Saturday, January 24, 2009

The No 2.

Today Our Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh is recovering after the successful second bypass surgery. The Government has not officially designated anyone as the acting Prime Minister,although Mr.Pranab Mukherjee is holding fort and is doing the routine daily chores of the Prime Minister. Why? Because he is not favoured by the Top Management of the Party, due to his earlier utterances after Mrs.Indra Gandhi's death.

Mr.Gulzarilal Nanda ,though he was twice the acting Prim Minister, never became the Prime Minister. You remember Mr.Nedunchezhian? He was the Deputy Chief Minister under Karunanidhi and under MGR. Never could become the chief Minister.

This brings to my mind some analogy. (in comparison to me, though retired now)

During my tenure of about 20 years in Penta, Cuddalore I have seen six Factory Managers/Plant Managers. In almost most of the cases I have taken care of the Pant for about 4 to 5 months till the next Factory Manager takes over. Which means I have always been the No 2.

Why? What is the point now? Is this a self analysis? Is it going to bring you any good? I am asking these questions myself. May be this is only to pour my heart out, I console myself. During my profession we have done the so called SWOT analysis, many times. I have tried to reduce the weaknesses and harness the strengths. Still the No 2 spot was always mine.

Have you seen the Tamil Movie "Mannan" of superstar Rajini? There he explains how the No2 is bigger than the No1. But in reality what? People clamour for the
No1 spot. Raffa has pushed Federer to No2 and etc.

They say in HR , is this Murphy's Law?, that everyone rises up to the level of their incompetence. May be True.

Though I did my PG in Chemical Engineering sometimes I do feel sometimes that I have been educated more. Actually I did my PG because I could get the stipend and did not get a job in time.

In any case I have now become a Plants Manager as I manage/attend to the plants I have at home.

3 comments:

  1. So beautiful.Very difficult to be 'you,'Sridhar.

    So humble and never bothered to say it so. Sridhar, your simplicity and humaneness is clearly seen. Sridhar, No1 and No2 are all labels and symbols which really have no meaning, but the problem is we get attached.

    Keep writing. I enjoyed every bit of it. You are simply a great human being and I have immense respect for you.

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  2. Mr.Sridhar

    I definitely agree with Mr.Iyer that No.1 and No.2 are labels and just does not add any intrinsic value to us but for a few thousands more to our wallet.

    But I would like to putforth a view marginally different from that of Mr.Iyer's first view.

    First we can only design our path but cannot decide our path or what we want to be in the Organization.

    Secondly having felt that you deserved the No.1 position, not bothering to voice it does no good to the individual and to the Organization.

    Thirdly professionals too good, too humble and too gentle are always the victims.

    Sridhar Sir, you are a very good peron, kind and caring. Definitely people would talk about your contribution to the Organization in the years to come. But not many of the No.1 would be remembered. You know we all tried to forget such No.1 in a hurry.

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