Backstabbing

Can you imagine someone who is very close to you, actually let u down and back stab you.. I had this bitter experience today. I am a team leader in one of the biggest Telecom companies of India. As a person I am not so greatly experienced but my previous experience made me to behave in such a manner to my juniors that they are always comfortable with me.



It was June 18th 2006, I had just taken charge of being a Team leader I was purely a Data guy before. Being a TL in Technical department of which I had no knowledge was a Herculean task to me. But then what is life without challenge. For the first time in my life I would be learning about configurations, channel allocations of the Techie world. I just happened to notice a guy who walked up to me shyly telling that he has been asked to report in to me. His name was Vel I came to know that this guy from a village is actually a BE Graduate. I noticed him for few days. He was very timid and very soft in nature. I knew for the fact that he had talents that no one had in my team. He was just uncomfortable in communicating and speaking in English was a real night mare for him. Day rolled off .I became comfortable with the entire team. By this time I was able to take complete control of the entire process involved in my dept.



I do not know why I felt I should bring out the talent of Vel. Yes the same way my boss had brought out my talents some years ago. I started watching Vel's work keenly. I found that though he was hard worker, but his skills were getting wasted in a small time job. In mid of Oct 2006, I got a chance to move him to a section where he would be able to prove himself. I handed over him the most difficult part of the work handled by my team. At first, Vel could not catch up with the work. But as days went off, I saw a new person emerging out of him. Yes a confident person named Vel was literally visible to everyone. That was not I aimed for... I wanted him to be 100% efficient for which he needed a strong communication skill. Though I had a soft way of teaching the language, I chose the hard way of making him learn English. I started teasing him and his fluency in English. That must have kindled the fire in him; I saw a major turn around with him in few days. He had started to buy newspaper in his room to learn English. Soon he was able to communicate properly in English.



By mid of Jan 2007, I once again felt the need to making him learn new thing which would help him decide a career in future. Vel had no knowledge in Excel but I wanted him to excel in Excel too. I made him to handle one the most difficult task of Report generation that involved various excel skill. He learnt it too. By March, Vel had become one the most unavoidable person in the team who can handle any job in the sections.



But as old saying goes, "People tend to get head weight, once they become strong in some qualities." came true in Vel's life. Vel started taking leave often and behaved in such a way that he knew everything. A guy who was struggling to tell his name previously often argued with me on petty things in life. Though I was disturbed during such act of him, I generally did not take action against him as he was my boy.



It was 6 o clocks in the morning when I woke up today morning. As usual, after I took bed coffee, when I heard the message tone of my mobile. I read the message and it said



"Thank you for your help ", I am going to Delhi today and I have got a new job there."..Vel



He was correct in his vocabulary usage this time but the way he put forwarded the message was completely unethical.



I am not worried while writing this , since I have learnt one new thing in life yes I have learnt what is back stabbing !