This was some yores ago, when I was younger, brighter, taller, darker and more handsome. Needless to say that I was unmarried then and was fully dedicated to making my career.

 You see, no matter how happily a man is married, he does get older, shorter, paler and less handsome after marriage. At least, that’s what seems to happen to men, judging by the gossip chats of our friends of fairer sex.

 Any way. One day I was asked by one of our Directors to make a presentation on my ideas on Performance Improvement, both at individual level and for the corporation as a whole.

That’s when my Boss took an opportunity to “train” me for the presentation.

“Buy a nice suit. Afterall, you will be in front of senior people. May be, I will go with you to help you choose a proper suit.” The Boss.

“No boss, it’s ok. I can manage. I have some friends in the hospitality field and they can help me with impressive wardrobe options.” Me, politely. How else could I get to avoid the Boss interfering with my dress sense! 

 “What do those young kids know? Listen. I will make sure you appear prim and proper and impressive. I have a lot of experience with such things. I will guide you on the spot”. The Boss insisted.

“No Boss. It’s ok. My Brother-In-Law is a director of a company and he always helps me in corporate matters”. On the spur of the moment, I invented this new person who did not exist in reality and offered that I offered as a last chance to avoid having to go shopping with the Boss. Actually, I didn’t want go buying new suits at that time. I always knew what I had was good enough for the occasion, pin-stripes and deeper shade and corporate color neckties et al.

 “Oh, then may be, that’s a chance for me to meet your Corporate Director Brother-In-Law. Let him join us. We can go tomorrow straight after office.” The Boss didn’t know how to take a subtle “No”.

“Ok. let me ask him and I’ll let you know tomorrow”. I tricked the Boss and bought some time for my escape.

“Ok, done. I will help you all the way with this presentation. I will also help you prepare it right and modify your ideas to a perfection of Corporate implementation”. The Boss now changed the direction.

Actually, the director had heard all my ideas and concepts at least a month earlier during his one-on-one staff meetings. He had appreciated them and had asked me to write him a note covering each of the ideas from the concept to implementation plan, which I had done. He then organized a meeting for me to make a presentation to a small group of management people that can assist in reviewing, modifying and implementing the ones that had merit.

I didn’t know if the Boss knew this background, but the Director had written a memo for me to make this presentation and copied it to my Boss for information. This is where my Boss had stepped in.

That evening, before going home, the Boss “casually” walked past my cubicle and “informally” remarked that I had done some good work and that he would help me polish my presentation to perfection. He also mentioned that it would add lot more value if I mentioned that the presentation had helpful inputs from him.

“Do mention my name during your presentation. It would carry more weightage later during the implementation”. The Boss had rubbed it in before exiting for home that evening.

The next morning, the Boss came over to know the time to go out with my BIL (Bro-In-Law) and me for my suit shopping. I was prepared. I told him, that my BIL had spared time the previous eve and had taken me out shopping. So thanks for the Boss’ offer to help.

“Ok. I can at least help you with the presentation. You can mention that I have gone through all your thoughts & ideas, and have reviewed and polished them, which will add greatly to your credibility. Let me know when you are ready with your draft”. The Boss never gives up a chance to get his name dropped among higher-ups.

“Ok”. I said, but I got a fairly good idea then as to the motive behind it all.

Just three days for the presentation. I was well prepared but I also had created another mock presentation that looked like a draft. The latter was for the Boss to see.

I knew he would ask for it just a day or two before the presentation day, and he did just that. I gave him the second one, the mock draft version. No concept was clarified in that version. He was happy to get it from me.

Next day, at lunch time, a colleague came looking for me. With a great urgency he took me aside and informed me that my draft presentation, that I had given to the Boss, was really bad. He explained that the Boss had shown it to quite a few people and had said that he would have to work hard to really help me. Ha ha.

In the evening, going home, I bumped into the Director’s secretary. She casually mentioned that my Boss had been over to see her boss. Apparently, my Boss wanted to postpone the presentation so he could get time to work on it and polish it properly. She said, her boss had refused to change the schedule.

The Boss visited me early the following day, just the day prior to the presentation. He mentioned that my work required lot of review, rework and doing-up. Since we didn’t have enough time for all that, he suggested that I requested for postponement.

I was laughing inside, but said, “But Boss, I thought you said you would help me out on that”.

“Yes, I did. But this requires lot of re-work and we don’t have time for that. So I suggest that you request for a schedule change. Go see the Director now.” The Boss advised.

A little later, I sauntered over to the director’s office just to say ‘Hi’ to his secretary. What a charming gal she was and such a beautiful smile. While briefly chatting with her, I came to know that the Director had outside meetings the whole day that day.

Just before lunch, the Boss came to check if I had requested for a schedule change.

“No Boss, the Director is out the whole day today, so I’m afraid I will have to go through with the presentation as scheduled”. I said showing a fake concern.

The Boss thought it over for a few moments. “Oh I see. But I must tell you, you have to rework on it a lot. Unfortunately, I don’t have time today, so I’m afraid you would have to do it all by yourself. Please make sure that you mention that these are all your ideas and also clarify that for a lack of time you couldn’t go over them with me”. The Boss had an exact 180 degree turn now with his approach. Ha ha.

“Oh Boss. But you had said that you would …”. I played my game.

“Yes, I had said but you were not ready with the draft earlier. Were you? Unfortunately I don’t have time today, else I would have taken the responsibility. May be, your BIL can help”. The Boss had clearly hinted at NOT mentioning his name during my presentation and also that I should look for help from BIL, who didn’t exist.

The presentation went real well the next day. I got kudos for the concepts and the plans too. The Boss was present and felt flabbergasted.

After the presentation, he (the Boss) congratulated me on “the finest suit I was wearing, the finest concepts I had documented and the finest presentation, ever”.

“Your BIL helped you really well. Do thank him for me”. The Boss was still at his game.

“No Boss, BIL didn’t. He is out of town the last 3 days on business”. I beamed with a smile.

The Boss wouldn’t have slept well that night. He did appear drowsy the next day in the office.