BROWN COAT

Brown Coat

Waiting for my turn from the morning to evening. Freezing weather in Delhi. Unfamiliar language and unfamiliar people around. The boy finally entered the oval shaped fully air conditioned illuminated interview room. Eight men well dressed and seated around with the chairman at the centre. Before the boy could close the door, there came the question in a thunder voice from the chairman ' Where did you get this coat ?. ' The boy dressed in a brown coloured overcoat  and a  green coloured sweater inside [ His Father was in military service and the sweater  was brought from military after his retirement.]. The coat was borrowed from a friend in Delhi  with whom he arranged his stay. With all this,  he might have been looking like a comedian in a circus and probably this attire and the appearance might have triggered that question from the chairman. ' Where did you get this coat ?.  The boy answered without any hesitation . “ I borrowed  from my friend.' The answer evoked positive response from the chairman and he told the boy to take the chair and said ' I asked this question because in kerala nobody use such overcoats .' Yes !  I was that boy and  my first Big interview. That day , that night, That answer changed my life.

Today, What baffles me is not the answer I gave, rather the ability of the chairman to pick up immediately the right question to ask the candidate in split of a second to shake him  thoroughly to get inside of me. After 31 years of service in various positions and meeting several people, I still appreciate that intelligent question as a CEO as far as Human Resource Management is concerned. In my training as an auditor I was told,    Do not ask any closed ended questions or leading questions, because you do not get the right answer. Ask the right questions to get right answer. Probably the chairman asked the right question and he got the right answer. Lord Jesus also told us 'Ask and you will get it'. When we do not get the answer, we must understand we are not asking the right question. In fact he used right questions to shut the mouth of unjust opponents. Yes there also it was proved the right question elicited the right answer -[silence ] from opponents.

Even today, I Still ponder over that question. Will I give the same answer today if the same question is repeated in a similar circumstance ?. No, It is almost impossible to get such a candid open answer. The reasons could be many but today it may not be the right question to a person with 31 years of experience and held different positions. Probably such a question could hurt his ego and can evoke a negative response.

Everyone is born with an ego and it is like a balloon inside. It is empty and not inflated when you are a child. That is the reason Lord Jesus said 'If you are like a child, you could be a winner. But as time passes, along with qualifications, achievements, position, power and recognition, the balloon slowly inflates up with inert ego gas and lifts you up slowly from the ground. If you do not realise this 'take off' probably you will not be able to control your direction of travel later. Enlargement of balloon beyond the buoyancy shall be arrested. Many tools are available. Among them, “Questions” also serve as a successful tool to deflate this self healing balloon. Obviously  In my case the question ‘Where did you get this coat ? ' is the most appropriate question. Every time I ask this question to me, the brown coat pierce through the  inflated balloon and in a split of a second  the  inflated  balloon  becomes  a useless rubber piece and  gets grounded safely.

Today when I had a relook at the same incident I felt more than my candid answer, it  is my father's blessing because he ( Late K.C Varghese ) was with me through his  green sweater I was wearing. (Green military sweater  belongs to him). On this day- Fathers day, I am reminded of this incident and rededicate my journey of life  to him.