I work as a part-time bartender on match days and I enjoy it. For starters, I don't get paid to get drunk, like many of us might imagine. I get paid for pouring drinks and making cocktails which can be really fun. Even though it would look way too cool to do stuff like the ones down at TGIF do, its really an art and probably not my cuppa.
Its an out of world experience to talk to fans after full time when their team has won and an equally enjoyable experience to make deal with their misery with a few more drinks. Sometimes you get a mouthful and sometimes a handful (of tips). But the worst part of this job is actually pouring all the good stuff down the drain. I flush atleast 10 litres of alcohol every 2 hours. A natural waste? Not for some. I've also binned hundreds of uneaten meat pies and all other equally good stuff. With so much stress on cost cutting, it wouldn't hurt to look into this matter.
Nevertheless, there is a lot one can learn from sportsmen. Sachin Tendulkar's down to earth attitude and his accomplishments have made me overwhelmed so much that at times I repent the fact that I didn't jump onto the Chinnaswamy stadium(1996) during the Indo-Pak match. There is no doubt that he is one of the best sportsmen ever and is surely going to be featured in the curriculum of almost all of the B-schools. Alongside Sachin will be Tiger Woods and the title would read "Two people who scored with their clubs, one made of willow and the other, lets say boning wood".Then again, that is what management is all about. Common sense prevails anyways and it drives the bulk of any business. Just today, I heard about a story in which a guy who had saved and generated millions for a company was denied a promotion and evicted just because he wasn't academically qualified. That raises a question of degrees and superficial qualifications. "People can be trained to become successful people but self proclaimed successful people cannot be trained with skills". Its a long disputable topic but the most of the companies actually opt for a piece of paper over the real grey matter.
Its actually a never ending process that begins in your childhood itself. Parents bragging about their kid knowing the capitals of 100+ countries. Later on its the marks and 95% is never enough and you always have to beat your neighbour or some "X" person. When you start looking for a job, the college and the degree come into the picture. Just when you finally get a job and get settled and feel happy that you have gotten away from the rat race, you realize that the you have started the same cycle with your kids. Guess Life Ishtene.
