Why Won’t My Saudi Manager Promote Me ?

Two friends Ahmed and Fahad joined a garments company together after completing Textile engineering from same college in Saudi Arabia. Both had passed engineering with almost same grades. After one year the Company Manager promoted Ahmed to a higher position keeping Fahad in the same position.

Fahad was really upset over the matter. He thought he deserved the position since he was a hard-worker. He could not work efficiently with all this on his mind. He struggled with the thought for many days and one day he decided to leave the job. He went to the Manager with his resignation letter and told the Manager that he had been very unfair to him. He also told the Manager that there was no importance for hard working staff in his company and that he promotes only those who praise him.

The Manager was aware of the fact that Fahad was a very hard working employee. Instead of accepting Fahad’s resignation the Manager decided to make Fahad realize the actual reason behind Ahmed’s promotion and show him in what way was Fahad different from Ahmed although they joined the company together.

The Manager asked Fahad to go outside and check if anybody was selling pineapples on the street. Fahad did as the Manager instructed and said, “Yes, there is one guy selling pineapples at the corner of the street” The Manager asked Fahad, “What is the cost per kg?” Fahad rushed to the corner of the street and returned to inform the Manager that the cost per kg was 12 Riyals. The Manager told Fahad to go and bring Ahmed who was working in the other cabin. When Ahmed came the Manager asked him same question.

Ahmed went and returned and told the Manager that, “There is a man selling pineapples around the corner of the street. The cost is 12 Riyals per kg and 100 Riyals for 10 Kg, each pineapple weighed around 3 kgs and that the pineapples were of very good quality and very fresh which were imported from Pakistan” Ahmed also added that in just two days’ time the man had only 200 pineapples left out of 1000 that he had imported”

The Manager turned towards Fahad and saw that he was very impressed with Ahmed’s work. Fahad realized the difference between Ahmed’s and his own work. He tore his resignation letter into pieces and decided to stay and learn from Ahmed.

Moral of the Story

A successful person is he who observes others’ work to assess the quality of his own work and after assessment finds ways to improve himself.  An experienced and successful person often sees years ahead and understand things in depth, while inexperienced ones see only tomorrow. Often people change their views through observation and not through arguments.

Quote: A Traveler without observation is like a bird without wings