170. Missing the Recognitions

The monthly meeting of the sales executives of 'Southern Enterprises' was in progress.

"I am going to announce the name of the executive who achieved the highest sales last month" announced the Sales Manager.

After a brief pause, he said, "R. Sekhar."

"Can't be, sir. When I checked with the Accounts department on 31st, they said that I had achieved the highest sales for the month" said Murthy. 

"Sekhar had given given his sales invoices late in the evening, and after they were added, his sales figure increased and he moved to the top position" explained the Sales Manager.

Other sales executives sitting in the meeting exchanged some grudging remarks among themselves, in low voices.  

"Give Sekhar a big hand!" said the Sales Manager

There was a mild applause, which subsided almost immediately.

After the meeting had got over, the sales executives broke into small groups and talked among themselves.

"Sekhar has always been doing something to manipulate the figures. If someone outperforms him, he can't stand it. You should have seen Sekar's face, when Chandru emerged the top performer for the month before last!"

"But, it was Chandru, who congratulated Sekhar today, when most of us felt unhappy when Sekhar was declared the top performer for last month. 

"Chandru is a gem. He has a habit of encouraging and helping other sales executives. When it comes to character and attitudes, Sekar and Chandru are two opposite poles."

After a couple of years, when the position of Sales Manager became vacant, Sekhar was elevated to that position. 

This decision was not well received by other sales executives. The reactions were on these lines:

"This is atrocious! The management has given the promotion to Sekhar, overlooking the candidatures of several executives who have performed better than Sekhar. Even if we consider seniority, there are some above Sekhar. Chandru himself is senior to Sekhar!"

"Deciding whom to promote is the prerogative of the management of the firm. Perhaps, Sekhar may be close to the General Manager.""

"If Chandru had been promoted to this position, all of us would have been happy. How are we going to work under Sekhar, who cannot stomach the success of other people?""

After some more years, Sekar got another promotion. Chandru could not rise above the position of a Senior Sales Executive. Some executives, resenting the unfair treatment meted out to them by the management of the firm, moved to other companies.

Time passed. 

It was time for Chandru to retire. A farewell party was given to him, in which many employees at several levels participated.

Sekhar had retired two months earlier. 

After the farewell party had got over, Chandru's friend Karthik offered to drive Chandru home.

While driving the car, Karthik told Chandru, "I usually don't speak while driving a car. But, today, I am making an exception, since I feel the urge to share a thought that occurred to me."

"What is it?" asked Chandru. 

"I have been working with you in this firm, for the past thirty years. Everyone in our firm knows what a noble-hearted person you are. Everyone also knows about Sekhar's petty-mindedness, jealousy, greed and proclivity for dishonest practices. But, Sekhar went up in his career. You were not able to rise as high as him. People working in our firm have feelings of regret about this. I have been wondering since long why things happened this way. But, today I realized something, that would explain things."

"What did you realize?"

"A large number of the employees of our firm attended your farewell party. During the farewell party, I observed the love, affection and goodwill people had for you. But, only a handful of people attended the farewell party given to Sekhar. It was clear that they came to the farewell party and sat through it, only for the sake of courtesy. They had no warm feelings towards Sekhar. But, today, I witnessed people becoming overwhelmed by their good feelings towards you. Elevation in life doesn't have to be only by way of achieving a high position in one's career or earning a lot of money. Earning the love, affection and goodwill of people is also an elevation in one's life. In fact, what reward can be greater than securing a high place in the minds of people around us?" said Karthik.

"I don't know whether your perception is correct. But, I have always felt that getting the love and affection of all of you, my colleagues and associates, was a great reward I got in my life" said Chandru.  

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 17
Bearing No Envy

Verse 170 (In Tamil)

azhukkaRRu aganRArum illai ahdhu illAr
perukkaththil thIrndhArum il.

Meaning:

An envious person doesn’t ever attain glory; of those who are free from envy, there is none who has fallen from glory.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kidaiththadhum kidaikkAdhadhum' by the same author)

Verse 171 (Soon)
Verse 169