MY BOSSES – Part 4 ( KN )

KRISHNAMACHARI NARASIMHAN

KN was the Master Salesman in Dorr-Oliver, and thoroughly deserved his title of Divisional Manager.  He had equal facility in handling intricacies of the Pulp & Paper, Minerals, Sugar or the Environmental Divisions.  Like me, he was a Chemical Engineer himself, and could quickly get to the heart of the matter on any subject put before him.  In course of time, I also made the discovery that he was related to me, in a not distant way, and we shared great rapport ever since.

KN had the habit of dropping in uninvited during meetings and discussions in the Environmental division, much to the annoyance of my immediate boss Natarajan.  No amount of shoo away glares from Natarajan would budge KN from his position behind my chair, with his hands resting lightly on my shoulders, while I sat cringingly,  watching the silent duel between my bosses.

One of KN’s all time favourite maxims was “ No use working like a Bull and producing Bullshit”, which has left an everlasting imprint on my psyche.  Wags in Dorr-Oliver would however aver that KN never put in a hard day’s work, floating around as he did, like a butterfly.  That may not be entirely true : I did accompany him on a couple of marketing missions, visiting clients.

Entrepreneurs and promoters of small and medium scale industries came to Bombay for making  presentations of their projects to the financial institutions.  They often camped in Star hotels in South Bombay, and KN would go courting, buttering and softening them up and ultimately selling them our products.  And, after the deal was done, and the usual bonhomie, handshakes etc.,  KN would ask me to step out for a bit, while he exchanged some important Notes with the client.  The need for secrecy did sound a little odd to a greenhorn like me, when the sale had been already accomplished.

Only later did I come to know that the “Notes” exchanged, all carried Mahatma Gandhi’s portrait in his toothless grinning pose,  also duly signed by the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

I don’t believe I learnt anything of Note from KN in my days at Dorr-Oliver.  Let me be charitable and say that not learning anything from a person, is also a learning, after a fashion.  Can’t let down a kinsman, can I ?

Dr. Ananth S Kodavasal                                                                                      June 22, 2011