He was my first boss and be taught me the basics

Here is the twenty third unforgettable character in my life …

When I joined in Nashik as a first line supervisor in the aircraft manufacturing factory, my first boss was a Bangalorean. He was the departmental head and had risen from the ranks and did not possess any degree but had loads of wisdom. I learnt some of the basics of management from him directly and some more by observing him, his actions and reactions.
He taught me to lead by example. He had an old Fiat car and would park it in the parking lot and walk down to the hangar. In winter, he would be dressed in his coat, muffler and gloves and, once in the hangar, he would climb up the stairs, go to his room, remove the coast, muffler and gloves stand on the balcony. Then he would start to roll up his sleeves and begin to climb down the stairs.

His message was clear – dress should not create any obstruction to do one’s work.
Another thing he taught me was to ask questions. There were nearly 300 staff under him and they included technicians. They worked in eight different sections and I was in charge of one section. My boss would come to my section and suddenly enquire about the whereabouts of one of my men. The first time he asked me, I shot off a standard reply – ‘he had gone to the toilet.’ He nodded and waited for the man to return. Then he asked him where he had been. The man replied that he had gone to the tool crib to get a drill bit. I was embarrassed but my boss looked at me, smiled and said – ‘always ask questions. Even if you know the answer, ask.’
Then there was his most important message of how to handle others. It was my first job and most of the men who worked under me were of my age. There were a few Bengalis and, during the tea break we would our sip our tea together and exchange pleasantries. We would even share a smoke. One day, my boss called me aside and said – ‘Ghose, people are a source of fire. If you go too close, you will get burnt. If you stay too far way, you will not enjoy the warmth. Therefore, you must know just how much distance you should maintain.’


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

New nesting sites for crocodiles in Gahirmatha Wildlife Sanctuary

Patna-Delhi Rajdhani Express to get a new look

Goa expects a flood of tourists


The teacher who taught me Bengali

He taught me to ride a scooter

He was one of the wittiest persons I have ever met


'Spider-Man: Homecoming' brings back the teenage crime fighter

Adele calls a halt to her tour, London will be her final stop

Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk set for release in India in July


Six Afghanistan policemen killed in Taliban attack

Cable car kills seven tourists in Gulmarg

More than 150 killed in explosion of oil tanker in Pakistan