Wednesday, June 27, 2012

What they never teach you at any business school !

An acquanitance of mine was the CEO of a small company. Having risen from the ranks he was as street smart and astute as any CEO of a multinational company could be. The way he could economise on the expenses of running the company, yet at the same time, never missing opportunities to build up the goodwill of people who worked for him were simply admirable and is amply illustrated by this example that I am about to cite.

It happened that he had an accounts superintendent who was a loyal hard working hand and whose trust and allegiance had to be maintained in the company's interests.  This accounts superintendent had a son who had just finished final year of schooling and was about to enter college. The accounts superintendent felt that his many years of loyal service needed a recompense of some sort by the company management besides his regular salary and periodical bonuses that never seemed to add up to much. Hence one day this officer approached my acquaintance who was the CEO and put forth the request that his son's college education be funded by the company.

My acquaintance who considered the matter bought some time before taking a decision and asked the accounts superintendent to submit an application and that he would consider it. Meanwhile he made discreet enquiries about how much the boy had scored in the school final exam. My friend was informed that the boy had scored an aggregate of 72% marks.

When the accounts superintendent did submit an application to the company seeking financial assistance for his ward's college education, my acquanitance made a grand file noting -

"If the boy has scored over 95%  aggregate marks, his entire college education will be fully met by the company.

 If the boy has scored between 90 and 95%, then 75% of the boy's education will be funded.

If the boy has scored between 85 and 90% then 50% of the boy's education will be funded.

If the boy has scored between 80 and 85% then 25% of the boy's college education will be funded.

If however the boy has scored below 80%, the company regrets that it will be unable to finance the boy's higher education as it is the company's avowed policy to reward only talented youngsters who constitute the future of a great country like India".

The accounts superintendent was heard sadly ruing his son's missed opportunity with his colleagues- "The generous Managing Director was only too willing to help, but what to do? My son, the duffer that he is, just did not deserve it !!"


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