Of coffee talks and career paths: Review of my book Corporate Quirks in Financial Express, 10th December 2023

 

Neatly divided into chapters, which are further subdivided into sections, the book takes the reader on a fascinating journey of the corporate world, albeit on its quirkier side, as the author recounts observations and anecdotes based on personal experiences.

n his new book, ‘accidental’ economist Madan Sabnavis paints an insider’s picture of the cutthroat corporate world, outlining the written and unwritten rules of the game

Title: Corporate Quirks: The Darker Side of the Sun
Author: Madan Sabnavis
Publisher: KBI Publishers

It may take years to truly comprehend and digest the cutthroat corporate world, but trust Madan Sabnavis to make it a breeze, and the effort worthwhile, in his new book Corporate Quirks: The Darker Side of the Sun. Whether you are a fresh graduate trying to figure out everything on your own or a highly-valued professional excelling in your career, the book has as much of an aha moment for everyone as it has familiar undertones even for somebody working in the sector for just three to four years.

Neatly divided into chapters, which are further subdivided into sections, the book takes the reader on a fascinating journey of the corporate world, albeit on its quirkier side, as the author recounts observations and anecdotes based on personal experiences. That the ‘accidental’ economist—as he himself admits he became one due to his “inability to open other career doors”—has been in the sector for 36 years, of which 35 were in the private sector, helped in providing the “raw materials” for the book.

What does the entry into the world of St Corporate look like? How is the corporate world structured? What are its dynamics? Through detailed emotio-nal—though satirical—sketches, Sabnavis paints a vivid picture of the corporate world, outlining the written and unwritten rules of the game. He shines the ‘spotlight’ on the sector as he says: “‘tis not Hollywood but Corporate-wood”. His narrative on the ‘protagonists’ —the CEOs, CFOs, board of directors, colleagues, consultants, etc—makes it a ‘movie’ worth ‘binge-watching’ on.

The section on ‘coffee machine’, however, takes the cake. According to the author, a coffee machine is not just a dispenser of the popular and stimulating beverage. “It is a critical point of contact with colleagues who forget their departments and designations when they congregate here. It is the hot seat for sharing gossip and malice, which used to be done hitherto only in the rest rooms… the coffee vending machine is not just a refreshment machine but an entire congregation of bonhomie and camaraderie, which is otherwise not visible in the company,” he writes.

All the chapters and sections therein open with one-liners that clearly point the reader towards the direction that they are headed. But I would like to call them ‘punch’ lines, quite literally, as they hit you with the reality that exists otherwise. For example, for the section on ‘career progression’, he writes: “Don’t be irreplaceable. If you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.” In a similar manner, he starts the passage on ‘compensation’ with: “As long as my company pretends my salary is high, I’ll pretend that I have a lot of work to do.”

However, Sabnavis clarifies that while the book brings out the darker or quirkier side of the corporate world, it does not take away any credit from how it has contributed to the nation’s progress. “In fact, it would be presumptuous to even think of questioning the accolades earned by the corporate leaders… But the quirkier sides exist and can amuse the reader,” he writes. This is the spirit in which the essays should be read, he adds.

The author saves the best for the last with what he calls the ‘corporate lexicon’. To put it in simple words, you say something, but you actually mean something else. These are phrases that you would hear in every company, your position or job profile notwithstanding. For instance, ‘I want you to think’ would translate into ‘I am not going to do this and it is your job to do it’ or ‘we should discuss it again next time’ implying ‘I am tired and bored’. Similarly, ‘we should work as a team’ would mean ‘I am your boss and will be a free rider’.

Sabnavis ends the book with a refresher on corporate tenets that are never to be forgotten. We all know about laws that concern the management of the company. But as an individual, writes the author, “there are unwritten, non-enforceable and practiced laws that you need to know… to survive and succeed in this grand world”. These include practising and mastering the art of making excuses, pleasing your boss, studying the HR rules carefully and ensuring you know how the system works, and so on.

Corporate Quirks is the kind of stuff that you would like to read when you are in the mood for something serious yet light, hard-hitting yet entertaining, as you take a break from crunching numbers and making PowerPoint presentations, or simply waiting to make your next career move.