Small Story 181

Small Story 181. A Soft Encounter Sanjay was worried about whether he would be confirmed in his role as a Trainee Medical Representative. He had joined six months ago, and today marked the end of his probationary period. His concern stemmed from the fact that he had not met his target of 100%. His monthly target was 100,000 rupees from six products within a limited territory, but he had only achieved 70% of that target. His total package, including his daily allowance, salary, and cost of living allowance, amounted to 45,000 rupees, a significant sum that helped him take care of his parents and his sister's marriage if he continued in the service. In his appointment letter, the company had clearly mentioned that failure to meet the target would result in termination. With this in mind, Sanjay prayed that he would receive a positive response from his boss. NaraHari, his immediate boss, was a disciplined professional who strictly followed company rules. When the peon, Samy, whispered, "Sanjay, the boss called you," Sanjay nervously entered his boss's office. NaraHari gestured for him to sit and said, "Mr. Sanjay, according to your performance, you have not met your target, and I am helpless other than recommending the termination of your service." Sanjay nodded solemnly. "Okay, Sir. I understand that you have to follow the rules of the company." NaraHari continued, "I appreciate that you understand our position, but recently, the company appointed a new HR Manager, who just joined from the US yesterday. You will have a final meeting with her tomorrow for the decision." Sanjay left the office, feeling disheartened, and shared the developments with his parents, Rangaswamy and Pankajam. They consoled him, telling him not to worry and that they would pray for him. His sister, Rashmi, also gave her support. The next day, Sanjay arrived at the HR Manager’s office, dressed professionally. After getting permission from Peon Samy, he entered the cabin. He was greeted by a sweet and beautiful voice, “Mr. Sanjay, please sit.” Sanjay looked up and saw the new HR Manager, a lady with a smile. “I am Mridula. Would you like something to drink?” Sanjay replied, “No, Madam, thank you.” “I understand your anxiety regarding your confirmation,” Mridula said. “Our policy always analyzes the performance and growth of a medical representative. The target is a goal to strive for. Looking at your month-to-month performance, I can see that while you didn’t fully reach your target, your growth has been consistent. You started with 35,000 and gradually increased your performance. Even though you didn’t meet the target, you never declined. As a trainee, you have done well." Mridula paused for a moment and then added, "As the HR Manager, I recommend that management encourage you and recognize your improvement. You have shown steady progress, even with a limited product range of painkillers and B-complex tablets. Therefore, I am happy to confirm your position. In addition, I am recommending an increase of 10,000 rupees to your package, and your target will remain the same. I am confident that you will achieve it now that you have established contacts with doctors and pharmacies." She handed him the appointment confirmation letter. Sanjay smiled in relief and said, “Thank you so much, Madam. May I say one thing?” Mridula smiled and nodded. “Go ahead.” Sanjay said, “Your name suits you well, and your way of speaking matches it too—so soft and kind.” Mridula smiled and shook her head in joy. K.Ragavan 11-3-25