Punctuality and Mr Leo Charles FULL Soft skills training Ezhilarasan

Punctuality and Mr  Leo Charles FULL
A Flash back to 1998

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 Tamil translation  தமிழ் மொழிபெயர்ப்பு

I happen to work as a computer software developer for a big civil contractor (Pre-qualified Contractor), Mr.Leo Charles. 

He was the Managing Director of M/s. BrickSteel Enterprises, Salem. He was a crorepati and a very sincere Christian. A person with good manners and a kind heart.
OTHER WORKS OF EZHILARASAN VENKATACHALAM 

I can’t forget the VIP treatment he gave me in the inauguration function of his new house. Since, I was a physically challenged person, I had difficulty in sitting down on the floor like others and eat. 

However, he made me sit in a separate room and made his people serve exclusively for me like a VIP. 

It was a great honour for me and could not forget the experience. Very few rich people show such extremely good manners.

Meeting Mr.Leo Charles for the first time.

I met Mr.Charles for the first time somewhere in 1998 or so in the interview for a computer software development job. He said he wanted a sophisticated computer program to be developed. 

And that the program should give all the details of all his on-going civil projects at various places in Tamilnadu, at the flick of a button. Then he said that one fellow from Chennai came for it, but disappeared after getting some money.

Hence, he asked me not to immediately develop any computer program, but first “study” and understand what his company is doing. He said that after a few months he would give his exact computer program requirements. 

Then, he enquired how much I needed as salary for this work. I was surprised that Salem had developed to such an extent as a company is ready to pay for “SYSTEM STUDY” (in computer terms). I quoted a very reasonable amount. He said okay and I joined immediately.

Punctuality

For almost four months I would go to our office at SBI Colony III near TPT exactly at 9:30am. Mr.Charles will generally be 15 days in Salem and 15 days touring all over Tamilnadu visiting his civil project sites. 

Almost four or five days in a month exactly at 9:30am when my TVS-50 stand makes a screeching parking noise at my office, I would immediately hear a bang! It would be Mr.Charles’ car door slamming shut (or his house door slamming shut). 

I know by my CASIO digital watch that I was very punctual at least 20 days in a month.  Though I could meet Mr.Charles only a few times in a month, I came to know he too was very punctual like me.

At this time, if we happen to meet while I climb the staircase, I would wish him and he would respond casually. His house was in the ground floor and our office was in the second floor. 

In a month we both would have meet hardly four or five times. Each time he would just make a casual enquiry, say for just a few seconds or a minute at the maximum. 

I would say that things were going on smoothly. If it happens to be the salary day, I would remind him about it and he would promptly arrange for it.

ASKED WATER, BUT GOT TEA

Let me narrate an incident that happened here. On the first week of my working, I could not find any drinking water in the office. 

It seems a maid servant who was in-charge of his house-hold work was also attending to it. In spite of my repeated reminders to the manager and the maid, I could not get the drinking water. 

So, I started to carry my own drinking water for a day or two. But suddenly carrying the weight for 2 floors, made me wonder whether I should really continue working in such a company.

Hence, the next day I met my boss, Mr.Charles and reported the problem. He immediately called the manager and gave some money and asked him to get a new drum to store water. 

And also asked him to ensure water is available in the office henceforth. Next he called his wife and enquired whether she is supplying the scheduled tea to the office at 11 am and 4 pm. She said “No” and gave some excuses.

He immediately ordered her that from the next day onwards tea should be provided to the office at the two scheduled timings.
I was wonder-struck at the professionalism of Mr.Charles.

I asked for water, but from the next day we all got tea. Great man I thought !

MY FIRST DAY AS MANAGER

After sometime, the existing office manager, Mr.Saravanan was transferred to Hosur site. Then, I was made the office manager. As usual, I was following my timings. 

On my first day, at 5:55pm when I told, “Boys let us start home, come on, lock the office”, they were stunned. They said that they could see our boss Mr.Charles’ car on the ground floor and were scared to go home. “It is okay, I am going home, you better lock the office and follow me. If he asks anything I would answer, come on”, I said.

While climbing down the two floors all the four or five staff members were saying, “Sir, in our experience, this is the first time we are going home at 6:00pm”. 

I replied, “Hey, guys Mr.Charles is a very nice man. Did he ask you to stay back till 8pm in the office. You have wrongly assumed that. Come on, from today onwards the rules change”. And we all started leaving early from that day onwards.

If our boss happens to see us someday going home, he would ask us, “So boys, all work is over today? So you are all going home. Am I right?”. We would say “Yes, Sir” and pack off home. “If there is work some other day you should stay back, finish it and go home, Okay?”, he would say and we would agree and go home.

My work for the first few months

My work was to daily ask all the clerical staff members who were there and our Civil Engineers who visit our head office to give me some details about what our company is doing and make hints.

Most of our company Site Engineers would be in a hurry to get sanctions for lakhs of rupees or discuss about some urgent issues like change of building plans etc. They would visit at odd hours and be tired and tense. I would almost cajole them and make them explain me a few technical terms in Civil Engineering and take extensive notes.

We all know that the basic things for civil construction are cement, bricks, sand and “jalli”. It was in this company that I learnt the correct English word for “jalli” or broken pieces of stone. It is called “BLUE METAL”. 

For about four or five months I would sincerely go to office exactly at 9:30am and start back home exactly at 6:00 pm (or 6:30pm).

Everyone would keep a distance from me because they knew I was directly reporting to the NO.1 of the company, Mr.Leo Charles. However, I was very sincerely and was making preparations for a would-be computer software. 

After a few months, I literally had no work to do. However, I would daily go to office at the exact time, take my Hindu newspaper and read it leisurely. Then, at lunch time have lunch and chat with the colleagues and return home exactly at the scheduled time. I was expecting my boss to assign engaging work soon.

Though I worked with him for a few years the software project was not assigned to me. Hence, I got bored up and had to leave the company when I had a better opening. However, working with Mr.Charles, M/s.BrickSteel Enterprises, Salem was a very great and enjoyable and unforgettable experience. 

It was unfortunate that I had to leave him.

If my students / learners were regularly late to my Spoken English classes I would  narrate the above and make them realize punctuality is a  characteristic they should learn, to come up in life. 

Ezhilarasan Venkatachalam
English training through Tamil
Salem, South India.

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