Actually our India CEO has become more visible at the cafeteria now-a-days, maybe due to recession/cost cutting he’s forced to have ‘low-cost’ lunch @ office canteen or maybe he’s trying to get pulse of the fellow employees as he recently declared that there’ll be no pay revision this year.
Anyway it happened like this today my friend lets call him Mr. M, was waiting at one of the tables with his lunch box and we were in ‘Q’ for food when the CEO approached the table with the plate in his hand and asked whether anybody is expected in that table. Well this perplexed Mr. M as he didn’t want to refuse the CEO but the table was only for 4 and including Mr. M we were 4 and getting a place for 4 in the peak hour was very difficult. He reluctantly said “Yes we have 3 more people coming”, CEO not minding at all(well atleast he looked like that) moved to a different table. This is a common sight in the cafeteria at peak lunch time when you hover around with a plate-full of food from table to table to learn that people are expected there(unless you have Mr. M in your “Group” to pre-confirm your seats) but a CEO moving around with his plate for a space to eat….. well isn’t he an employee too??
As soon as we got to the table with our food plates , we started praising his ‘courage‘ that he refused “THE CEO” that too in these times of job cuts and downsizing. We also chided him for missing the opportunity to have a lunch with CEO who could have provided a more profound view of the state of affairs at the helm as it’s the CEO‘s habit of starting a conversation with people on the table with him. To this Mr.M said that nothing to worry CEO‘s pretty regular now-a-days so we can catch up with him any day :D…hope we have our power lunch someday soon.
Image credit : http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/p/power_lunch.asp
Chronicles of a Techie 
May 18, 2009 @ 23:51:22
Well, nice you’all didnt ended up sitting with the CEO. Atleast your friend was polite enough to casually tell him he can’t. I toh end up giving cold shoulders while i am off for food as that’s my time of relaxation and i just cant bear a sight of these non existing entities(CEO’s) who only give you their visit when any change has to happen in the office, presumably the bad one.
May 19, 2009 @ 00:07:15
You are right Rashmi normally I too don’t like it but our CEO wants to be “one” of us…. so we want him to be “one” 😀
May 19, 2009 @ 00:08:36
Wow…that was brave because I probably would have let him have the seat (sorry friends). I almost felt sorry for the CEO though because being in the power position can be kinda friendless. He probably felt like the nerdy kid in high school trying to get a seat at the popular table.
May 19, 2009 @ 00:21:45
Ya I know that was bit rude but in current scenario with Pay hikes frozen he also understands moreover he’s been visible only for the last month or so and also traditionally senior mgmt. in our office never came down for lunch to the office canteen 😀
May 19, 2009 @ 00:30:49
Lunch with CEOs is definitely ‘in’ thing these days. But some CEOs are always eating with employees in their canteen, Narayan Murthy, Adi Godrej, the names that come instantly to my mind.
Hopefully you will have your power lunch soon.
May 19, 2009 @ 13:40:16
yes Adesh Narayan Murthy, Adi Godrej are but legendary figures but as I said earlier our CEO’s appearance is very new phenomenon …. thats why it exicited me a lot 😀
May 19, 2009 @ 10:44:50
well May yo have your power lunch with ur CEO soon 🙂
May 19, 2009 @ 13:41:31
Welcome Atul to my blog and thanks for the comment …we all hope our dream(power) lunch comes true soon 😉
May 19, 2009 @ 20:26:42
Wow, saying no coolly ( but politely) is pretty gutsy. I wonder why the CEO is suddenly becoming so much more available.
May 19, 2009 @ 23:24:20
Agree with Toya
May 21, 2009 @ 22:59:28
lol
very interesting
May 22, 2009 @ 18:50:19
Poor CEO!! The least he can expect is some courtesy from people!
May 22, 2009 @ 19:17:01
Everyone has to do the waiting
None can just come in barging
the powers of CEO notwithstanding
for the times they are a changing.
May 23, 2009 @ 11:12:40
Thank you Govind for dropping by and commenting. That’s the point CEO or anybody else is after all an employee.
May 31, 2009 @ 01:12:14
“but a CEO moving around with his plate for a space to eat….. well isn’t he an employee too??”
Of course he is! An ’employee’ with the ‘power’ to ‘hire and fire’… !!! 🙂
May 31, 2009 @ 13:40:09
Rightly said Roshmi,” An ‘employee’ with the ‘power’ to ‘hire and fire’… !!!” 😉 Thank you for dropping by and commenting.