Your first day at the new company, you are excited, you have groomed yourself enough to be in line with being professional, you have lots running inside your mind.
And let me tell you more what is actually inside your mind
when you rush up for your first day at the company of your career.
I am sure each individual will have a different experience
with each people, they interact with.
And a gatekeeper is one of them. With a mere salary, standing
at the gate all day, dealing with inside and outside visitors. Joining hands,
bowing head with respect. But in turn, receive no attention for what they deserve.
The first interaction of outsiders with the company.
Mr. Yeman and Pukar, 52 and 21 respectively are the two
gatekeeper of one of the company where Rojina was selected after her 4 rounds
of interviews.
Hey you dumb, yes I am talking to you old bones, can’t you
see me, open the gate soon, else I got to complain to your manager.
Sure Rojina, it must be your first day I suppose, here you
go, I am sorry I was at the phone talking to one of my very old friend in Iraq.
Pukar looked staggered, he could not wait to ask, how did
you even know her name? if she is very new to the organization, I am
institutionalized, Yeman replied.
Bitter experience at the gate, isn’t it? as what I experienced
so far at the gate, Pukar at Yeman. Not really Pukar, sometimes it happened with a new recruiter, they don’t understand the value of the gate. There are also people
who admire us. But it is we who need to keep our emotions grounded.
Why don’t you find a job elsewhere? I can’t stand when a person like the age of your daughter
treated you like that. Pukar showed his frustration at the situation.
This is the only thing I know Pukar, you know I am used to
it, someone’s negative behavior doesn’t put me down, it rather tells me more
about not to give up. I don’t want any other person get the same treatment once
I left.
Yeman coolness killed Pukar a lot. He was surprised how a
mere gate keeper keep his spirit so high.
Yeman had almost 22 years of experience at the company, the
company had 3 employees when he started, now the company had 12,000 employees
at 29 different branches and alliances. Pukar just one week old, a new gate assistance
for Yeman. So young as he is to enter a kind of job like he is into.
However, Pukar dreams to finish his graduation, he indeed
had finish his 12th standard before he joins as a gate keeper.
I will take care of the gate if you really wish to finish
your graduation, said Mr. Yeman to Pukar. But boss will never allow this, they
will kick me out if they don’t find me at the gate. And I don’t want to put you on stake for the
shake of my career, Pukar retorted to Yeman.
Career is the biggest thing you know Pukar, what do you expect
out of this job huh? What you think company going do with us? A gate keeper,
perhaps a poor job, less pay.
I wish my son to be a
CEO of this company. I don’t mind if I had to bow my head down to him.
The unusual conversation between Mr. Yeman and Pukar had
something to notice.
Pukar did join his evening class, as he had to deal with the
gate till 3PM, by 3:30 PM he had his class run.
One fine day, Rojina was struggling with her car to start,
Yeman with his technical knowhow managed to help her car start. She didn’t even
bother to say thank you.
Wow you repaired the car! How you did that? Pukar asked to
Yeman, as he was cleaning his hand using soap at the tap nearby the gate.
My father lived his all life at the garage, and I used to
help me whenever I find time after my school. He taught me how a customer
should get a Goosebumps as their vehicle is getting repaired or treated.
Yeman reminisced his father work ethics.
Six years later when Rojina was promoted as a project head,
Yeman was the first person to congratulate Rojina with a beautiful gift.
Rojina must have realized, how a gate keeper can give a new
shape and size about the company culture to keep alive.
Happy birthday to you sir, a gift, wrapped up, handed over to
the CEO of the company.
The CEO in return, what you both are you doing here? Can’t
you see the party going on?
We just came to wish you sir. It is your 53rd
birthday, told Mr. Yeman. Yeman and Pukar greeted the boss, as they really
wanted to shake a hand with him, but it was a dream come true for both of them.
Both returned back to the gate. I want to amend the way
company look at the gatekeeper, said Pukar.
They don’t even realize we are even human, how they would realize
that we are also the part of the organization? Pukar with aggression, a high
level of maturity can be felt by Yeman.
Forget all this, tell me how is your study going on? Yeman
asked.
I am learning more; I will study hard to reach my
destination.
show that a mere gatekeeper can dream. And dream huge, Yeman
influenced Pukar like the true leader does for his employees.
Do you ever feel that we have been treated like a dog? Pukar asked.
You know Pukar, any organization culture starts from its
gate, people usually don’t get to see how a manager or any staff of the
organization behave, it is the gate staff who come to face to face with the visitors,
they may be a workers or anybody from outside. Mr. Yeman with an inspiring
reply to Pukar curiosity.
But I found people take it for a granted on our humility,
why don’t they value the way we behave them, Pukar wanted to learn as much as
from Yeman.
Yeman in his reply told we are branded as a gatekeeper,
all they have in their mind is the big fat name “Gate Keeper” that is enough
for them to behave like they do.
I did not understand what you are trying to underline,
Yeman. Pukar seeking for more for clearing his doubt.
If all the gatekeeper out there in the planet is being
branded as a ‘Gate Manager’ rather than a ‘Gate Keeper’ the desired behavior is
automatic. Yeman philosophy was something unique.
I hope you are making more sense now; I ponder a gatekeeper
copes with all the hurdles that is being tied up with the security of the
organization. Pukar with his support for Yeman.
Several years later, when Rojina saw Pukar addressing the
audience with his ideas in front of the company’s core teams, she was more than
bombshell to know how could a meager gatekeeper hold a solid position at the
same company where he was downtrodden for years at the gate.
It was really nice job you did out there, I wonder how did
you land up in huge organization in a great post? Rojina curiosity reached at the
next level. She can’t even wait to know about Pukar progress to the corporate.
Pukar in reply, I always wanted to prove that gatekeepers
aren’t outsiders to the company, I want to change the way people at the company
behave and treat to the gatekeeper.
Rojina could not find any words to utter back to Pukar, as
he was grilled himself with a superior mission to reform in some of the most
neglected part of the organization that the corporate body had been snubbed so
far.
Years later, Rojina at the front seat, at the company’s
conference hall, 350 staff members from the top management level to various other
line staff including investors and several clients.
Pukar almost ready to begin his presentation for his
proposed project strategy, before he commenced he announced to introduce the ‘gate
manager’ of the company. Everyone was surprised by the announcement.
The gate manager? Who is that? Everybody questions him,
before he proclaims his newfound ideas, there was a stunning presence of Mr. Yeman
with a batch “Gate Manager”. Nobody knows if such a title ever exists.
