Boss is Always Right! – Hilarious Short Story
Photo Credit: www.cepolina.com
“Who asked you to come in casuals on a working day?” My new boss asked me. I was narrating him the incident of how security guards didn’t allow me inside the office as I was dressed in casuals on a week-day. I had to call him & make him speak with admin for allowing me inside.
“I don’t like this dress-code. One should be allowed to wear what are they comfortable in. We are not in a customer facing office” I told him
“Yeah. I get you. I’m not saying don’t do this again. Just don’t get caught again.”
But, how ? I was thinking about it for some time.
***
“Yes you heard me right. I want you to come to office this weekend and support the client” he told me
“why me. This is not at all my focus area?”
“This is a long weekend and you are the only localite. Others are going to their native place. ”
“I too have plans…”
“I spoke with client, you will get compensatory leave on next three days. This is a sudden emergency & we need someone to support our client.”
“Pretty Bad. Not even cafeteria will be open this weekend.”
“It will be, else order pizza. I’ll reimburse it under project cost.”
I worked through the weekend cursing my boss. I had too much of plans & the client wanted my support for few more days also. It means I have to work continuously without taking those compensatory holidays.
“Why are you in office today” he asked on spotting me
“Yeah client wanted my support. Their emergency never ends.”
“You should have called me.”
He immediately called the client made somebody take over my place. Also wrote an appreciation mail to me thanking me for the support over weekend!
***
“I need leave on Monday ”
“Okay, raise a request I will approve it”
“But client might not allow me to take. ” This particular client has always objected when anyone wanted to take leave. They wanted us to work 24/7.
“When you desperately want something don’t ask permission. Just do it”
“Huh?”
“You could have called me on Monday morning & told you are sick. I would have shouted, client would have shouted.. But still you will get the leave.”
“Thought it’s better to inform..”
“Not always. Okay. Fall sick on Monday! I will inform the client..”
***
” Hey why is the client shouting at you? ” he asked me listening to the call over speaker. I was on call over last two hours explaining the client why I can’t do that particular piece of work. This was my first experience in working with onsite-off shore project & this particular client is very tough.
“I have to learn that particular thing and work on it. It’s not possible in a day or two that client demands. It will take at least take a week for me. That’s what I’m explaining” I defended.
“Hmmm… They won’t listen if you tell them in this way. Do something accept it now & cut the call.”
“And??”
“Take a week time & do it. Drop a mail to them saying due to pressure work quality is not as per your satisfaction & would like to rework on it ”
“Will they accept it then?”
“Always tell no to someone in the way which is agreeable to them. Sometimes if you cannot convince them, confuse them.”
Yes his strategy worked. I took a week’s time and delivered a quality product.
***
I was again stopped by Security guards and this time it was for me wearing floaters to office. I called him again to talk with admin.
“Come to the main road in five minutes” he shouted at me
“What? ”
“Yes come to the main road.”
Our office is a five minutes’ walk from main road & I don’t know why he wanted me to walk back all the way. Probably there is a new shoe shop recently opened outside. I almost made it main gate when a car stopped next to me
“Get in.”
“You have an extra pair of shoes in the car?”
He didn’t reply to me. He kept driving towards office and security guards didn’t bother to check our dress code this time.
“This is unfair. They don’t check the dress-code for people coming by car.”
“They can’t. If they stop the car, it will cause a huge traffic jam outside. ”
“Oh!.. Got it”
“So next time when you get caught go back to main road, get a lift and comeback.” He smiled
***
It was his farewell & it was one of the painful moments for the team. He is one of the managers whom we all liked. He made things easy for us. It’s sad to see him leaving the company. All of us appreciated him for what he has done for us during farewell. Finally he started speaking
“I just did what I wished my boss did for me when I was in your stage. You all will be managers someday, remember do things that you wished your boss did for you. You become matured not when you understand big things. It’s when you understand small things…”
A person is a good leader when you look up to him & say you want to become like him in future. This was always the case with my boss. I have worked with very selfish and bad boss & this is the first time I’m working under someone so understanding. I don’t know whether he will happen to read this or not, but I wanted to thank him in some way or other. Thank you boss, for what you have done to us.
I’m quite proud to say.. My Boss is (was) always right…
__END__
