648. A Lesson Learnt Through Evesdropping

"Of the two team leaders under me, you are the senior. Everyone knows that if I get promoted, I will recommend you for taking my place. Unfortunately, the performance of your team is not satisfactory. In contrast, Manohar's team is doing well. If this situation continues, I will be left with no alternative but to recommend Manohar as my replacement" Project Manager Arivazhagan told Team Leader Sivaraj. 

"I don't know why, but my team members have not been following my instructions. If I question them, they assert that they only followed my instructions. Sometimes, it appears to me that they have a hostile attitude towards me. There is something fundamentally wrong with my team members. But I have not been able to identify the problem" said Sivaraj. 

After two days, Arivazhagan called Sivaraj to his cabin and told him, "Yesterday, when you were talking to your team members, I listened from the adjacent room."

"Why did you have to do this?" asked Sivaraj, feeling embarrassed at having been watched without his knowledge. 

"There was no impropriety in what I did. After all, it was a business meeting. I could have as well sit next to you and listened. But I chose to sit in the next room and listen, lest you should feel nervous or uncomfortable by my sitting in the same room and listening to you. And, I did it only to help you!"

"Sir! You should change my team members. I find that their attitude is not at all helpful."

"It is possible that there are some flaws with your team members. But, notwithstanding those flaws, we have to work with them and get the results."

"How can this be done?"

"I will tell you how. Before that, you and I have to see how Manohar talks to his team members."

"You mean we should eavesdrop from the adjacent room, as you did with me yesterday!" said Sivaraj, smiling.

"You are becoming smart!" said Arivazhagan, patting Sivaraj on his back. 

"What did you observe?" Arivazhagan asked Sivaraj. 

"I should give credit to Manohar for one thing. He speaks clearly and cogently. I am nowhere near him on this count. In fact, I often miss mentioning a few points at the right places and bring it out in the later part of my speech. I have been trying to overcome this shortcoming on my part" said Sivaraj. 

"It is good that you frankly admitted your shortcoming. This is a common problem faced by many people. If you note down, in advance, the points you are going to cover in your speech in a piece of paper in the right order, you will be able to overcome this problem. In the beginning, you may have to refer to the notes, when you are speaking. But, after some time, you will attain the proficiency level of speaking without referring to the notes. You need patience and sustained efforts to achieve this" said Arivazhagan.

"I understand. But, this was the only thing I noted in Manohar's speech. Otherwise, I didn't find any difference in the way we both make the presentations. In fact, I believe that I am better than Manohar in language proficiency."

"Yes. I noticed that. Command over the language is a great advantage, no doubt. But, you failed to note one important feature of Manohar's speech."

"What was that?"

"His speech sounds pleasant. The words he uses and his tone sound as if he is talking to a group of friends. Your speech  is in a commanding tone. You are giving a command, alright, but it should not sound like a command to the listener. You should practice speaking in a softer, gentler way. If you pay attention to these two issues, namely noting down all the points you want to cover in the right order and delivering it in a gentle and friendly tone, your team members would follow your instructions meticulously. They would even jump down from the 7th floor of this building, if you ask them to!" said Arivazhagan.

Observing the smile that spontaneously appeared on Sivaraj's face, Arivazhagan felt satisfied that Sivaraj had taken his suggestions in a positive spirit. 

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 65
The Power of Speech

Verse 648 (in Tamil):
viraindhu thozhil kEtkum gnAlam nirandhu inidhu
solludhal vallArp peRin.

Meaning:

The world will instantly pay heed to those who speak coherently and pleasingly.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'ottuk kEttu aRaindhadhu' by the same author.) 

Verse 649 (Soon)
Verse 647