Story of a Over-employed General ?

During my Army days I had an opportunity to work with a General who always followed different work rules.

 

He was always available except when he is in the operations room.

 

He will not sleep in the afternoon except minor nap, may be in the chair only.

 

His time management was through emotional intelligence.

 

No authority in his working style only influences through professional competence and character.

 

He will support people in their absence.

 

He will not speak with some one on the issue which does not concern him or he carries no accountability.

 

Throughout his career, he got regular promotions but more than that, he never got really very busy. Once I took up the liberty with him to ask him “How that is possible, in Army one has to be busy at least 14-15 hours per day if one is really required to work on his career.”

 

“If one is that much busy, it means one is over employed and over employed people never gets the promotion, so long you are under employed, you will always get the promotion.”

 

I could not understand the point so I looked at him though I did not ask the question. He understood my point.

 

“I understand your doubt, this is the biggest requirement of going up in the career, one must understand the requirement of people with whom one is working without they saying so. Let me explain to you, if you are underemployed, it means you are managing your resources well and you have the time to manage more resources so they have to give you promotion with higher resources. This is how the journey goes.”

 

I nodded my head. As it is, as a young Major, I could understand this point in my limited way of understanding only. Subsequently only I could understand the depth of his answer.

 

So, General went on promotion and as a parting note, he told me to manage my resources well so that I remain underemployed. I noted his subtle message.

 

So, after two years, he got another promotion.

 

So, I called him and congratulated him. He told me that he still remains underemployed.

 

After two years….

 

He could not become COAS and retired.

 

I went to see him after his retirement. I asked him “Sir, hope you are still underemployed?

 

“Now, this is the only time in my entire life when I am overemployed and nobody is ready to give me promotion?”

 

“I looked at him, assuming that he has picked up some post retirement commitment?”

 

“No, I have not picked up any post retirement job, it is just that I have changed my employer?”

 

“My wife has become my employer and I feel that Govt of India has to take some lessons from her, how to employ the underemployed people.”

 

We joined in a hearty laugh.

 

The gentleman is still alive and kicking in his nineties and his shot of RUM is not the only reason but one of the many reasons to keep him in the shape.

 

@lifeisgood @allthingsbrightandbeutiful