The Chakravyuha
Previous incumbents had been amateurs installed at the vociferous insistence of majority shareholders. The current CEO was a former manager. He refused to accept time had passed him by. In the face of corporate confrontation, his instinct was to don his safari suit and lead from the front.
A task force of valiant managers formed a chakravyuha. They would fight to death before allowing access to the CEO. Airwaves would be overloaded with irrelevancies, it would be impossible for even directional mikes to pick up uncensored soundbites.
But, the CEO wanted to induct an old friend one Sherawali Dasgupta. This man actually flaunted his links to arch-rival Ulta Seedha Associates (USA). He had been a policy consultant in that abode of sin. Not a very successful one perhaps, for he also picked up a few rupees writing thrillers starring Bengali superspies with a weakness for rossogullas and sari-clad temptresses.
His ideas on media planning and marketing were decidedly peculiar and unsound. He criticised MBMs mega-publicity stunt the famous Desert mushroom festival culminating in a fireworks show that sent rivals green with envy and created transnational brand equity. He wanted the board to pass a resolution never again to squander resources in such a vulgar public display.
In the Sherawali manual of marketing, MBM should not fight to defend franchises where rivals were trying to muscle in. They should simply roll over and walk away, abandoning all those rich potential revenues and giving rivals a convenient springboard to assault the core home markets.
Worst of all, he boasted that the CEO was his mouthpiece, and senior management feared it was true. They shuddered at the thought of this man overturning decades of patient work while the CEO nodded benignly. The chakravyuha would be broken and company policy would be public property. He had to be silenced.
Someone found a Chanakyavellian answer. The solution was based on MBMs Omerta a code debarring retirees from performing any natural functions for two years without prior permission. The silence of the retired could actually be ensured forever transgressors awoke to the sight of decapitated official seals. Those noisy shareholders and their uncouth proxies they too were a vital element in the plan.
The management welcomed Sherawali while ensuring the minority shareholders proxies got a good look at his record. Howls of protest and accusations arose that this man would sellout MBM. He resigned a day after signing his contract.
Then, Omerta was invoked. The chakravyuha is intact. Sherawalis future holds no more sari-clad beauties bearing rossogullas to superspies no more policy advice no more going to the bathroom without permission. If he asks nicely, the management might let him do that.