Corporate Culture

Someone called me to fix an appointment with her boss a few minutes back. She suggested 21st on the phone. I said just a moment let me check my diary. I opened my Outlook Calendar for 21st, it was a tabula rasa. I had nothing fixed for 21st. But rather than confessing to that, i played around for 3 minutes on the time slot - er morning is not good, i have a couple of meetings, not certianly evenings - i have internal meetings... and so on. Finally we fixed between 4-5.

I am sure all of you are are busier than I am, and I am sure you really do have to juggle with schedules and between who wants to meet you and whom you want to meet everyday.

But I am sure too that there is a load of attitude here as well. Are we really that busy? I think not. Then why does it take so much time and effort to fix a meeting?

I guess it has to do with two factors:

First of course, my image, brand value etc. If I am easily accessible to people, ergo I am not important. There is a very good hindi term for this Bhao Khana and this, I think permeats all level of corporate hiererchy in India [must be elsewhere, after all we are not that original and muct have copied it from the Brits or Americans].

Also, on rare occasions when we are really busy, it would be interesting to see what is keeping us busy. More often than not "we are busy with nothing". Monday morning always busy cant give time to anyone [actually every Sunday evening I get drunk so cant be in office in time]; Friday afternoon skip office early to be chill out at home: so no appointments; Thursday mornings: Boss takes stupid meetings, so cant go out of office. Wednesday lunch: office get toghther every week, need to be seen by bosses as a man of masses. So on and on and on.

If this is not enough, there is always the "solid" reason for travelling. Let us deconstruct travelling a bit with an example: Recently, I attended a conference sponsored by a big MNC brand [they had not role in the conference except to pay the money and get their brand ambassador to speak]. At the last count I spotted 6 senior executives from that company present at the confernce [all of them were travelling to the conference, and were not in their offices for the duration of the conference!]. My suggestion, please stop pretending to be busy,take a serious look at what is keeping you busy.

The second reason could be more objective and scientific: Conflict between who wants to meet me and whom I want to meet. There is always a mismatch, I would like to meet the CEO of the company to get busines while the marketing manager of the compamy wants to meet me to for a job. This is an old struggle and example can be multiplied ad infinitum. My sincere advice, find time to meet both and both of them may bring value to your business/life.

My Take: Stop basking in self importance. Your presence is not necessary, and what u can do for me many others can do too. I am just giving you an opportunity by seeking to meet you.