“Raichand posted a message in our group over the weekend and told us to be ready for an urgent meeting on Monday morning,” Swami reported to us last evening over coffee.
One week into the new year and his holiday season mood seemed gone. “2025 Goals it said,” he said. “But we had no clue what the urgency was about,” Swami complained.
Jigneshbhai watched nonchalantly. “So now you are clear about 2025 goals, I guess,” he said, while I sipped my coffee.
“Clarity is a rare thing,” Swami said, annoyed. “I got ready early and reached office.”
“And then?” I asked, trying to sound eager.
“Then what?” Swami’s tone turned irritated. “I finished breakfast. Checked my emails. Had coffee, And waited,” he said.
“So the meeting didn’t happen?”
“Can you let me complete?”
“Ok, go on.”
“Then I got impatient and walked up to Chimpu’s desk.”
“Chimpu??” Jigneshbhai and I asked in unison.
“His name is Sanjay, but we call him Chimpu. He is close to the boss.”
“Oh. Ok. What did Chimpu.. err.. Sanjay.. say?”
“He had no inside scoop on why the boss had called us urgently for this meeting. He was as clueless as me and the others.”
“The others?”
“Yes, Raichand had called five of his reports.”
“Oh.. and no one really knew why?” Jigneshbhai probed Swami, like a TV journalist.
“Yeah.. And Raichand was nowhere to be seen.. So we waited..”
“Oh.. so, then lunch?”
“Yes, what else?” Swami was miffed. “After lunch, Raichand marched into the office and signaled Chimpu to come to his cabin with all the others.”
“So finally the meeting happened? And you guys were clear?” Jigneshbhai poked.
“Listen.. why are you..?” Swami was piqued. I played peacemaker and asked Swami to keep going. “First thing he said was that he was not happy with any of us on how we were doing our jobs!”
“But why?” Jigneshbhai took a jibe again, and now Swami was vexed. I put my hand on his shoulder. Swami continued.
“‘If our customer is not happy, we have no right to be in our jobs’ – he said.”
“Then?”
“Everyone turned their faces down. No one said anything.”
“And?”
“‘Then he went on and on, till he ordered us to go and get this issue off his back, and rushed out,” Swami said.
“What issue?”
“A customer had written to the CEO, Raichand’s boss, over the New Year, complaining about an experience, Chimpu now told us,” Swami said.
“Oh! he.. umm.. then?”
“Then what? Nothing, that customer is a known jerk. Doesn’t pay on time and keeps demanding stuff when everyone is on leave.”
“So what did you do?”
“Well, we spent the next three hours with Chimpu putting that fire off, and gave Raichand an update when he returned from the CEO’s office. That was it.”
“Wow, and 2025 goals?” Jigneshbhai sneered.
“2025 goals … well.. he didn’t say anything about that,” Swami replied. “Understand customers better, be customer-centric – that was his mantra, as of yesterday. We will see what he says tomorrow.”
“Understandable, I guess,” said Jigneshbhai, winking. “Tomorrow is, well, another day.”
***
