Next day
Kunj needs information from team leads regarding team members joining the quarterly team outing. Sanjay, Alisha and Twinkle provide him the information through IM.
*Quarterly team outing – A stipulated amount of money is granded to each person in team by the company for team outing. The amount would be transferred to the AM’s account which he will distribute to team leads.
Twinkle comes to Kunj’s cabin.
Kunj: Yes
Twinkle: Wanted to talk about the quarterly fund.
Kunj: Okay. Tell me.
Twinkle: The amount which comes for each individual is too less. With that amount, we won’t be able to take them for an outing. Max to max we can go to a near by place and that to with adding more money to it.
Kunj: Ohh.. That means the money provided to each individual is that much less?
Twinkle: Yes, It could provide each individual a meal. That’s it.
Kunj: Let me talk to higher management. I will try to convince them.
Twinkle: We have tried it earlier. It is the company policy and they won’t increase the money.
Kunj: Damn… How about everyone taking extra money from their pockets?
Twinkle: Most of the team members won’t be interested in taking money from their pockets and then going for outing. They will prefer going out with their friends with their money rather than a team outing.
Kunj: Okay… So what is your suggestion?
Twinkle: I am talking on behalf of my team. Because I can take decisions only for my team. Please don’t get me wrong…
Kunj: Come to the point.
Twinkle: We have so many orders in the last day of month. People can’t even go for dinner that night. Most of the time team members don’t go for dinner breaks due to the work pressure. I prefer giving them a dinner on that night than going for outing. It would be great if you allow me to use the fund to get each of them a pizza at their desk. They could eat them while working.
Kunj: You guys never came upto me regarding this issue. How can we make them starve for that day…?
Twinkle: It is that bad…In fact I force them to take dinner break, but they won’t go… Team is that much dedicated to their work.
Kunj: Okay…I need to get confirmation from your team members too that they don’t have issue in using that amount in this way…
Twinkle: Sure Kunj.
Kunj: Have you discussed it with your team? What is their opinion?
Twinkle: Not yet…I thought first I will get confirmation from you and then will inform them…
Kunj: Are you sure they all will agree?
Twinkle: They are my team Kunj. As a team lead, it is my responsibility to know their issues and resolve them before they speak. I think they will prefer this.
Kunj: Let’s see. I will have a team meeting with them to know their opinion. I would prefer you stay out of that meeting. I don’t want them to get imposed by your decision as you are their TL. Hope you understand.
Twinkle: Sure.
Twinkle comes out of cabin.
Twinkle: Installation team…Get in… team meeting.
Entire team gathers in meeting room and Kunj also comes.
Kunj: Hello guys, I know you are a bit surprised as your team lead is not in this meeting. Don’t worry. I wanted to interact with you all without your team lead. It is about the quarterly team fund. I have 2 options.
1. We all will have to take an amount from our pocket and join it with the team fund and go for a team outing.
2. I will take this team fund and provide each one of you a pizza or a meal which ever is available with that amount on next month end night.
Tell me what your opinion is. It is your money and it is your decision. I will go with the majority.
The entire team votes for the second option. Kunj is surprised to see that how well Twinkle understands her team.
Kunj: Okay guys…Let me tell you this. Second option was your team lead’s suggestion. Thank you for voting. I am not promising. But I will definitely take this suggestion to higher management. Let’s see what happens.
The team gets back to their work. Twinkle comes back to Kunj’s cabin.
Kunj: Impressive. You know your team very well… They all agreed to your suggestion eventhough I didn’t mention that it it your opinion.
Twinkle: They are my team…It is my responsibility to know their problems and resolve them before they come to me. It makes them feel that they are important to me and I value them. I never had to use force on them to reach my expectation. They themselves work hard to reach that point. That’s the understanding between me and my team.
Kunj: Appreciated. I think I should ask the same thing with the other teams too. They probably wll have the same answer. Then we can take the entire fund and make use of them.
Twinkle seems a bit worried now.
Twinkle: The thing is, eatables are not allowed in the bay as per the new HR rules. So if HR finds out that it is being provided at the work station, we are finished. I am ready to take a risk of 20 (5 will be n dayshift) people of my team. But risk is huge, if the number is 60 plus people.
Kunj: Ohh..I see…I will discuss it with other teams and know their opinion. I will get this issue resolved with HR and higher management by explaining them the situation.
Twinkle was about to say something, but gets interrupted by Kunj.
Kunj: I consider you as an efficient team lead, in fact the best compared to other 2. But you kind of disappointed me with the fact that for the past month end nights, your team members were starving and hard working. I didn’t expect this at least from you…
Twinkle (with smile): Well, in that case I have not disappointed me…But don’t force me to say how…
Kunj: Ahann…Ab toh batana hi padega…Batao kaise?
Twinkle: I am not disclosing this to my AM, but to a friend…
Kunj: Go ahead…
Twinkle: I order 20 burgers and provide them at their desk. My team knows that it is between us. They never disclose it to anyone. Other team members and the team leads are so busy with their work that they don’t get time to notice it.
Kunj: It is a huge risk.
Twinkle: I know. If HR comes and finds it out, I am finished. But team members are not slaves. I can’t let them work so hard…I had to take this risk…
Twinkle leaves…
Kunj thinks. “Kya team spirit hai… Apne team ke liye kuch bi ker guzregi ye ladki…Manloo agar pyaar ho gaya toh, pyaar ke liye kya kuch nahi karegi…”
Kunj hits himself hard and thinks. “Itni der saamne vo baithi thi, ek nazar dang se dekha bhi nai maine usse…Abb jaane ke baad soch reha hun ki kaash vo vaapas aati cabin me…Work pressure bhi ajeeb hai…”
Afternoon
Kunj finds out that Twinkle is coming to his cabin. He knew that it is a silly issue and not an urgent one. He immediately makes a call from his mobile (non camera) to his desk phone. He picks the call and pretends talking to phone. Twinkle gets into cabin. He makes an expression to sit. Twinkle is waiting for his call to get finished. Kunj just makes some okay okay dialogues as if he is talking to someone while looking at Twinkle.
Kunj thinks. “Ye sach me itni sundar hai ki muje aaj kuch ho gaya hai…Pehle jab dekha kerta toh itni sundar nahi lagti ti… Na jaane ab kya hogaya…Ya phir isse hi pyaar kehte hai…”
Kunj checks out her while talking (pretending) on phone. “Kuch khas taiyaar hoke bi nahi aayi hai…Per ye simple white salwar suit usse bohut suit ker reha hai…Gale me ek patli si gold chain hain jisme ek star ka pendant hai..Shayad apne naam ka symbolic hai.. She never removes it. Matching white earings dress ko aur nikhar reha hai… Aankhein aur smile pe toh pehle se hi hum fida hai… Hume jab koi acha lagta hai to usska her vo cheez pasand aane lagta hai.. Shayad yehi ho reha hai mere saath…
Kunj wakes up from thought…
Then thinks. “Maanta hun thoda chichora ban reha hun, per pyaar me sab chalta hai…
Hi All,
Sorry.. Nowadays I am a bit late..Monday and Tuesday is off for my kid.. Some strike is going on..So she needs all my time.. In between I am trying to finish it..
Jisha 🙂