There is something about some bosses. They seem to be in it for the ‘action’ and not for the actual job they are paid to do. The action is about the new car every few months; yes, I mean the million plus birr cars, those shining monsters. The action is about the Persian rug in the office; al the glittering silverware and other luxuries; you know, the guys who live it up in their work places since all expense comes out of the gov’t coffers. The action about the meetings and keynote addresses or annual reports they give; you know, that festive like atmosphere the TV cameras the wall-to-wall flags, the slogans which lead you to suspect “The Lenin species must have made much better work of them.” They are that nauseating!
Take a slogan like, “We’ll Make Poverty History!” It’d have made sense if they gave ‘realty’ a chance! No one made poverty so far or are anywhere near it! Even the richest ones have some of the poorest populations! So while ‘making poverty history’ makes good headlines, it’d have been better if someone pumped a little sense into it.
So, your boss could be a member of that clan. By the way, when the new boss came the office was abuzz with all kinds of stories. No one has heard of him before that. You know things like, “He was the deputy manager at such and such organization;” “He just came back from further studies in the Netherlands.” Nothing of that sort! So it’s full speed ahead for the creative mind. The narratives fly from all sides; and none of them is nice to the guy.
“They say he has people in high places.”
By the way that one of the top behind-the-curtain claims about newly put bosses or executive secretaries. (Ha! I’m not sure if the ‘executive secretaries’ thing was the___14 product of my brain. Hey, am I under some electronic attack or something! But since the term make’s some sense no disclaimer from me!
“I heard he was a womanizer and had affairs with many women in the company.”
“You mean they removed is for that! Why, a thousand and one bosses do that!”
“In his case husbands and boyfriends began noticing. The higher-ups wanted to hush things down.”
Anyway sooner or later time for the annual report arrives. Time for action! Mr. Big Boss will make sure everything would be about him and him only. This, despite the organization being in deep, deep red. Who cares! You, the worker care! Well, that’s nice of you. But I’m afraid I’ve bad news for you. Sorry for spoiling your day. You don’t count! Wake up! Mr. Big Boss hardly knows you exist. If he does maybe it’s as employee no. 97 on the list of 134 staff.
Annual report day, a crowded hall. Attendance is a must. Staying back isn’t an option. In fact if you fail to appear you better alert your wife; the fines would be game changing!
“I don’t think we’ll make enough to make it through next month.”
“What in the world are you saying? Have they kicked you out?”
“No!”
“Then what are you talking about. Your company didn’t go bankrupt! They are going to pay you your salary next month, aren’t they?”
“Of course! But…”
“But what!”
“I’ll be paid three hundred birr less!”
“What! What did you do now?”
“I didn’t attend the annual report meeting. They’ll fine me three hundred birr.”
“What!”
The rest, dear readers, is history.
But then on ‘annual report day’ the mood might be surreal, if you really think about it. As Mr. Big Boss makes his way to the podium the hall practically shudders with the loudest applause. What! Don’t tell me the guy is that popular! Well, you’ll find the answer on the stern faces the staff. They applaud as if they were in some half a million birr competition. Well they should do exactly that since the ‘spotters’ are watching. Mr. Bog Boss might be anything but not stupid. He’s watching you while he isn’t watching you!
“Sir, so and so had his hands in his pockets while everyone was clapping.”
“I never liked that fellow. I always suspected he’s in this company to spy on me!”
The guy has spent been in that company for a decade and half; and Mr. Big Boss! Well, he is a couple of months from his yet into his fifth year. Who is sent to spy on whom!
And the keynote speech…
One day I’d like to hear a speech which goes like…
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s an honor to be giving a speech to this prestigious audience. (Come on, cut the … out and get down to the point.) As a kid my mother used to tell me to be nice to people and respect everyone. And my dad always… (By the time he’s finished that part you’d be pardoned to think his parents were angles without wings!) Being nice has been my principle all through. (Hey, call 911! If this goes on someone is going to have a really bad day.) Then it’s down to business.
“You remember at the start of the year our plans were to increase production by one hundred fifty percent. We have been striving to realize those plans. But…” Of course, it was a matter of time before you arrive to ‘but….’
When it comes, it comes with a bang. Our problems are there are some in the organizations who want frustrate our efforts. (What efforts are you talking about? Half the time you weren’t in the office; a quarter of the times there was ‘someone’ in your office; and the other quarter! Well, no one could tell whether you have been in your office or not. The secretary has been warned not to ask too many questions. So what efforts are you talking about?”
And then Big Boss goes into such venomous rants against those ‘frustrating efforts’ you’d think any minute he’d go completely nuts! It’s as if he was saying “I can do anything I want and none of you could do anything about it. I have been kicking you all over the place till now and if you think it’ll be game over for me any time soon, you got the story of the decade coming your way.”
Believe me he isn’t the kind of guy you can have beer with. Why? You wouldn’t know what he’ll put in your beer when you’re looking away! He means business! Anyways how I’d have liked it if we had fewer, much fewer of such bosses!
The Ethiopian herald June 13/2021