The Great Corporate Ball Game

Our lives in offices have become increasingly complex, thanks to globalization. The modern employee must work across cultures, time zones and matrix environment. One of the most important skills required of them is to effectively manage their responsibilities. But often, they struggle many a times unable to understand what their responsibilities are.

Responsibility could be compared to a ball being passed across in the organization. In many cases, your corporate success depends upon clearly identifying if the ball is intended for you and then striking it effectively. In any organization, we see lots of ball-deflectors, balls which are not particularly targeted at any one, balls which perennially and aimlessly change hands.

I have tried to do a parallel between a ball game and a typical day in corporate life.

6:30 AM:

7:30 AM: Eagerly checking corporate mails on the mobile. As expected some balls from US. One of them I kick it back requesting more information. Another one I need to check with the team to find who to kick it to, but I was confident it is not going to remain with me forever. 

One ball I had kicked couple of days ago has come back. I need to kick it back during the day. A senior exec has kicked one into my court, not sure who it was intended to. He has sent to several people. I guess he himself is not sure who can kick it right. This is what I call No Ball - NB – Not intended for anyone). I thought of impressing him by trying to catch it (decided against later, since someone who checked the mails before me already did that). Opportunity lost.

However not red hot balls – the ones from the client.

10:15: Few more balls roll on to my court while I am travelling to office.

11:30: Couple of balls - one ball from the boss. This needs to be disposed fast. Sometimes I wonder if he is picking up many NBs and passing it over to me.

12:00: Three of the balls have been kicked back to the same person. All of them are seniors who think half the company reports into them. I will mostly receive the ball back in 2/3 days. They may not like the 'color/texture'. Sometimes they will complain that 'it's not properly filled with air'. At least they are away from my desk for the time being. 5 down, 6 left

 12:30: The mobile rang. One of the regular 'ball hitters' on the other side. Was enquiring about the 'so called ball' he had pushed a week back. I dodged that saying the ball was already passed on to one other team member (another hapless chap). I sent the delivery note to him as a confirmation!

12:45 - 1:15: Lunch time. Need to avoid the regular ball bearers (looking to distribute the balls) on the way. These are better than me and strongly propagate the idea of 'team' and ‘collaboration’ with he/she being the non-playing captain. Avoided them today. Luck by chance!

1: 20: Phone rings. Colleague from different city. This is going to be difficult to avoid if I pick it up. Better not to pick it up

1:45 - Sent a reply to one mail to make it clear that the balls that came through don't belong to me. Two balls left. Am I ahead of time today?

2:00: Text message - ' what happened to the ball I sent two days back. I had asked you to change the color'. My mistake! I had forgotten. Changed the color and sent it back.

3:00: These balls are taking time to be kicked out.

4:30: I think I have kicked them out.

5:00: Hoping that no more balls come my way today. Checking again in to see if some balls have missed my attention.

6:00: Things look good. No more balls on the way. Yes, there are some remaining to be sent back this week. But they can wait.

6:15: One of the balls which I had sent today have been pushed back again. Apparently, the story is not coming through in the presentation, couple of bullets not aligned. Note - you may send this back to X by tomorrow. Sent a delivery receipt back showing acceptance.

6:30: No more balls. Good performance. Ready to go back. There may be some more when I get into calls with US colleagues in the evening.

The game will start all over again tomorrow.

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Disclaimer - Writings are my own. It does not have anything to do with my current, past or future work or employer.

rehashed from my earlier writing here