The Last Question On Career Reward
“Khayalo mein? Lost in your thoughts? What’s on your mind?” Lulu asked as he flew in and landed on my table. I was sitting alone outside a bar with a drink. The good thing about Khandala is that you can sit outside the bar, enjoy cool weather and your drink.
“Yes. Yes. I was thinking of Suhas Joshi’s answer to the last question.”
“You mean the Marathi theatre actor? What was the answer which set you thinking, I mean what was the question in the first place?”
The barman switched on the lights and it brightened the bar inside though there was enough light outside and on the lawns. Soon the twilight would make the atmosphere magical, I thought.
“Yes, Suhas Joshi, the Marathi theatre actor. She spoke about her career as a stage artist. The interviewer in the Rang Pandhari program asked her ‘After this long journey as a stage artist what did you gain as a human being?’”
“So that was the question. I understand you.”
“Matlab?”
“Such a deep question. At the end of your career, you are asked ‘what did you gain as a human being?’ And you have to dive deep in mind to search for an answer. Rationality will not come to your rescue if you wish to answer it truthfully.”
“You said it, Lulu. Perhaps that is why I kept thinking about it for a long time.”
The barman kept a watchful eye on customers sitting on the lawn while cleaning empty mugs inside the bar. An overhead device held empty wine glasses in inverted position. And below the device were the draught beer taps.
He looked at me and smiled. Knowing smile. Good barmen vibe well with their regular customers. They understand what customer wants without a word spoken. He picked up a bowl of potato wedges and kept it on my table.
“Enjoy” said the barman.
“So, here is the question for you, ‘What did you gain as a human being?’ You too had a long career in the corporate world,” Lulu hopped and moved closer.
“Difficult question, Lulu. Suhas Joshi said, ‘The roles I played helped me realize what ‘humaneness’ was, and my co-artists extended it to me. They helped me grow as a better human being.’ Hmmm….. I think she has captured my answer too in her words.”
“She has conveyed a wealth of meaning in a sentence or two. I think the catchword is humaneness.”
“Yes, humaneness it is. Some pictures come to my mind as I think about it. I was a young manager and my office was close to the main gate. This was in the mid-seventies. The workmen were protesting and they had gheraoed us for a long time. Eating dinner was simply ruled out, we could not go to the canteen, and it was already the dinner time. A worker came and placed a ‘Vada-Pav’ packed in a newspaper on my table. He said, ‘just thought you will have nothing to eat this evening, so I brought this for you.’”
“Such a nice gesture. It was not a relationship of a worker speaking to a manager. It was more a human being to another. I am reminded that Adivasi families will invariably share their meal with you if you happen to be at their village in the evening.”
“A colleague once fell sick while on duty in another city. I handed over an air ticket and some money to his wife so that she can reach there immediately. She wrote a nice letter to me profusely thanking me.”
“She saw humaneness in your compassion and quick response. Just as you saw it in the worker’s offering a Vada-pav.”
“I guess so, and she also taught me a lesson about how to deal with people. Looking back, both the incidents taught me the same lesson.”
“I know what you are saying, ‘you are not your position’, right?”
I took a deep swig of beer. The dusk light had vanished, and night had set in, and the lights inside the bar were looking brighter. “You got me right, Lulu.”
Lulu hopped on my shoulder. “Roles only tell you a set of expectations from various people. If you deliver your performance forgetting that you are dealing with another human being, you will deliver it sans humaneness.”
“I agree with you. Can we do a good job without touching hearts of people? Impossible!”
“For that to happen you ought to throw away the mask of identity. You are not a Vice President, or General Manager. Perform any role but be your natural self, a good and sensitive human being. Remember Mangesh Padgaonkar’s poem? He wrote, ‘Compassion in the eyes discloses humaneness in people.”
“So true, Lulu. Compassion is the word. That is the precious reward of a long career. If you had it, you grew as a human being.”
“Osho says, ‘You need power only to do something harmful. Otherwise, love is enough, compassion is enough.’ If you realized this through your experiences you have had a successful career.”
Lulu flew away. I looked at the barman. He gave me a knowing smile and brought me another mug of beer.
Vivek S Patwardhan
Feature Pic Tamara Gak on Unsplash
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” **** “Aroehan: Creating Dream Villages in Mokhada by 2025: “No Malnutrition Deaths, No Child ‘Out of School’, Reduction in migration by 50%.”
Dear Vivek,
Good morning and what a beautifully response from Suhas Joshi and the quote from Rajneesh. Looking back at the reflections of all great people, they all talk about the same thing. At the end of everything, there is only “Humanness”. And that is what the world and India particularly needs today. I think Rajneesh’s quote reflects the reality of power and how it is used today. We need someone who can heal today. Not power. Hopefully, someone in power will realize that soon.
What a lovely way to verbalise the reflection! I resonate with a absolute gems like ‘you are not your position’, ‘power is needed only to do something harmful’, ‘compassion in the eyes discloses humaneness in people’… They all give such insight into what is worthwhile and what isn’t.
Also, really missing having beer in a bar with a view 🙁
Good Message.
Some one asked the reason for Japanese Mfrs.
Continued success compared to Western and European
Counter Parts. The reply was Japanese Humanized
Production but others Rationalized production.
Humanness is now in deficit and the Pandemic has exposed this. HR personnel need to be innovative and be
a Role Model. Finally People matter in this creative Economy. — Aravamudhan
The meaningful question and answer by well known actress Suhas Joshi throw light on learnings from career which can be extended to learning’s from life itself. As clearly brought out purpose of life is ‘being human’.
Thank you sir for sharing great insights . Regards
Thank you Vivek. While your style of writing is as engaging as ever, the need to combine rationality with a generous dose of being human and humane is particularly relevant in these times.
Very relevant message for our times, expressed well.
Ms Varda Pendse writes (Posted here with her permission):
As I read you blog, I do feel that when one reflects back on one’s life journey its also very critical to check the lens with which the reflection is happening. The lens is so reflective of the value that the person holds dear.
I have always believed you to be a simple person at heart and hence the wada pav – common man’s meal when served by the common man remained in your memory. I am sure you have visited many fancy restaurants and served fancy meals – if the worker had got you another fancy meal – that perhaps would not appealed to you as much as the wada pav. Similarly, I wondered whether it was the support you provided, the letter the colleague’s wife wrote or the fact that you perhaps broke rules and got her to fly – at a time / period where flying was a luxury that the memory remained with you. So your stories once again reiterated to how si mple and humble you are. Like Krishna – Sudama’s poha were more tasty and welcomed J
I too have been reflective on what I want to do next – how do I want to move forward. When I reflect – there are times when I wonder on the choices that I have made. But since they were made with emotions and good ness of intent I feel they were right. What I believe is you do what you do as appropriate to the context / you experience what others may do but what remains with you is a choice that you make. And that choice is really based on values that you hold dear. A smile, a supporting hand, a wada pav is what you will always remember !
As you can see I truly enjoyed your blog today – read it twice over and sharing my thoughts / take away from the same !
Do keep writing and sharing your thoughts !
Warm Regards
Varda
Late to your party here. Was busy with other matters.
In these times, I also read posts of a cheeky seller of identity in HRM. He says that meaning in career is enhanced with the right moves! The same person believes that polarities will coexist from now on.
Meaning does not make career a precondition. The word polarity is premises in an interdependent opposite.
Pity those who miss your wisdom from experience. Lulu seems aroused by the nano viruses of late.
Loved it Sir. Thank you for writing it. Thank you for sharing it.
The need to be in touch with our humanness. Deriving our identity from the lives we impact than the designations we hold resonate with me.
As I watch a few people around me do this well, I notice one trait they display. Apart from many many admirable ones.
They have the ability to hold opposing emotions at the same time. They can empathise, engage and care about the person genuinely- while also being acutely aware and miffed with the problems the person is creating.
They are able to look at the situation from many perspectives. They stay present and empathetic to all needs, even ones they disagree with or cannot fulfill.
I find this inspiring. Would be grateful to hear how I can build this ability further. Being present to the humanness in all of us is indeed a gift.
VSP, As usual brilliant!
In design thinking they say keep the customer at the centre..I think it could be said in all dealings keep the humanness in the centre