“Lessons beyond Syllabus”
Inspiring Corporate Learnings
Sanjay Chakraborty
"Mistakes", "Odd circumstances", "Embarassing situations", what are they? These are the exams of life that everyone of us tends to face. May it be a kid or a grown-up each of us has a fear of exams and tries to run away from them. But it is quite obvious as it is a part and parcel of human nature.
All these years of my life, I too had to face many exams. Some of them almost put me in distress as I could not crack them. Sometimes I felt that "its a miracle" and sometimes felt like a loser. Many a time I also have made mistakes and couldn't perform well. But then I realised and found a clue which said that each exam contains a hidden lesson. That lesson teaches us the chapters of life called experience. As someone truly said the glass in front of you is half filled, not empty.
When I look back and brood over the chapters of my life, I enjoy not only the happy incidents but also embarrassing and nervous ones as each of them had their own importance. Each test helped me to gain something though I could not perform well in all the tests.
I would like to thank all those who have been harsh to me as they have added to my learning. Whether one is a student. a professional, employee or someone really successful in life, each one of us has different assignments and we learn from them as what is important is what life teaches us.
The lessons of life are far too many. An opportunity like this will not suffice to pen them all. However I have picked some of the best I learnt over the years. These lessons are for the student, the employee, the employer and the retiree. But primarily for those who are in the dawn of their careers. I trust they will guide and inspire these young people, as they did me. Let us therefore embark on the journey through my days at work.
In the early 90s I started my career with Avery India Ltd., an aggressive British MNC in the business of direct sales of weighing scales. In the organisation one needed to be highly disciplined – punctual, well groomed and follow a very clear reporting system. One was supposed to be a street-smart killer salesperson providing solutions to the needs of the customer.
On the first day, a young boy of 21 years, neatly dressed, polished shoes, short hair, new tie and with all the exuberance in the heart was flashing a hesitant sweet smile to all the strange people in the office, while he sits at the reception- waiting for the call of the boss. The office boy informs him that the boss, Mr. Dutta, the Area Sales Manager has asked him to meet him in his cabin. The boy walks down the passage to enter the big hall, where all the young staff members including a few pretty females are busy working. He approaches the big transparent glass room of Mr. Dutta and knocks subtly on the door and mumbles in a very with a very low decibel voice "Good morning sir".
The next loud voice was that of Mr. Dutta screaming "Get out"! This was the first word of the first day of my first job. I kept mum and was terrified not knowing what my next step would be. The staff including those pretty girls were giggling. There was a pause. Mr Dutta says, " Come in, have you stolen anything? Then why are not confident enough to wish 'Good morning'?". He continued, "Your 'Good morning' doesn't awaken anyone. You always have to be confident when you are in sales and meeting a client who is senior enough and is going to decide on a capital equipment. So go back and enter the cabin again." The next good morning of mine was warm and confident.
That was my lesson no. 1.
Next, I entered the cabin and sat. Mr. Dutta while explaining my day's work, called for tea. The office boy kept the tea on the table. I was not yet out of the previous hard-core learning of the day and was determined to be very cautious while having my tea. I took the cup and saucer in my hand and placed it on my lap. Keeping my eyes low, I was answering
whatever Mr. Dutta wanted to know. Comes the loud voice again, "Why are you not confident to have tea from the table itself and why are you not having eye-to-eye contact with me?" Further he continued, "In the coming days you will meet your prospective client, believe that he has a need and that you are providing with a solution. You are as good as him and you should behave like a consultant. Then why should you hesitate to have eye-to-eye contact?"
That was my lesson no. 2 of the day.
Many years have passed. I have received lots of learning from various individuals and organisations, but cannot forget what I learnt on the first day.
However it was First day,Third degree but the man who shouted at me the most gave me the most valuable learning of my life. Today, I feel richer treasuring those experiences......... I think that is life.
“The difference between school and life? In school you are taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson."
Moving ahead in life, it happens that a day starts like every other day but when it ends, it either gives you the world or takes it away from you. That day is when a choice has to be made at a fork at the road. One takes you to failure and the other to success. The choice we make crafts the rest of our lives. A day like that came into my life too.
the fear - "What if he asked me something related to my work and what if I m not able to answer ?”
The Sun was shining with all its fury and I was standing all alone there on that lonely stretch of road. Confused about what had happened and unsure about what to do next. At that that time I never knew that I was standing at the most important crossroads of my life - one road leading to my home, Udaipur and the other one to the place of the meeting. One road was so easy; but it meant my name will be lost in oblivion and the other one so difficult - full of hard work. But surely one which will give me a chance to mark my name somewhere out there.
In this context I remember a quote by Pat Riley ”There are only two options regarding commitment. You are either in or you are out. There is no such thing as life in between”-
In the same organization ,during the early days of my job I was posted in Ankleshwar, Gujarat ,an industrial town 60 km away from Surat. My world revolved around selling and achieving targets. Three days prior to the month end I was still to struggle with 30% of my target which seemed almost impossible. With the fear of losing my job I headed towards an industrial estate in Surat in the scorching heat on my motorbike – a Yamaha RX 100 which was my sole companion. I had still not typed my resignation letter that the company's policy demands if one fails to reach his monthly figures, as I was hopeful of completing it within the remaining three days.
darkness to ruin my situation worse. I knew very well that in sales, it is very difficult to convince the customer to issue another cheque immediately. I brooded over my miserable plight.
They were discussing how they found a bag on the highway the night before. They had taken it along with them while they were on their way to Baroda to
deliver goods. I could see an oasis in front of my eyes in the vast desert of disappointment. Overhearing their conversation, I was excited and enquired about the bag. In turn, they started enquiring about the stuff in the bag and also the place. Finding everything correct, they gave me an address in Navsari where the owner of the mini-truck resided. He had been given the bag by the two men. I Immediately took a train and to Navsari. I felt like I had got a new life when I found my bag intact and with all the documents in called my boss right away to tell him about the recovery of my lost bag. He was not willing to believe this. I wondered what he disbelieved more- losing of the bag or finding it again and that too the way I did. A happy man, I boarded the next train towards Ankleshwar. On my way back, I was trying to flashback the sequence of events that I went through. I was amazed and was wondering what would have happened if I had not gone to that telephone booth or gone a bit late or a bit early ? What would have happened if those two men had not come to the same telephone booth or they had come a bit early or a bit late. What if they had not discussed the bag at that time? Or if their words had not have reached my ears ? It was in fact very hard for me also to believe this strange-co-incidence.
Only the examiner had the answer
From this dramatic incident, I realised one thing for sure that everything cannot be passed off as co-incidence. There is someone who is watching you all the time - has scripted life, managed perfect timing and created the perfect sequence for giving both happiness and sorrow- one after the other. Maybe HE has given more happiness than grief. It is just that time period of tough days seems to be endless to us. This is his way of explaining the value of things, to be a little careful everywhere. At the same time HE did not let my hard work go in vain. When I meet someone who says, "I don't believe in God because I have the strength to face everything and do not depend on God". I just smile.........................
Interestingly someone rightly said " Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away."
