Saturday 1 March 2014

The Mentor



Preethi's heart was beating fast as she went through her heavily researched presentation for the tenth time. She was to brief the technical team in front of her boss Vinay and provide guidelines for the implementation of a high profile project. She had been a programmer for quite a while, all the time enviously eying Karan(almost her age) who led projects on the business front, talked to customers and spearheaded application launches. She was really good at these too, just that she needed some experience and her boss had handed over a new project to her much to her delight and Karan's dismay for he was asked to simply guide her and stay away otherwise.

They assembled in the meeting room and as Preethi was setting up her presentation, she heard Karan start off saying 'Let me brief you with the business requirements' and a cold sweat broke on her brow. He went on like a pro with just the white board, marker and his brains as the aid and finished with 'Preethi will now give you the technical details'. Resigned to her fate and disappointed, she went on to discuss database table structures and program logic as always, nursing extreme hatred for Karan. 'If I am not given a single chance to run on the track, how will I show that I am a good runner?' she thought with pain and resentment seething in her heart. Karan, too young and early in his career to possess a mentor's maturity and ability to stay off the course, left the room with smug satisfaction.

Note: This post has been written by me for the 'Write Tribe - Festival of Words - 3'. The theme for today is to write a 9 sentence fiction. 

I'm taking part in the Write Tribe Festival of Words -3

45 comments:

  1. That is really sad. I guess to everyone is cut out to be a good mentor. :(

    Glad to meet you through the Write Tribe Festival of Words, Aarthy. :)

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  2. I meant " I guess not everyone is cut out to be a good mentor"

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    1. Oh yes. I always feel an attitude to mentor can come only towards someone who is much younger to you and when you have already tasted a lot of success in your own career.

      Glad to know you too Jyothi :) Welcome to this space.

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    2. Exactly... some maybe really good at their job but that doesnt necessarily translate into being a good mentor. Their personal ambitions make them stifle others just so that they ensure they remain the center of attraction instead of utilising the others talents.
      A good realistic take on the prompt

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    3. Very true Roshan. Thanks for sharing your views and welcome to this space !

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  3. There are such mean characters in every office.The boss should have known and kept him out of it completely

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    1. Sometimes the best of people fail to make good mentors. It takes a lot of experience, maturity and a successful career to make one.
      Thanks for the comment and welcome here!

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  4. I have been fortunate to have had very understanding mentors all through my professional life. And, in some way, I think most of the ones who don't mentor well are seething from some resentment of their own. That is what I believe, at least. Why else would you not want your protege to shine? Interesting take.

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    1. Exactly my opinion too Shailaja. You wouldn't feel safe to lead someone else to the limelight if you are not secure of your own success.

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  6. The post was too real for me to comment in a sane manner :-D. So well I've been there.. how hard it is to market yourself when such people are around!!

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    1. It sure is! Sometimes we are better off if left to fend for ourselves than have a 'guide' who is not trustworthy. Mentoring is no joke after all ..

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  7. How frustrating for Preethi!
    I worked with one such fellow and it used to drive me crazy!!

    Its sad that with such people around, people with true potential are ignored...

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    1. Yes indeed. It is also a mistake to expect someone who is your peer to be your mentor.

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  8. Poor Preethi:-( I could feel her hearth beat through your words... You told the story so well:-) And what an awful mentor... :-( How can anyone grow if they are never shown trust and given responsibilities...?!Yeek!

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    1. Thank you so much Eliz. Your comment made me smile :)
      An awful mentor indeed. Maybe a bit too young to take up that garb.

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  9. Mentoring is a skill that very few have. We all start our raw and then slowly we learn and shine. Go Preethi!

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    1. Yes, mentoring is a very rare and praiseworthy skill that comes with time. Thanks for the comment Suzy :)

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  10. types of Karan will never ever go far... In letting thje gal not grow he's stunting his own growth!

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    1. Very true Mina. If you cannot stand someone's success, you cannot go very far.

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  11. Oh :( she's disappointed after having done so much work for this :( Well, he'll learn soon that we grow only when others grow with us.

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  12. That really sucks! Workplace politics and ego are things that really frustrate me...some people love the downfall of others...

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    1. And those people don't get too far, do they?

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  13. Something sounds so familiar with this story. I have seen so many such articles. Nice tale.

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  14. This usually happens in corporate offices where people never leave an opportunity to step on others to go higher on the ladder of success. All I can say is been there, felt that :)

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    1. Oh yes, we all have our share of dealing with such people. One can only hope that they learn with time.

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  15. A tale of rising to the top at the cost of others' distress. Nicely depicted.

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  16. Aarthy, what she should have done was, to interrupt him and apologise, saying, can I please take it from the start?
    This is dog-eat-dog world and if one doesn't stand for oneself, then they stand no chance to go any further than where they are!!

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    1. That's true. But I guess the first time always takes you by surprise. Next time around, am sure Preethi will be ready to take it head on!

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  17. Guess, they should have given it a try to break the ice and communicate. They could have been a smashing time. Well written:)
    http://vishalbheeroo.wordpress.com/2014/03/02/day-1-wtfw-9-sentence-fiction-bonding-over-pani-puri/

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  18. Gah! I might have tossed a marker at his head! Ok, so in my fiction writing I would have tossed the marker. In real life, I, too, would have left furious after doing an amazing job.

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  19. I think such insensitive people are insecure and don't want their fears to come true by their co-workers' coming into the limelight. Karan shouldn't have sabotaged Preethi's ppt.

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    1. True Sulekha. Such people are insecure.
      Karan does not sabotage the PPT. He simply overtakes her and starts the show before she stets it up.
      Thanks for the comment and welcome here!

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  20. Hope she gets her deserved break soon! Nicely written :)

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    1. Experience teaches everyone I guess:) So she should handle it better next time. Thanks Aditi and welcome here!

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  21. Hope she gets her deserved break soon! Nicely written :)

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  22. Hope she gets her deserved break soon! Nicely written :)

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  23. Hope she gets her deserved break soon! Nicely written :)

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  24. Such is life. Along with hard work, a person also needs to be able to hold his own and protect his interests. There are hyenas waiting to snatch credit for all your hard work. Unfortunately in the corporate world, if you can't make noise, you stay anonymous and your work is never appreciated.

    Really nice post.

    Blogrolling you.

    Cheers
    CRD

    Updated my blog twice in the past month. Do drop by.

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