60 seconds with a CEO: Where does one draw the line when you play a prank on the boss?
By: Paroma Bhattacharyya and Surya Alexander
Gaurav Aggarwal (39) CEO, Savaari Car Rentals
I have worked in a large organisation in the US, which was extremely process-oriented and hierarchical. When I started working with Savaari, I wanted to build a work culture where people enjoyed working as much as they enjoyed doing project work in their college days. Business, nowadays, is all about questioning rules and norms of traditional business processes. Irreverence and raising pertinent questions go hand-in-hand. In our organisation, we are strictly non-hierarchical, irreverent and non-conforming. At Savaari, the boss is just another guy to have fun with.
For instance, a few guys in office once made a plan for a boys’ evening out at a nearby pub – it was a weekday, but as usual I was only too eager to go and agreed to the plan. My wife then called to ask if we could go out shopping and I reluctantly declined, giving work as an excuse. In the evening, when we were at the pub, having a grand time, in walks my wife… you could have knocked me down with a feather. After some heart-stopping moments of pure fear, they told me that it was a prank planned by the chaps at office along with my wife. We had a great laugh over it and knocked back a few more. Of course, the pranksters had to foot the bill.
In terms of business, culture and way of working, this, I believe, is the way to go – now and in the future. Hence, we do not prohibit playing pranks on each other. This culture of non-hierarchy is the cornerstone of our culture and the secret of our efficiency and low attrition rates. As long as it fits within the norms of decency, the boss is just another person – and the norms of decency are the same for everyone. The only caveat is it (the prank) shouldn’t be carried out when a person is emotionally at a low.
So, go ahead, pull a prank on your boss... it’s good fun and the advantage is that he may well take you out for a beer after the prank.
and
Gaurav Aggarwal (39) CEO, Savaari Car Rentals
I have worked in a large organisation in the US, which was extremely process-oriented and hierarchical. When I started working with Savaari, I wanted to build a work culture where people enjoyed working as much as they enjoyed doing project work in their college days. Business, nowadays, is all about questioning rules and norms of traditional business processes. Irreverence and raising pertinent questions go hand-in-hand. In our organisation, we are strictly non-hierarchical, irreverent and non-conforming. At Savaari, the boss is just another guy to have fun with.
For instance, a few guys in office once made a plan for a boys’ evening out at a nearby pub – it was a weekday, but as usual I was only too eager to go and agreed to the plan. My wife then called to ask if we could go out shopping and I reluctantly declined, giving work as an excuse. In the evening, when we were at the pub, having a grand time, in walks my wife… you could have knocked me down with a feather. After some heart-stopping moments of pure fear, they told me that it was a prank planned by the chaps at office along with my wife. We had a great laugh over it and knocked back a few more. Of course, the pranksters had to foot the bill.
In terms of business, culture and way of working, this, I believe, is the way to go – now and in the future. Hence, we do not prohibit playing pranks on each other. This culture of non-hierarchy is the cornerstone of our culture and the secret of our efficiency and low attrition rates. As long as it fits within the norms of decency, the boss is just another person – and the norms of decency are the same for everyone. The only caveat is it (the prank) shouldn’t be carried out when a person is emotionally at a low.
So, go ahead, pull a prank on your boss... it’s good fun and the advantage is that he may well take you out for a beer after the prank.
and
