First line managers are called by different names in
different companies. Some of the designations for front line managers can be
quite fancy. The front line managers in Pfizer are called DM which is a short
form for District Manager. Coincidentally, the abbreviated form DM is also used
for an important post in the Indian Administrative Services. The District
Magistrate is an important person in districts and is considered to be very
powerful person. In colloquial terms; he is often called as DM Sahib. This
incident is related to the much revered term ‘DM’ in mofussil towns of India. This
was shared by one of my colleagues during a sales meeting.
A PSO was going to some interior market along with his DM
aka District Manager. They reached the nearby railway station only to find that
the train was overcrowded. Even the first class coach was jampacked. They discovered
that it was some auspicious day of a Hindu festival and people were going to a
nearby bathing ghat to wash their sins.
The DM (of Pfizer) was scared to see the crowd and wanted to
change the tour plan. He preferred to go back so that they could work in
relative calm of the base town. But the PSO appeared to be unperturbed and
insisted on proceeding as per the tour programme. The DM was not sure how to
get in the train. The PSO found an ingenious way to solve the seemingly huge
problem.
He went near the door of the first class coach and began to
shout, “DM sahib is coming! DM sahib is coming! Make way for the DM.”
When the crowd in the compartment heard these words it
apparently went into some sort of trance. People began to make way for the DM.
Even a couple of policemen; present there; began shoving the people to make way
for the DM. The DM (of Pfizer) followed the PSO the way a kid follows his
mother. Both of them easily found their way inside the compartment. To their utter
surprise, they also found that two seats were made vacant for them to sit
comfortably.
