Thursday, November 24, 2005

Are you bloody,the King of England?

Resolving to surprise her husband, an executive's wife stopped by his office. She found him with his secretary sitting in his lap.

Surprised and caught redhanded?

He was smart and went on dictating, "...and in conclusion, gentlemen, shortage or no shortage, I cannot continue to operate this office with just one chair.

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Years ago when i just joined advertising, as a young client servicing guy, (still believing that advertising is nothing but fun - with semi clad models and star glitter) i went to a clients place with my boss, who was the chief of brand services( a clients service guy basically, wrapped in a strategy habiliment, put in a research package, labeled with brand jargons) for an important meeting where he (my boss ) was to present a strategy document which he called as a 'brand road map'...

He was the guy, who intitiated me into the world of advertising,and who told me that life is not a bed of roses in advertising. In fact the first day at office as a trainee, when i addressed him as 'sir' he ,with that typical advertising sarcasm asked me' Are you bloody ,the King of England?'.
Ever since i have never Knighted him. I simply called him and any one thereafter, be it bosses or even the top most guys,by name. That makes advertising a great place to work, the feeling of equality, the freedom to call any one by name(not calling names) the freedom to think loud..being there is an experience worth it..

Sounds very rosy?? Well let me take you back to the meeting which i went to attend with my 'sir'..errr...... my boss...his presentation was entirely made by him, and executed into powerpoint slides by his secretary . I was carrying the floppy bag , thats it. The show started and he began from a podium at the raised platform , and suddenly, it got stuck, the floppy. My boss was visibly embarassed and so were our hosts. No one knew what to do..

And then came the googly...

He looked at me, sitting at the side table with the system operators , and expected me to intervene.I was a novice in computers (I still am) and didnt know what to do, but there is my boss in a catch 22 situation, and i had to do something.. i did something but nothing happened except the murmers from about 15 of the clients representatives present,which went up..I tried desperately but alas Murphy's law was in action.

You asshole--- he shouted from the podium.... and the crowd was suddenly silent.. pin drop silent..

It cannot be me-- i thought and looked in disbelief --- but it was for me, and he was fuming with anger...

I apologise for the error on part of my executive-- he told the crowd-- and i promise to come back soon, i regret the inconvenience caused.

Dont be hurt--- he told a shattered me, in car, back to office--- at the clients office , i cannot admit that the brand services director , is such an asshole that he didnt check his presentation once ,before he took it to the client? Can i?

I couldnt say anything... i didnt admire him of course but i couldnt hate him either....

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footnote: Common-sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.
-Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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