a training period. We call it as childhood. Mentors guide us... we call them first the parents, and later on the teachers. They teach us the basic tips and tricks.... be it how to tie a shoe-lace or how to write an ActiveX control or a code snippet in JavaScript.
The training ends and one day you find yourself in the field.. and realize that inspite of all the guidance, when it comes to making the real decisions, you are all alone.
You manage to get along somehow. You already have relatives by default... that's your basic salary. Later on you add friends, colleagues.... that's your incentive. It's up to you how to invest these things for your better future.
If you are lucky, you also find someone whom you begin to like instinctively.. you are in love... that's a raise , a salary hike for you.
If you are really really lucky , you also get to marry him/her for life.. so you start a family, and settle down. Congratulations, you have earned a promotion !!
Of course, it's not a smooth sailing always. Sometimes you lose a near & dear one. You cry your heart out. Why? No need ...he/she has only been transferred from your section to another one. Perhaps his/her services are more needed there. The Boss knows what is best for you and for the overall team. Learn to trust Him. If He is indeed pleased with you, you will find that the one whom you considered as lost , will meet you in some other form. A team-member from your section will come across as a team-leader in different section..... someone you lost as a brother may come again in your life as a great pal.
There are also moments of frustration and failure. It's a memo from The Boss.. His way of indicating you that "Mister ( or Lady), you have not been upto your mark. Introspect." If you are wise enough, you introspect, and get back on the right track.
Sometimes, you find yourself in real trouble.. meet with an accident or develop some illness. It is a suspension order. Depending upon ur past service-record, you may survive or perish. If you perish, your service has been terminated. If you survive, pat yourself on the back... you have been given an extension. Make the best of it.
...and mind you, there no distinctions here as a blue-chip worker or a white-collar worker. We are all equal. If someone begins to walk a few inches above the ground, he is promptly shown his proper place.
The Boss is not unreasonable. At the onset of career itself He has given you the necessary tools with which you can carry out the work. Open the toolbox your mind and take an inventory. You will something you can use... it may be an ability to speak, to write, to sing, to dance, to run, to manage, to think, to lead.... even one of this is enough to build a life-time.... and most of the times you will find that you have more than one of these.
He has given you something ... what you give Him back depends on you. Read, Write, Sing, Dance, Administrate, Lead, Think, Communicate.... Do something...Be something. Imagination is the limit... and there are no limits to imagination.
Do your duty.... and do it with passion and dedication.. with honesty and integrity.The Boss expects nothing more from you .... and He will accept nothing less.
Do not be worried . He keeps a perfect record of your deeds ... and also your misdeeds.
... Give your best in everything you do... ...and leave the appraisal to The Boss.
There once happened to be a fellow called as Albert Einstein .. who knew one or two things more about the universe than most of us here... and he has summed up our Boss very beautifully. ... "He may be subtle.... but He is not malicious."
Yours,
-G.