Top Heavy

"Lets go for full meals. Its been a long time." my friend told me just before lunch.

We were the only two people in office that holiday, a day after Diwali.

"Even I have not had meals for long time now." I thought to myself and agreed to go.

Usually we avoid eating "full meals" for lunch. Well, what is this "full meals" or "Saappaadu" as they call in Tamil. It is basically a meal, typically served on a banana leaf with generous portions of rice. Rice is had with liquid accompaniments like "Sambar", "Rasam" and "Buttermilk" along with the veggies of course and sometimes sweet.

I think the most attractive part of full meals for a large number of the population is the "unlimited" quantities. You can eat as much as you like for around Rs. 25 to 50 in a decent restaurant depending on the level of 'poshness'.

For some people like me, even the "limited" portions that is served initially is more than enough to fill one and a half stomach. I have never had to ask for additional stuff to eat and utilize the "unlimited" opportunity being offered. I also know of some friends who eat so much on such "unlimited opportunity" occasions that the restaurant may even decide to change its pricng strategy for the meal!!!

Now, the problem with having this full meal for lunch is the subsequent sleep and decreased productivity in office. I read somewhere that as the body fights to digest all the food we eat, blood and oxygen supply is diverted to the stomach leaving the brain little or no choice but to shut down temporarily making us feel sleepy.

Biology theory apart, the reason I am writing this is different.

While we were having the full meals, we could not help but notice the shortage of manpower at the restaurant. There were very few people serving the different components that make up a full meal. The result was hungry customers shouting in order to attract the few guys who were serving food.

Another interesting thing was that there seemed to be lot of supervisors around, calling out to the few guys who served the food to come and serve some particular customer who was getting angry.

"This seems to be a top heavy organization!" I told my friend pointing out to the higher proportion of supervisors.

Actually, the crisis situation in the restaurant probably warranted that some of these supervisors got their 'hands dirty' i.e. start serving food themselves temporarily to ease the situation atleast in 'rush hour', the afternoon meal time. But they chose not too. Maybe because they were 'supervisors'. Or maybe because they never thought on those lines.

On my way back to office, I though to myself. If ever I was faced with a similar crisis situation wherein I had to get my 'hands dirty', what would I do? Will I supervise the limited resources available or will I supervise AND jump into the fray myself or maybe just stop supervising and help in getting the job done?

No easy answers again. A small incident in a restaurant can pose some big questions....