A Lesson from Corporate Environment
Recently I encountered a situation that taught me a lesson or two from the corporate world. I was scheduled to meet the Heads-CRM & HR of a multinational firm in Mumbai recently to discuss a training content on behalf of my client. Since the place was so far from home and I boarded a train that wasn't scheduled to stop at my destination I had to travel all the way back from a far-off station to reach the venue an hour late. By then the executives were upset with my late coming. However I met the HR Head and apologised a couple of times for being so late due to the lack of alertness while boarding a train. At some point I felt that I was overdoing the apology session hence I consciously decided to get on to the matter as soon as possible.
When I started the dry run of the module, I was requested by the Head-CRM to stop and he conveyed his annoyance over my demeanour of not apologising in the forum before I started the presentation. Needless to say that it was an embarrassing moment for me since I expected everything to go smooth and there was a distortion that was unexpected. At this moment though I told him that I apologised several times to his colleague he wasn't ready to buy my point. His stress was on a Customer Service Trainer practising the etiquette himself prior to training his students. I apologised to him in the forum hence he became receptive to what I had to present further on. I learnt a few valuable lessons from this experience.
1. Don't take anything for granted. I got in to a wrong train based on my earlier experiences of travelling by train in Mumbai. I did not realise that same routes have stops based on timings of the day. I always need to be alert not to repeat these kind of mistakes.
2. If a mistake is committed apologise to all involved. I did not apologise to the Head CRM as I did with the Head HR infact several times. So he did not know that I too was feeling miserable about being late.
3. The Head CRM could have addressed the issue differently at a different time rather than crashing the start of my presentation. Once it was distorted it became urgent and important for me to manage the recovery of the situation. If the discussion had to take off on a tangent the whole show would have collapsed leaving a negative taste for all the parties involved. Considering the environment, people and purpose before making a critical statement is important in life.
I am glad that God made me aware of a few more things in life.
When I started the dry run of the module, I was requested by the Head-CRM to stop and he conveyed his annoyance over my demeanour of not apologising in the forum before I started the presentation. Needless to say that it was an embarrassing moment for me since I expected everything to go smooth and there was a distortion that was unexpected. At this moment though I told him that I apologised several times to his colleague he wasn't ready to buy my point. His stress was on a Customer Service Trainer practising the etiquette himself prior to training his students. I apologised to him in the forum hence he became receptive to what I had to present further on. I learnt a few valuable lessons from this experience.
1. Don't take anything for granted. I got in to a wrong train based on my earlier experiences of travelling by train in Mumbai. I did not realise that same routes have stops based on timings of the day. I always need to be alert not to repeat these kind of mistakes.
2. If a mistake is committed apologise to all involved. I did not apologise to the Head CRM as I did with the Head HR infact several times. So he did not know that I too was feeling miserable about being late.
3. The Head CRM could have addressed the issue differently at a different time rather than crashing the start of my presentation. Once it was distorted it became urgent and important for me to manage the recovery of the situation. If the discussion had to take off on a tangent the whole show would have collapsed leaving a negative taste for all the parties involved. Considering the environment, people and purpose before making a critical statement is important in life.
I am glad that God made me aware of a few more things in life.
posted by Robbin Payapilly at
8:10 PM
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