WORKPLACE FABLES A TIRED MANAGER AND AN AWARD

Mark Price, former MD of Waitrose, shares his workplace fables – true stories from the business front line that can teach us lessons about career success

While winning an award is always flattering, the Tired Manager was not happy. In order to accept a gong for services to the construction industry, he would have to speak at a special dinner.

It was not the engagement he minded, but that it was at the end of a long week. These things dragged on into the night. The Tired Manager would rather go home.

The bosses at Cemexa insisted the Tired Manager attend. His colleagues insisted, too. So, the Tired Manager went to the ceremony. The Tired Manager was in a poor mood when he arrived at the posh hotel for the dinner and eager for the evening to be over.

The first thing he asked his host was how early he could leave. Throughout dinner, he kept checking his phone and huffing and puffing about not being at home with his family.

After his speech, the Tired Manager was given a generous vote of thanks and the award to recognise his achievements. But still he couldn’t wait to leave.

He pushed his way out of the dinner and moaned about how tacky the award was, how rubbish the food and how inane the questions.

Everyone who heard his reaction was shocked. It was all anyone could talk about for the rest of evening and then, in the following days, it hit the press. Sentiment towards the Tired Manager and Cemexa turned sour.

“Don’t go there,” people would say. “They are far too self-important.” The awards people certainly did not trouble the company again.

Moral of the tale:

When on parade, never let your true feelings show – no matter how tired or frustrated you feel.

‘The awards people did not trouble the company again’