"its a small, round and messed up world"

A true story: In 2011 putting in 48 work hour day's to start up, struggling to get a window with a “MNC” (lets call them MNC as I do not want to name thisOrganization) who would not shell out a brief, pick up the phone or have the courtesy to just clearly say no or why. Once they did send in a brief this great company would not even clarify what they had written in the 2 slides. “Present what you understand” was we are busy”. When there was the rare window to present and we made the cut it was always the same “ we like what you presented but we want to go with a bigger company” Right down the ladder the attitude was the same. We eventually stopped making the calls and focused our efforts towards those who appreciated good work or even the effort.It stung at times how common professional courtesy had died it would have been perfectly ok had the organization just said, “We are not open to working with new agencies at this time”. It takes all kinds and having buried the episodes life goes on. All we got in a text or a 1 line email. It was hopeless but not being one to give up with out serious effort we still worked over night on pitches preparing concepts, pulling together samples and creating designs,only to be told “mail it” ther is no time to meet as “

A lifetime later things have changed, the agency has shown its metal and is firmly on a path it carved for itself, I got a call from a young technology organization that were anxious for a window to meet. As a policy we always meet startups and prefer to work with them if there is proof of concept. Years of P&L and list of clients don’t matter as long as the team is solid, sincere and there is synergy with their offering. They got their meeting. A fledgling organization with a team of two obviously stressed but bright individuals. Imagine my surprise when I saw one of them from the MNC. Not letting on the connect and without a mention the presentation started, in the 1^st 15 minutes I knew that they were in a nascent stage, they had neither grasped the humbleness of entrepreneurship nor appropriately grasped the market challenges of their offering. I wont deny thatI was tempted to stomp out and give them a taste of their own medicine but Idid not. I sat through the 30 minutes and discussed the product answered their questions and went through multiple rounds of coffee.

The presentation soon turned into an interview, what is the market like? Who are the big players? What is the best product in the category we have seen before?How do you approach clients? What are the payment terms in the market? When did you decide you needed a big office? It went on. 3 hours I sat through a string of questions, sharing experiences and giving pointers. The gentlemen from thatMNC sheepishly said “I am ex - --- company” waiting for a reaction, we let it slide as they joined us in evening snack time.

As we finally drew to the end of the session with the agreement to work together if they could revert with a proof of concept and a plan, the gentleman said“thank you for everything but most of all for the time. We rarely get the window to present ourselves, you may not remember me from a few years back…” I told him I remembered and also that “someone gave me the time when I was looking from that window and even if that someone was not you I am returning the favor”. 

I do not know if the gentleman got any of the answers he was looking for, if he learnt any thing or when he is on the giving end will he show better courtesy to fellow professionals. I do not know about him but I learnt that it is far better to move on and forget the tiny people who lack basic courtesy, because the world is round and they will have the chance to remember me without me remembering them.   

An open letter to a young professional

I prefer not to name you, not because of any courtesy but simply because I can’t recall your name. There have been more than a few of you walking through the hall ways over the years looking quite important but frankly noting inspired me to remember your name. There have been an increasing number of you over the years, fresh out of college thinking you were the topper of the smart batch wanting success to be your inheritance. This is open advise which you will do the rest of us a favor and not take. 

The next time you read that article which talks about taking it easy, strictly 40 hour week, offline

weekends, no calls after office hours and all that lovely watch the sunset in peace on a work day do your self a favor, check the bio of the author and figure if he is a fellow 26 year old with 4 lines of professional experience. Then it would be good to research how the author spent his time when he was 26 and what he spent his days doing. I have yet to come across any published author or journalist of repute who sailed through with 40 hour no pressure work weeks and has found a publication worth its salt to feature him. 

I’m glad that you have made up your mind that your senior colleagues at work are over loading you with unnecessary pressure, and that they spend all week conspiring to ruin your weekend, when they are working away on their desks they are actually figuring 20 ways to ensure you basically have no Friday evening peace. That they are lucky bums who hit the jackpot and its a matter of time before the biggest cover of their last 10 years of profession life is blown! Before you cement that thought remember Darwin’s theory? (Its the theory that was being taught when you were busy thinking that the professor is an idiot) well this is the practical of that theory. I have never seen any lazy idiot make the cut for a leadership role professionally if it wasnt their daddy’s business. But go ahead disregard Darwin had he included you in his research he would have modified his theory. 

You have skills, you should believe your Mom, you really are cut out to be a leader, get famous, be on the the cover of Time Magazine, or (begin with India) Economic Times. Before you sit back and relax sit and write that nomination. Nominate your self for that cover (actually Time magazine should find you and nominate you by them selves) but they haven’t heard of you either. Wrote that nomination? Now compare the 1st 10 achievements you jotted down (did you get to 10? "I have friends" and "mommy loves me" does not count) with any of the last 10 years featured professionals. Where did you get to? - Blah! don’t worry! All this is not for you. At your level of professional excellence you must not cloud your mind with this benchmarking. Just focus on how to improve your life with your next paycheck. 

One thing you have absolutely got right you will get hired, (may be the 5th time in 3 years will take longer, but look at the bright side - more personal time) you will almost always have a job (till the India economy is growing). You will get promoted probably with a double digit hike (for the first few years any way) every organization needs fuel for Darwin theory (yeah it works). The fit, hard working co workers who gave up that all important movie and learnt from their more experienced colleagues and set goals, benchmarks and all that unimportant stuff will of course be happy to hire and promote you when they are calling the shots. 

To every one who I know is going slam the insensitivity of this letter, or say its too scathing or in-fact advocate this upcoming trend of belittling those who are one step up the ladder and over valuing your current call to fame, face it! Its a competitive world and survival, let alone excellence demands hard work and commitment. There is a time for enjoying that awesome self earned lifestyle and then there is a time for giving it all you got to get to that awesome space in life. To the 26year old as I said right in the beginning do not take any of the advise from this piece, you may actually start doing something worthwhile and give the goal oriented ambitious ones added competition.  

Kingdoms and corporates the soldiers and the generals will always be the same

Once upon a time there was an ambitious soldier, his ambitions ran high, he wished to be the General. So strong was his desire that he secretly started hating the General and systematically began maligning the good general's name. 

As time went by the soldiers evil ambitions grew, the King and his parliament began disliking the general. Seeing that the kingdom was doomed the general retired happily to his farm. 

The soldier was elated, he began preparing for his new role as general, he got his uniform stitched, made the announcement to his fellow soldiers, bathed and dressed his horse, worked hard on his list of favorite cronies, got a new hair cut and practiced his speech full of humble surprise. 

On the day of the big announcement he stood in line, expectantly waiting for the King to call out his name. The King walked in, and made his announcement. 

"Country men, as you know our beloved general has retired, My nephew has returned from France and i hereby announce that he be my new General" 

The soldier was stunned, heartbroken, as the King walked out he whispered to the soldier, "you have done me a great service, I never did like that righteous fool. You will get a new horse"