Shrikant Deodhar invited us to visit the Derwan Ashram with him. More than spirituality, we friends agreed because it provided us an opportunity for an outing.
Before entering the Ashram, Shrikant insisted that we empty our shirt pockets. From his experience, he had witnessed mobile phones and other things falling from the top pocket when people bent down to touch the feet of the Guru.
When we meet our customers, we ought to give them our undivided attention and make the most of the interaction. However, each of us has been distracted in one of the following ways:
An ink stain being caused by inadvertently putting a pen into the pocket without a cap.
The mobile lighting up and vibrating in the top pocket.
Things falling out in between conversations.
In each of these circumstances, we lose focus on the main objective of the meeting.
I learned a lot from the advice of Shrikant. Since that day, I have always put my cell phone and pen in my laptop bag before the meeting.
I avoid drinking tea/coffee in a one-to-one meeting with the client. I do not wish to risk a scenario of coffee spilling over the table or leaving a stain on the paper/table. Also, I think in advance of what to order in a lunch meeting. Things like sandwiches make us open our mouths wide open, and invariably the stuff spills over from inside. Also, you cannot make notes or ask questions with your mouth and hands full!
The Polo Shirt or the Shirt with Chinese Collars do not have pockets. I wear them for important meetings or if I can't find one on that day, empty the contents in my pocket before stepping into the meeting.
Subodh Gadgil (Oct 14, 2021)
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