Hyphenated-Homestead

So, as I told you earlier, my stories have the temporal agility of a ninja on a trampoline. From the ’90s to the roaring twenties, my narrative is a rollercoaster with a mind of its own.

My last post was about something that happened a week or so ago in 2024 but I am going to take you back time in now – way back, like 15+ years back.

If my literary acrobatics leave you feeling like you’ve entered a parallel universe, fear not! I’m open to listening to your feedback or contact me here.

It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon, and the air in the office was buzzing with anticipation as I geared up for my first-time presentation in front of the elusive marketing VP. My heart raced as I flipped through my meticulously prepared slides, all focused on convincing the C-level folks that we desperately needed a voice of customer program on our flagship websites.

I had spent nights poring over research and data from companies I had vetted out, creating a presentation that was as insightful as it was persuasive. As I stood in front of the room, nerves and excitement battled within me, but I was determined to make a lasting impression.

The room was filled with a mix of intensity and intrigue as I showcased my findings. My boss, sitting in the corner, gave me reassuring nods, instilling the confidence to forge ahead. Everything was going according to plan until the VP decided to throw me a curveball.

In the midst of explaining the potential of our data, I was asked, “So, what can we do with all this data?” Without missing a beat, I responded in my usual high-energy, high-spirited voice, “Glad you asked! You can slice this cat in many different ways!”

Little did I know that my attempt at a metaphor had taken a hilariously wrong turn. The once tense room erupted into laughter, and I found myself in the spotlight, oblivious to the gaffe I had just committed.

Undeterred, I was asked again, “So, what can we do with the data? How many different ways can we slice this cat?” Still blissfully ignorant of my mistake, I confidently repeated, “Absolutely! You can slice this cat 100 different ways! Let me show you how?”

The laughter in the room reached its peak as the VP jumped out of his chair, rushing to the front of the table to clarify, “Mandar, the saying goes like this “there is more than one way you can skin a cat “…it’s not slicing it. We don’t want any blood on our hands while running this program, do we?”

As the room burst into even more smiles, I felt a slight blush creep up my face. Embarrassed but now enlightened, I joined in on the amusement. Surprisingly, the ice had been broken, and the meeting took a turn for the better.

In the end, I successfully conveyed my message, and the voice of customer program got the green light. Hurrah!

Till date, I haven’t figured out why ‘skinning’ is considered better than ‘slicing’. Both are equally inhumane activities and should be avoided at all costs. Not just literally, but figuratively as well. 😁 Anyways, that’s the topic for another blog post.

As I reflected on the incident, I realized that cultural nuances or way of saying (or working or doing) could add an unexpected layer of humor, reminding us that laughter can bridge even the most awkward moments in the workplace.

This was just one example, but there were so many of them in my career that my team started calling them #Mandarisms. Well, why not?

Diversity and Inclusion cannot be just corporate speak, its embracing who you are, bringing your whole self to work and not be ashamed of any of it. In addition, it’s embracing the person in front of you at their core. Such behaviors can build amazing partnerships, confidence and propel the collective ideation further.

After all, who knew that slicing a cat could be so entertaining and land me a successful meeting outcome?

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