TINA

“I agree with you that the company is not making good money but I am helpless. I want you to give me 40 % hike in my salary with immediate effect. If it is not possible please let me know I am ready to leave the job” Niranjan said.

Rani was fuming with anger. Four years earlier when he was jobless she had taken him as a  sales manager on insistence of her father. She was the Managing Director and had turned around a sick company. she had rejuvenated the company and made it one of the top manufacturers of automobile ancillaries. She felt that this guy was blackmailing her as dependency on him was high. 

Niranjan had joined the company after his job loss at a batching plants manufacturing unit. Rani’s father Raghuram, the Chairman of the company liked him during the interview and felt like giving him a chance. Niranjan had put in good efforts and worked round the clock. As he was in the sales division, he had to do lot of touring. He had relentlessly toured all across the country and in a short span of time won the confidence of Rani and Raghuram. As a result he got promoted to regional manager and then to the position of country sales manager.

Rani was sitting in the sit out area of her house with a cup of hot coffee. Her father came near her and said “You look pensive my child”

She looked up and told him the way Niranjan was playing games with the company.

Raghuram smiled at her and said “You will learn to handle such people by experience. I have seen many bigger Niranjans in my career.

I still remember the day he met me during the interview and he had spark in his eyes.

 No doubt he lived up to our expectations and outperformed his targets. We also supported him wholeheartedly and gave him increments in salary and positions. He has always been an asset to the company and has never ever played foul”

“But then, why now? Why is he demanding hike at this juncture? “She questioned and continued “The automobile industry is going through a very bad phase and we have less number of orders. We have been working on these three big projects and am very sure that in a matter of few weeks we will get at least two of them. This will solve all our problems and we can again smile at our workers and be contented that no one will lose job and no family will be in financial crisis”.

Raghuram sat on the chair next to her and said “You know why Niranjan is behaving this way?”

Rani replied “May be he has gone nuts or become greedy. When he was struggling with a job loss, we gave him a job and this is what he has given us in return”.

Raghuram smiled and said “You are wrong my angel. This has got nothing to do with greed. It is a phenomenon known as TINA the ‘There Is No Alternative’ effect.

Niranjan over the period of time understood that he is very important  and we would struggle to improve our business without him. In fact we are the real culprits in this case. We should not have allowed him to become indispensable. This feeling has made him think that he is the most important person in the company and we have no alternative. That’s why he is making such unreasonable demands”.

Rani agreed with her father and said “It is not that we have not tried to convince him. I had one to one meeting with him and offered him 15 % hike in salary and promised to increase it again once we start making better profits”.

Raghuram interrupted her and said “That is where you have done a mistake”.

 They had discussion for about half an hour and Rani felt happy as her father gave her some breakthrough ideas.

Next day morning Rani summoned Niranjan to her cabin.

He walked in and said “So Madam what have you decided? Am I getting my 40 % hike in salary? “

She smiled and said “Niranjan, we cannot give you the hike and please tender your resignation”.

He was shocked as he did not expect this answer from her. He knew that he was very important for the company to get the critical orders and he leaving at this juncture would cause hardships.

He was silent for few minutes and said “It is OK if you cannot give 40 % hike, please give me the 15 % hike as promised by you earlier”

Rani knew that she had won the battle. She called Lucy her secretary and said “Please get the resignation letter from him and settle all pending issues and relieve him from tomorrow effectively”.

After half an hour Lucy walked into Rani’s cabin and said “I have completed the formalities and he has already left. I do not understand why you took such a hasty decision. We will be in trouble”.

Rani looked at Lucy and said “Even I was of the same opinion. But my father gave me the strength. If we give in today, he will not stop. After few more months he will come back again. I am still the best sales person in my organization and I have taken it as a personal challenge and will lead the sales team in the critical orders”.

Lucy smiled at her and said “You understand people well. We should use the same technique in our personal life also so that we can show people the right places”.

 Rani added “Family and friends are with us not by compulsion but by choice. They are not amongst us to achieve targets. We should always accommodate them to a very large extent. After all it is the close family members and good friends who stand by us in times of despair".

“I understand Madam” Lucy said and continued “We should always try to be nice to them and a few nice words can help a person lot more than you think”.