life's a kick

Years ago, a friend of mine committed a professional blunder. There was a printing mistake in a piece of collateral involving the corridors of power. The mistake was such that it rendered the whole project useless. Worse, some of the printed material had been distributed. Which meant that along with wasted money, we were now dealing with a reputational blemish.  Since the stakes were high, the matter escalated in no time. The department head was summoned to task. A fearless and frank professional, this person was widely respected for her sharp acumen and transparent dealings. And as is the case with calmly confident people like her, she was a perceived threat to several insecure co-workers. The latter, therefore, jumped at this opportunity to magnify this mistake and make it bigger than it was.  The news was as much a shock to her as it was to the stakeholders. She had, of course, signed the final bill and given the final go-ahead. She had assigned the work to one o...

Always polite, always firm, and yet, almost always open to correction, this boss of mine held aloft several principles I stand by. He deserves an ovation for how he dealt with difference of opinion. He is grace personified. Amitabh Akhauri, our Boss, stands in the centre There comes the boss With the loud, roaring voice His height may seem threatening, But he’s full of little joys. He’s got a special way Of clearing through the clutter Decisions, tough or easy, He takes them without a flutter. Strong where he must be Else smiling all throughout He’s humble, reflective, and kind He’s sure, he’s tough, he’s proud. He’s certainly a dear person A Gentleman to the core He infects happiness around him His going does leave us sore… His going does leave us sore…