<p><em>The only time you fail is when you fall down and stay down — Stephen Richards</em><br><br>Arvind warrier was in tears. His EMI was due at the end of the month. Rumours of ‘No salary’ combined with the lending bank’s fame for using debt collecting thugs had cost him his sleep.<br><br>Arvind worked at Beta Advertising. As a busybody in the media buying department, there never was time to think. Going to work also meant not being able to even remember home — that was how intense work was. And now he had heard that only 40 per cent of the salaries were being paid and to rein in costs, the company was also retrenching staff. Arvind lost all concentration as his heart thudded and mind broke into chaos.<br><br>Beta was a fairly successful agency for over 40 years until the owner Vidyadhar Desai decided to shift his business to film making and, thus, to sell the agency. The buyer was an ex-creative director, Arth Munim.<br><br>Arth’s return to the agency after eight years was received with mixed feelings. He had been a good creative director but could he run an agency? Management was different from writing copy, some felt.<br><br>With the coming of Arth, a major facelift was expected at Beta. Arth was well known in advertising circles hence the feeling was he would be good for business.<br><br>The first year was business as usual. In fact, it was a year of hope as Beta, which had struggled with some creditors and poor collections in the previous two years, began to see a systematic cleansing and tidying up. Arth was very sincere in putting a new system in place. He hired a consulting firm at a huge price to revamp payroll and accounting, create more dependable debtors’ warning systems, collection systems and even an incentive system for faster collections.<br><br>Only one major change was visibly felt: Beta was in a leased office and the lease was in the personal name of the previous chairman-owner. Arth decided to give up a part of the lease that was on the 7th floor and keep only the office on the 8th. Consequently, all departments moved to the same floor. But for this, Year One was as if nothing had changed. There was an air of freshness, but there was also doubt.<br><br>Then the inevitable began as the new broom swept. A deo spray client wanted a new campaign and Arth clashed with creative director Omana George who went for the intellectual while Arth wanted a competitive (hence provocative) appeal.<br><br>Something snapped rather badly and no one could tell what it was. Omana who was always known for her poise and grace and intelligence clashed rather sonorously with Arth: “It is my client and I know what their brand needs. I will appreciate it if you kept out.”<br><br>Arth said, “It is my agency and I know what we need for our revenue and bottom line.” Daksh Vaidya, the Account Group Head, shook his head. Omana who also directed the creative for his client Noryk, an online fashion store, was growing increasingly bristly and defensive at client meetings.<br><br>Daksh did not know about her flare-up with Arth until someone else told him. But sadly, when they were presenting to Noryk, Omana told the client that they needed to be clear as to her directorship on the account.<br><br>Daksh was alarmed. He did not wish to ask her anything just then.<br><br>But later, Omana said to him, “I saw your stricken look. Arth has been messing with my clients and this is the best way to ensure purity of purpose by talking to the client directly.”<br><br>Within days, Daksh began to see a slow crumbling of the dependable edifice at Beta. The first was Sabari Dalal, the payroll accountant. When he went to settle some allowances, she said in a whisper, “All hell is breaking loose. Not enough money in the payroll account.”<br><br>Arth had not been transferring money, she said. “I went to him twice in the last 24 hours, as salaries have to be credited and he told me to come later. This is serious. Naik (production head) also spoke to me. The artists have not been paid. I believe four have stopped work — but they are freelancers and they don’t care. But who will do their work?”<br><br>Was the edifice cracking? But he tried to comfort Sabari saying it was just a phase, and she said, “No, no phase-wayz. Dinoo Daftary has not been paid for his film — Rs 48 lakh. Arth told him he had over charged — something nobody tells Dinoo... there was a messy yelling match I believe.”<br><br>One story unravelled more stories. One after another, the dark stories came out from different people who each believed in a variation of: “we thought it was temporary, we thought he was joking, we thought, new management... he must have changed systems....”. The sorrow was spreading.<br><br>Daksh picked up his mug of coffee and went to meet Nana Naik as they called him. Nana was a consultant art director and much loved at Beta. Last year, he had been made the production head. He was in his mid-60s and retained by Beta because they loved his work far too much. Nana looked at Daksh and said, “Kay re bala, there is a storm brewing on your face?<br><br>Daksh said, “I hear not very encouraging talk around the office....”<br><br><strong>Nana Naik:</strong> One person is having a bad time which he piles onto another fellow. That fellow on another fellow. Soon the whole home has too much tension. Find the culprit.<br><br><strong>Daksh: </strong>Nana! Not joking, yaar. Serious stuff....Arth is not paying... he is interfering as well. Yesterday Omana gave the client a bad time. Dinoo has not been paid, he is refusing to part with the film...<br><br>Nana, it is my client finally! If Omana gives Arobindo (another of Daksh’s star clients) a bad time, he will walk out. I cannot afford it.<br><br><strong>Naik:</strong> I think, Omana also cannot afford it. But she is reacting to her immediate feelings.... Omana bai changli bai aahe... but stressed. Too much on her plate. Bubble Khanna, her counterpart, is in hospital, she is handling his work as well. Her day has become very, very long and she has a father-in-law who is unwell...<br><br><strong>Daksh:</strong> Nana, we all have some difficulty or the other, yaar. It can’t become an excuse.<br><br>As Daksh stood at the door talking to Nana, looking grim and worried, Ajay Soman, one of the senior group heads was walking past. Seeing Daksh, he said, “Yaar, you are here? And I have been looking for you. Bad news. Omana just quit, we are up the sewers without a paddle...!”<br><br>Daksh went white. No Bubbles, now, no Omana... He cursed under his breath as Ajay said to Nana, “I too would not say die, but now I see we are far gone. Arth has told Omana, Beta can work without her and thereby driven the last nail into the coffin. And here is worse news: Arth says he will work on all the accounts! How can he?”<br><br><strong>Daksh:</strong> He can if he chooses to, but question is do we want him to be interfering? I don’t!<br><br><strong>Nana:</strong> Omana going is sad. But she has made a choice. Nobody asked her to leave...<br><br><strong>Ajay:</strong> No, Nana, that is wrong. She has been pushed to the wall...<br><br><strong>Nana: </strong>Then, you push the wall, don’t cave in. If you cave in, it is again a choice you make to not fight. To not negotiate. To not arbitrate. Socho zara, we cannot go about using our emotions like bird feed. If she has chosen to quit, we are still holding on to the<br>organisation and its clients. We have to find solutions. But look at your condition, Ajay! You are senior. Where is<br>your kshatriya sense? In a war, if a soldier falls or is felled, do the others stop the fight and grieve or get on with the battle? A soldier may fall for various reasons including for having made the wrong move. Grief has no place in life. Omana has breached the battle rules for her reasons. What is your battle? Or just warming up to rumours?<br><br>I fear the bitterness of the news channels has gotten to everyone. Being angry all the time, blaming anyone, blaming without researching facts ... why do you believe the worst?<br><br>And that was when Arvind appeared at Nana’s door looking unsure. Seeing Daksh and an extreme senior like Ajay, he withdrew his steps gingerly, when Nana called out, “ Arvinda! ye re bala...! You want something?”<br><br><strong>Arvind: </strong>Sir, I will come later, I just remembered something..<br><br><strong>Nana: </strong>Come come, I also remembered something, to make my tulsi tea for everyone, help me with the cups, can you?<br><br>Arvind smiled as Ajay put an arm around him and teased, “Come, bala, I need that tea..” Then as Arvind helped out, Nana said, “Arvind, are you sensing there is trouble in the organisation? Any problem?”<br><br>Arvind was embarrassed. He said, “Nana my work in media buying is small. I actually have a different problem ... maybe we can talk later, I also have a presentation to work on ...<br><br>And then, as if fearful of letting the moment go, all too suddenly Arvind said, “Nana, salary has not come last month. EMI ...” and without warning Arvind began to sob. Everyone in the room was taken aback. Nana seated Arvind and said, “Arre, did you ask Sabari?”<br><br>No, Arvind had not. He was scared to find out a truth that he would not be able to hear.<br><br><img alt="" src="http://bw-image.s3.amazonaws.com/casedy2-13jul.jpg" style="width: 640px; height: 360px;"><br><br><strong>Daksh: </strong>I told you, Nana, there is no money and Arth is not transferring anything.<br><br><strong>Nana: </strong>But you got your salary last month? Ajay did, and I too got my fees. Then the real question is: Why Arvind?<br><br><strong>Arvind:</strong> If my EMI does not go on the 24th they will harass my parents. That bank is known to do unscrupulous things. They use debt collectors.<br><br><strong>Nana: </strong>We will sort out your EMI and your salary in a second. But tell me, when you knew that bank was of questionable character, why did you take a loan from them?<br><br><strong>Arvind:</strong> I needed to buy a treadmill for my dad and mom. They needed to exercise and they cannot go out for walks, because the building compound is filled with cars and outside the building all the pavements are dug up and have remained like that for two years. So many problems....<br><br><strong>Nana: </strong>You did a very good thing for them. But my question remains. If the lender was a known crook why did you engage with him? Bala, there is an old saying, ‘He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon...’ you shouldn’t have engaged with the devilish bank! Now see your condition!<br><br>Has anyone asked Arth about all this? Ajay, you are senior; meet Arth, tell him there are doubts filling the air. If he does not address them more people will believe the rumours. Morale is getting affected.<br><br><strong>Ajay: </strong>And what if he does not wish to talk to me?<br><br><strong>Daksh: </strong>I know... he has not taken Sabari’s calls either! He does not speak to vendors. He rarely comes to work and when he does he stays in his room.<br><br><strong>Arvind: </strong>There has been a huge default on paying Doordarshan. This is what has scared me more. You think when he has not paid DD, he is going to pay my salary? Or even keep me in the job?<br><br>Ajay was stunned. He did not know about the DD default. As he made a few quick calls, Nana pondered. Sure Arth was a year old at Beta. But he had an industry history which did not look bad. Yes, all through that Arth had been an employee, not an entrepreneur.<br> <br>Nana bought the peace of the men for the time being, but he also now connected all this with a piece of conversation he was privy to: Nana had been with Arth last month in his vast office. Arth was talking to Bharatbhai, the chief accountant who had come in to show him a statement he was sending the banks. At one stage, Arth had taken his pen and cancelled a whole line from the ‘statement of revenue and profits’ and said, “No bonus this year. We will have to sacrifice that. That will release Rs 1.5 crore.”<br><br>Nana knew there was difficulty. The year-end bonus was a practise that had been in place for last 12 years. Taking that away would hack at the root of faith and trust. But he could not mention this to Arth without also telling him, ‘I overheard you.’ If he added the facts they did speak of a financial difficulty. But he had thought that with the giving up of one of the offices, revenue was better.<br><br>Now when he heard about Arvind’s EMI and that he was borrowing from friends, Nana went to Sabari’s office and said, “I am wondering who should shoulder a part of this responsibility to ensure that salaries are paid in time. These are days of EMIs, young boys and girls sincerely trying to look after family and giving them the best... I am wondering if there is not a responsibility devolving on us as employers to pay employees on time?”<br><br><strong>Sabari: </strong>Nana, where am I stopping the payment?<br><br><strong>Nana:</strong> Ah... now we can ask that question differently. ‘How may I ensure that payment does not stop?’ Sabari, bosses sometimes get very immersed in the complexities of business and their minds can slip, leading to neglect. Payroll being with you, you must point out these issues to Arth.<br><br><strong>Sabari:</strong> Is that my job?<br><br>Nana met Arth that week. “A lot of people are thinking a lot of confused thoughts about this organisation and their career. People are anxious and worried. When a workplace is filled with restlessness, it will affect the product it produces, Arth. And the workplace is a part of the total society. Grief here will impact the society.<br><br>“I am sure you as the MD are dealing with a lot. But you also owe it to the people to tell them some things they need to know, some things they need to do, some things they need not worry about. I quote the Ramayan to you Arth, ‘A servant depends on his master for his needs and a child on its mother and both remain free from anxiety; for a master needs must take care of his servant....’ And these words are spoken by the servant of the Lord beseeching Him to not forsake him. As an employer, there is upon us a moral responsibility to ensure that the faith the employee vests in us is respected and honored.”<br><br><strong>Arth:</strong> I understand you are trying to be the old Beta company. I have nothing to say right now, save this: I am trying very hard to make sense out of a bad acquisition. A lot of mess lay under the woodwork, so to say. I expect to do a good job of managing this organisation. I have nothing to say to those living in fear. As for what God says or does not say, the workplace is no place for spirituality, religion, God and such like. So, I would urge you to not waste my time.<br><br>Nana did not report what Arth said. Or if Arth responded at all. When Ajay asked him, “Nana, I hear you met Arth ... did you talk?” Nana only shook his head.<br><br>casestudymeera@gmail.com<br><br>(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 13-07-2015)</p>