Once bitten, twice shy: A Vignette

Parminder is the Unit Head of a legacy business within one of India’s most trusted organizations. In addition to his sharp acumen in technical and P&L domains, he is widely regarded as a people manager, someone from whom employees can seek guidance for career advancement and even personal advice. Employees are also aware of his uncanny ability to spot promising young managers and offer them challenging roles, helping them rise quickly through the ranks. No wonder he is respected and loved by the employees working in the Unit.

One day, Parminder expressed keenness to meet the Regional Sales Managers (RSMs) who had joined in the past year, after office hours at the Conference Room.

It was a Friday evening, and close to seven RSMs showed up. They were visibly uncomfortable because no agenda had been provided, and for most of them, it would be their first interaction with Parminder, the Unit Head. The meeting started at 6:10 p.m. and was rather informal, as was his style.

Each RSM introduced themselves, sharing the region they represented and details about their respective roles. Then, they were asked two questions by him: what they liked most about the business and what areas they believed needed improvement. As expected, all of them enthusiastically praised the brighter sides of the business. However, when it came to discussing areas for improvement, almost all preferred to remain silent. 

Sensing their discomfort, Parminder shared some of his personal experiences to illustrate how genuine feedback can enhance business efficiency. Eventually, one RSMs – Varun - volunteered to share his opinion.

Before expressing his thoughts, Varin conveyed to Parminder, “This is a bit of a delicate issue. I fear there will be repercussions. I hope you will be with me if anything goes wrong.” “Of course,” Parminder assured him. “Do you have any doubt? As you perhaps know, I do not allow nepotism, groupism and office politics when it comes to process improvement interventions.”

Thus assured Varun continued, “Sir, I have been having problems with my manager for quite some time. He only finds faults with my work and shouts at me in front of my colleagues, which is extremely embarrassing. This has happened even in front of customers. Since almost my first day on the job, he has treated me this way. I do not have any answer for this. Even though I’ve endured this sort of humiliation for nearly a year I have not allowed my performance to dip. I am the best-performing RSM among all.” He paused for a moment. Those present in the Conference Room was taken aback by the views shared by Varun. The remarks were blunt and everyone knew who he was referring to. It was Ajit, a person who is in the system for 23 years.

He continued further, “I approached HR to request a transfer to a different region, but it did not work out. However, I didn’t disclose the reason for seeking the transfer because if my manager finds out, he will make my life even more miserable. I told them that I need to stay close to my aged parents. But did not work-out. I cannot endure this any longer. I have lost my peace of mind, become irritable, and I am now losing interest in my work. Please help me.”

A hushed silence fell over the room. Parminder assured him that he would personally look into the issue and resolve it. In the meanwhile, he urged everyone present not to discuss the matter with anyone else due to its sensitivity.

Two months later, Varun resigned.

One of the RSMs shared what had happened during the meeting with Ajit. Obviously, he was incensed. He decided to ease Varun out of the system. Those aware of the incident were baffled by Parminder’s silence as he was apparently keeping track of what was unfolding. Those aware of the situation were baffled by Parminder’s reluctance to step-in and sort out the issue. At least there was no evidence to suggest that he personally intervened.

Obviously, such incidents do not remain a secret for too long. No wonder subsequent informal meetings with Parminder were no longer the same. Employees remained extra-cautious. As goes the saying, once bitten, twice shy.