02.06.07 Switching Off Your Phone Can Cheat You of an Opportunity – Always Be Reachable (Orig Ng 19)

19. My Enemy - the Betraying ‘Phone Habit’

Danieli made his way back to the high-table, after completing a two-hour ritual of receiving gifts from uncountable guests who had turned up for his graduation party.  As he took his seat beside his lovely wife Ruth, he could not resist the sweet scent of the flowery garland that she had hung around his neck.  

“Truly, this calls for a celebration”, Danieli mused as he reflected on the people that had significantly contributed to making his ‘Masters dream’ a reality.   

His late parents topped the list.  He still remembered how they had tirelessly tilled the land to pay his school fees.  Then of course his wife Ruth, who had patiently endured the lonely nights that Danieli’s executive MBA demanded.  His boss Sudi had been instrumental in securing Danieli’s scholarship.  Undoubtedly, there was a myriad of other people who had contributed in so many noticeable ways.  And it was so wonderful to see most of them here, rejoicing with him.

The domineering voice of the Master of Ceremony curtailed Danieli’s wandering thoughts, announcing that the function would soon draw to a close.  Danieli was glad that with his studies out of the way, life would return to normal again.

Back at the office, the fruits of Danieli’s master’s program came earlier than anticipated.  For on the very day that he reported for work, Sudi gave him the news that he (Danieli) had been chosen for the new post of Deputy Executive Director.  

Danieli was overjoyed, bearing allegiance yet again, that he would serve to the best of his ability.  And indeed, during the months that followed, he put all his energy into his work.  Soon it was clear that the organisation had made the best choice by nominating him as Deputy to the CEO.

Then late one night, at 3 a.m., Danieli received a call from Sudi.  Apparently, the boss’ two sons had just been involved in a very serious accident, which meant that the CEO would not be able to make it to an important appointment with some donors the following day.  The meeting was critical as firstly, the financiers had just flown in for a day to review the proposal that their organisation had presented.  Secondly, the funding was competitive as only one out of the several organisations that had applied would be selected.  Moreover, each organisation had been given a time slot and missing it would mean ‘forgetting the funding’.

“Please make sure you make it to the meeting.  We are booked for 8 a.m.”, Sudi said emphatically.

As soon as the CEO hung up, Danieli chanced calling his driver Abu; only to find that the driver’s phone was switched off.  Desperate attempts yielded no results.  “What am I going to do now?” he muttered to himself in heightening frustration.  Using public transport was out of question since no taxis plied the route so early in the morning.  Walking to the nearest bus stop was also not possible as their house was several kilometres from the main road.  To make things worse, their car had just been taken to the garage for an engine overhaul.  Another alternative would have been to request Sudi to send his driver, but efforts to call him were fruitless, as understandably, Sudi was no longer reachable.

Danieli hardly slept thereafter as he frantically tried the driver’s number again and again.  Finally, at 6 a.m., the call went through.  Abu tried his level best to make it to Danieli’s house, but this hardly helped since by the time they got to the meeting venue, it was well after 9 a.m.  Worse still, it was impossible to make another appointment with the financiers as their schedule was really tight.

To cut a long story short, the donors dropped Danieli’s organisation off the list of those that would receive funding; as failure to turn up for the meeting on time had indicated a lack of seriousness.  And definitely, Sudi was not amused to say the least, when he heard that his organisation had missed out on such a golden opportunity!

I narrated this story to a team of drivers recently, during our discussion on the unique requirements of their profession.  I emphasized that a driver’s unavailability could make an organisation ‘miss the opportunity of a life time’.  

“Since drivers could be required any time, I would not advise that they switch off their cell phones”, I asserted; causing concerned frowns on some of their faces.  

One of them, Timo, asked in unconcealed disagreement, “But is it fair for our employers not to realise that we also need to rest? After all, they switch off their phones at night.  Why not us?”  

I agreed that bosses ought to respect the drivers’ right to rest and not abuse it; but added that drivers also needed to appreciate that they could be required in times of emergencies; hence the need for them to be readily accessible all the time.  

I reminded them that the funding from donors could have translated into better conditions for the drivers as well.

“Timo”, I asked; “Supposing your wife was expecting and the doctor had indicated that she may experience some complications during delivery; would you understand if the doctor switched off his cell phone during the night, when he (doctor) knew that your wife could deliver any time?”  

A pregnant silence followed, and by the look on their faces, I knew that they had understood what I meant.