TRUE STORY:

There was once a medical rep that came to his colleagues and proposed to play a football game against (possibly) their biggest competitor. In a macho style atmosphere (they knew nothing about football capabilities of the others) the majority of his colleagues subscribed and a place and a date have been set.

The D day has arrived and the majority of valid and interested men in the company office and Bucharest field went to play against the beasts. Information travelled up the field force manager (FFM), a non-playing man, two hierarchical levels above medical reps. He came to the “battlefield” full of confidence and he also invited a couple ladies from the office to watch the brave team smashing the competition for the first time in history. On the spot one could see a rather numerous delegation of the first company and a small group of players only from the competitor. Within the group of competition team players there was also their FFM.

The game started and, to the greatest disappointment of the majority, the competitor played quite well (meaning that they scored every 3-5 minutes). In spite of visible and heroic efforts of the first team (who managed even to score a couple of times) it was soon visible that they were surpassed at all levels. Then the spectator FFM started to loudly send massages fully loaded with sarcasm to his own people, quite likely diminishing an already jeopardized morale. The playing FFM was encouraging his people right on the pitch serving them valuable balls to score, or, even scoring himself from time to time.

At the end of the game (after receiving literally countless goals) the medical representative who initiated the story has been invited for discussion and reprimanded by his FFM. He was blamed for having such a stupid idea and for not be informed about the football capabilities of the competing team. The main argument was “I cannot imagine how big celebration they are going to have in the company on our expense and that everyone there will see us as big losers.”

The competitor team dressed up quietly, modestly thanked for the opportunity to play and got lost.  

This was the first and the last football game of the emotionally injured team.

Filed under: Field Force Managers, First Line Managers, Medical Representatives, My Corporation by admin