Mean Dastardly Bosses (Still)!

Mean Dastardly Bosses (Still)!

  

The New Arab Management Books! http://www.myownmajid.com

 

Previous Early Two Arab Management Books! http://www.myownmajid.com

It has been a long time since I wrote anything – so please bear with me! 🙂

The other day at a Supermarket in town I met this ex-boss also shopping. There is nothing he can do to me now – even touch a hair on my head – but me being me I thought I would be nice and pass some pleasantries to him! So I remarked to him – Please keep it up! You are maintaining your figure and keeping fit!

Instead of saying the usual Thanks! And even curse under your breath if you want – he looked me up and down – and his usual self of meanness, wickedness and being dastardly he retorted – And you? Getting fatter now! You cannot even walk properly now! Hey – that is dangerous for you – you know?

I looked at him up and down – and was going to give him a BIG piece of my mind – when the good side of me got better of me – and I just stammered unintelligently Seeing his pride and joy at ‘hurting me again’ he walked away from me – but the nice neighbourly girl he was with crisply replied back to him – No! You got it wrong! He has actually lost weight!

What losing weight? He retorted – Do not give him a big head! Watch it my friend! He said – as walking away from me with the girl they came shopping together – or had met there – I would not know!

As I had finished shopping – I met him at the Paying Counter as he was head of me – and he had just finished shopping – and he was arguing with the poor Omani Sales Girl that she gave him less change by one Omani Rial! Can you imagine? Just one Rial? And he was one of the highest paid guys in the company then! The girl was arguing defensively that she gave him the Right Change! But he insisted she was mistaken! The poor girl took one Rial more from the counter and gave him. Pleased with his winning he went away!

As I was clearing my purchases, the girl was helping me to put the goods in the plastic bags. I was thinking to myself that this poor girl will have one Rial deducted from her salary at ends takings – because of this mean person – so I volunteered her ‘to keep the change’! A few Rials anyway in compensation!

This person was a very sick person for a long time – and you would have imagined that he would have changed! He was mean as usual – especially to ‘those he disliked’ and ‘not in his Favour List’! As I always say – you can never take the spots away from a leopard – or stripes from a tiger! Or as the famous Arab story of the Frog and the Scorpion – I just cannot change! It is just by my nature!

***

Your Reputation Precedes You!

I meet this friend of mine – an Omani Engineer! As a Technician Student then, I looked after him. He is now in the ranks of a General Manager of a new Consultancy firm – after retiring also!

So I tease him – I know the answer already! Any chance of a Temporary, Part-time or Consultancy job in HR, Training or Omanisation? He says to me – send me your CV – I will see if anything can be done! But mind you – I am not promising anything! So I put him at ease – I am just teasing and joking you!

Not really interested to be insulted again by even our own impudent Youngsters that have grown ‘too big for their shoes’! Let alone Foreigners and Old Guards before as the norm! I am not interested to work for anyone now – and end not delayed in payments – or even the dreaded ‘not paying you at all’ after delivery of services rendered by finding excuses and technicalities ensured that you do not get paid!

For example did not get the contract – what has that got to do with me? Everything – the young Omani GM says to me – your work as part of the bid – was not successful to get the bid! Or you get paid by difficulties – 3 months later – after threats and counter threats of legal action!

Adding salt to wound – he calmly says to me – M – Your Reputation Precedes You! People know that they cannot push you around – that you refuse to push dirt under the carpet! You stand your grounds! And what guaranty they have that you will not write about the incidents in the company in your new Management books? Now that your columns have been killed – by a Technicality? By also a Younger (New) Omani brother? Think about it!

I have, Brother! I retort! I have! I was just teasing and joking you! It is not sour grapes! Take it in the right way it is presented! Not only for the above reasons – but I even now give advices to those College students if they should specialize in HR?

I tell them point blank! You will be crazy to go into HR – the way things are brewing (burning) in the Offices now – like what I always say – like that cinder fire burning intensely underneath – waiting to explode at any time! When I wrote my article More Serious Issues At Stake! I had a sinking inner feeling – an Omen – a premonition – that ‘this article will now end my columns for good now!

I am not trying to be smart now – but the East African say – Those that deny you beans (mbaazi) are just reducing your gas intake (farts!). Or that one going up the ladder – wait for him at the bottom! Or as Good Karma says – Do Not Go for Revenge! God will allow you to see your enemies screw up in life! Like fighting as a well-paid person about One Rial with a Sales Girl!

Take Care!

By Majid Al Suleimany

March 13, 2015