Second day was more revealing when I asked for a daily newspaper and served it with a general paper with no major economic or market news. I called DGM (Marketing) and asked, "How do you find the tenders?" He replied, "We don't bother and our job orders depend on SAIL plants and survive on their mercy." "It's interesting and you do not know how to search the market for project works and try to compete for the same. You solely depend on one organization and live on their terms. Do you think it is good for the company and you both?" I asked. "Sir to be very frank with you we have never been allowed to think independently and wait for the orders and follow from the Chairman. Since yesterday I have realized that we have to think in different way and get prepared to work. Sir, in one day you have created turmoil and everyone is thinking what is going to happen. I am not trying to please you, this is true by God." I gave a laugh and said, "You are a very interesting person and hope to be reliable also. I have to think about marketing and in the meantime submit a list of orders in hand and also in the pipeline within 24 hours. Please get copies of Economic Times and Financial Times for my tomorrow first thing on my table." DGM left the office and I sat for more than an hour doing nothing and thinking, "This is the reason the company is standing still and not having a future. All employees are liabilities to the company. What should be done as no resource person is available to me for working in right way and fast?" My thought would have continued longer if not for the entry of my Technical Officer who was looking at me for a few minutes. He enquired, "You seem to be thinking deeply on something and didn't notice my presence." "Yes you are right. I am thinking about how to go about it as all persons are highly demoralized and inactive, engaged only in passing time. There is no team feeling and all are preparing files in a thoughtless manner, which has become the style passing on buck to someone else applying no mind and use of long experiences of working." "Sir, this is true that we all have lost hope and are only counting days in this company. Many of us would have taken Voluntary Retirement if the company could pay all money at a time which could help in planning for future life while getting alternative engagement, which is also not easy. But one has to take care of family needs as our children are still in the growing phase mostly in high schools or first year of college, and like other kids desire to get into professional education and good jobs. In the past they had a good time and expect the same in the coming days as well. Although our family members have learnt to live quite modestly within the limited resources, we can't stop caring for our parents and even younger brothers and sisters who don't appreciate our limitations. We are all struggling to survive but support from traditional SAIL units is inadequate and reducing day by day, and the cost reduction drive by them is killing us. And above all draconian way of managing has made our life miserable particularly by the Director (Finance) in connivance with Jt Secretary in Delhi. We don't know how to go about it and many times I oppose the views of the Director vehemently putting my job on stake, and he is obviously not happy about this but my linkage with Officers Association is keeping him at bay. He would take revenge at the earliest opportunity." I changed his track of talk and asked about the readiness of the folder of total job orders. He replied, "In fact I came to inform you that it was ready and we can submit any time. I came only to inform you and seek time for presenting the same to you, but I unburden myself with all my feelings and internal situation without thinking how you will take it as a new person that too on every second day. I couldn't hold myself for the reason that you have started actions from the first day itself, and I have a feeling that you mean business only. Please pardon me if I have used some harsh expressions and you are hurt." "No it's alright and knowing true feelings is educational for me and I may keep this information in mind while planning actions in future. However, you may bring the reports right now and I hope it won't be inconvenient to you two as it is already 7.00pm and quite late. Others may go if they are waiting for me to leave the office." Within a few minutes the two technical officers came in and the second one who didn't talk earlier said, "Sir, Director (Finance) called up from Bangalore to know if you were asking for him for anything and he would take one more week before he comes." "It's okay, let him take his own time and enjoy his family here and he may come whenever he feels like. Presently we don't need his presence and you may tell me about anything pending with finance. I don't think he could be of any use when he deliberately ran away on the first day of my joining." I replied with some bitterness in tone. Both officers exchanged glances and looked at each other and became serious. We discussed the details fast and dispersed, telling that tomorrow we would decide further action.
Next day both the dailies asked for my table and I went through the paper to find tenders of the company's interest and marked them. I called DGM (Marketing) and told him to send the copies of the tender to the respective offices in the country. He was baffled and asked, "How would it be sent as these were small clippings?" I said, "Cut the tender individually, paste it on A-4 sheet and fax them and also confirm them over the telephone. They should be told to buy copies daily if available or ask for further detail from you. They have to fill up the tender giving all relevant details and submit timely." "But they normally have fund problems for security deposits and ask for money which may be difficult to give." "Tell them to delay all payments and do this first as they must earn before they spend on anything. They must not ask for funds from the head office as we don't earn money here" I told them. "There is one problem that the profit rate is quoted after approval from head office in writing and they are not authorized to decide themselves" DGM further quarreled. I replied patiently, "They are responsible for business in their profit-centers and decide to earn the highest possible rate and this can't be decided by people in head office historically and arbitrarily. Do you understand?" DGM was confused and also showed his unhappiness thinking that the importance of head office would be lowered and it might not be possible to dictate decisions, while doing nothing much meaningful. He spoke in desperation, "Okay sir" and left my office almost discussing for two hours. I kept my cool and knew that he would return after sometime for more clarifications as the person never worked like DGM and acted just like a clerk. After sometime one Technical Officer came and said, "DGM is sitting in our front office holding his head and bubbling words of frustration and uttering that everything would get lost and the company would be incurring further loss. He also feared loss of his job as this was a big responsibility on him and he would be charged with all failures. He went to his room and sat down to start counting hours when he could go for lunch. In the meantime he spoke to the Director in Bangalore and his seniors, particularly ED for some consolation, but their words could only help him as the procedure being suggested was never imagined by him. Before leaving for lunch I called DGM and asked. "Have you sent fax messages to all concerned which was discussed in the morning?" He replied in the affirmative and said, "Sir I am alone and there is no helping hand that can cut these advertisements and paste in on sheets as suggested by you. Also Fax machine is in the chamber of Director (Finance) which is locked and can be opened by his permission only by his PS. I don't know what to do." I replied, "You bring papers and a scissor to me and also some adhesive. I will complete this before going for lunch. Call the PS and tell him to open the room of the Director as I have to send faxes. If he refuses, tell him that he is not required in the office from tomorrow and his dues will be settled by the personnel department in his absence and cheque shall be sent by post to his home address. Do it quickly as I have to hurry for lunch to save my health." I lost my cool deliberately and retorted, "Don't wait and do as I have said" which made DGM run to his chamber to bring papers to me without further thinking. I asked my technical officer to arrange for a scissor and adhesive tube. The news spread like wildfire and my technical officer took all the papers from DGM and did the job as instructed and requested me to proceed for lunch. I came back after lunch to find that faxes had gone and DGM was uneasily resting in his room, but after that he started doing the job timely and quickly and he learnt a simple lesson "Self help is the Best help".
Opposite to general expectation the next day onward I found DGM(marketing) more active and full of initiative, and he started reporting everyday how many tenders he was finding and enlisted them in a register date wise, and also chasing them every day. His mounting telephone bill became his immediate worry which was allowed immediately with a word of caution that personal calls must be avoided which were to be paid by self, and that he was using his cell phone for the same. Responses from different offices started coming which were cleared promptly by him or in consultation with me, and he was on the topmost priority to see me any time or speak to me over the phone. I also encouraged them to take decisions over the phone and record them on file to get approval before placing an order and if necessary get approval on fax messages to be attached to the file when the proposal came for approval. One of the technical officers was made responsible to coordinate all these marketing moves and monitor them so that the facility didn't get misused or get the wrong direction. Changes were happening fast and everything moved at speed and prospects for getting order became brighter. Financial problems cropped up more and the Director was playing his game sitting far away in Bangalore cooling his heels and passing time and I ignored him deciding to work as if he was not existing. This was also done as in last almost a month he didn't have the courtesy to greet me over the phone and disclose his whereabouts or plans to be back. Later it came to my knowledge that he was trying to settle his grievances against his ministerial friends and ignoring me. I called his next man in the office, namely AGM (Finance) who was doing jobs in his absence and ordered, "You are required to give financial concurrence to marketing proposals with my approval directly recording the Director out of station. In case of fund needs you may make a proposal for inter office transfer and get my approval and advice money transfer as loan or to be adjusted in bills due against them whichever these unit heads agree. In case of any difficulty you make in-charges speak to me for giving appropriate decisions." He nodded but looked confused and relented after one or two harsher words because every time he was talking to his boss, who in his old style was threatening him, he informed me so. I assured him no harm would be allowed to him if he keeps working in the company interest, and the same should accrue if he didn't follow instruction. I cared that every time my technical officer was present in this discussion to ensure that I didn't issue wrong instructions and modify the same if required. Also he may subsequently explain these decisions and instructions as officers had become lethargic by mind also and gave up looking forward. This was a typical experiment being carried in a PSU's working style hardly seen in any to our knowledge, and my technical officers asked how come I was taking so many risks. I explained, "When your thoughts are clear and intentions are not vested, you can go ahead taking care of the legal aspect. If one is not attempting to misappropriate in any manner and all thoughts are recorded plainly, which as a technical person can do better as we are not rich in vocabulary to use literary expressions and we can write plain and simple sentences to explain our decision making reasons, and which nobody can twist and turn. You should also take note of this and be very straight forward and brief as more words may give chances of mistakes and subsequently opportunity to office staff to make stories. You must have noticed that I write pointed and simple direct notes on the file, and my previous all years experience showed that not very often I was required to explain twice. In some cases I was asked to change my observations so that higher authority could get convenience of manipulating facts and favor his desired candidate, and I refused politely. I was never a blue eyed boy of my boss and never got any favor from any of them, but I kept my way and with a lot of struggle I am sitting before you, and believe me I never regretted and hope to retire from this office happy and with no scars, and you will help me to do so." My words made my two assistants serious and thinking but clear words made them more confident in working which I observed in their behavior in following days, and I kept working with full steam and with high spirit.