$trategic KPI x %Synergy% = Love
Mary was lonely and needed
a Partner with the same
>!> Strategic Thrusts <!<
in life- that is, she wanted someone
who liked rainy days and cloudwatching
adventures in spain tumbling
tumbling
tumbling
away
d
o
w
n
rabbit holes.
This aim had not been in her purrrrview.
Living in an enclosed bubble as a minion (Class 3.14)
of a Class 10 Senior MGR, she was often using
Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes efficiently.
She arrived at the office reception at 8.47am
so that she could reach her table at 8.48am
so that she could pee by 8.52am
so that she could go to the pantry and
queue behind other minions
to fill her glass jug by 8.58am
so that she could go back to her cubicle
turn on the laptop, wait for the light to
glow blue, and sit down, ready, by 9am.
The bosses walked past, pleased.
Good worker, Mary.
&
Mary, in search of love.
For her heart yearned for something more
than the nuclear cubicle
and the minutes of meetings
(9:57 + 10:23 + 11:45)
and the rows where people passed
moving their mouth muscles
where eyes hardly twinkled.
Her spirit needed to fly in
forests, seas, the sky
with a Someone she could love
and engage in %%cross-fertilisation%% with.
She wondered which
l
o ()()
w-hanging fruits ()
she could target in finding this being.
It would be a difficult operation;
where could she find broad-based access to love?
Where lay this robust ecosystem?
And when she had found this vibrant portal,
how could she ascertain she had achieved her aim?
The 444-Key Performance Indicator-444 was
The Kiss *
which would indicate his so-called passion level.
She had to act fast; her young firm
buttocks were starting to sag from sitting
on the swivel chair 9 hours a day.
Mary ???brainstormed!!!, with thunder and lightning
for 13 days and nights till her medulla oblongata
had an epiphany on WHICH LEVERS SHE COULD PULL.
Finally she came up with a multi-level framework
within her Masterplan of Love.
She would harness current possibilities
into engines of growth for romance.
There was a man she used to spot
at her favourite cafe
(which she now realised
was a great networking hub
for those in search of ;friendship
and ;truth).
The man would read Jack Kerouac
her favourite author (and
perhaps the favourite of all
who are repressed subordinates
of Class 10 senior management).
He had also glanced at her a few times,
intrigued " " " " " " " " " " " >
She secretly wondered if there could be
any
S . Y . N . E . R . G . Y
between them.
First she would have to seed interest.
But golly, how do you get someone
to fall in love with you?
She decided to add to her agenda
the task of visiting the cafe every
afternoon to see this man.
After 7 days, he came.
He wore mustard pants,
a red velvet blazer
had long shaggy hair
and green holey socks.
She was in her boring office clothes
from G2000 and U2 and Giordano.
It was all black and grey.
The only red thing was her gentle little bird
of a beating {-{heart}-} that cried to be held.
How could she encourage buy-in from him?
They already had Jack Kerouac in common
but surely she needed to broaden mindshare
to hit her topline KPI (The Kiss) and attain
L o v e.
She was about to go over to speak to him
when a lady appeared in magenta boots
and kissed him passionately licking
the pumpkin soup off his black beard.
Mary sat back down and stared at The Dharma Bums.
She had almost decided to strike love
off her portfolio when a voice spoke up
;;;;;;;;; ' Hello.'
~
~
~
'You've been here for 7 days.
I've been watching you.'
He was near, sitting across from her,
sipping lemongrass tea that she could smell;
it opened her cold lungs.
'I wondered if we could be friends.'
Mary stared into his eyes.
They were green and glowing.
He felt familiar
as if from a dream
her heart was flagging an alert.
'Okay. Let's be friends.'
'I'm John.'
'I'm Mary.'
'Hello Mary.'
'Hello John.'
\\\ & ///
His blue hair was burning gently
as he regarded her with bemusement
and kindness. When he saw her in her
boring office clothes 7 days 2 hours
and 19 minutes ago, he knew
she was not a gleaming robot
but a blazing comet flower.
They looked at each other taking in
auras and decades
of history in eyelashes.
The silence was calming
for Mary was always buzzing inside.
~
~ ~ ~
` ~ ~
~
~ `
`
~ ` ~ ~
`
~ ~
Finally John spoke.
'I like Jack Kerouac too. But I hardly
have time to read, what with farming, drawing,
breathing, cycling and adventures
~ ` around the world.'
Gee, his aims dovetailed into hers,
dovetail dovetail into the wide blue sky.
(Her white G2000 blouse turned a pale shade
of rose-pink with light turquoise splashes)
'I like those things
too.'
She opined.
(Her black U2 pencil skirt grew dried daisies
and the smell wafted around wonderfully)
For further alignment she gently
lay down her CV which conscientiously
included her primary school results.
'For your kind consideration, pls.'
She bowed her head.
John ignored the silver file.
Keeping his eyes on Mary
he reached over and squeezed fresh
lemongrass into her hot tea.
'Noted with thanks.'
But Mary needed to know more.
'John, where do you
see yourself
in ten years' time?'
'I want to quit my job, be living in Spain,
paint everyday and watch the clouds pass.'
Her heart glowed. Her Casio watch turned into
a nightingale and flew away.
It was in strategic alignment with her
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&long-term objectives
of leading a free, minion-reversed life.
But her left brain sent out a question
of high importance.
Would love be able to innovate itself
and remain competitive in the face of Life?
Would John value-add to her current existence
and become a key stakeholder in her roadmap?
Could they leverage on their passion level
and propel forward in self-developing
C@p@b!l!t!e$? Simply put,
Mary wanted to know that he would ensure a
high lifelong $ati$faction Index#.
'Can you be an innovative lover?'
John did not answer.
He simply looked at her for 199 seconds
and all her clothes turned into
drapes of chiffon the colour of cirrus
and the wide blue sky.
If she was the ruler of her heart
traces of corporate governance
were melting into ~ ` ~ ` ~ ` ~ ` ~
There was just one more question.
'Is it in your dna to show affection?'
Mary wanted to be hugged everyday.
John laughed. He walked over to her corner;
Mary was startled,
'Are you reverting to me now?'
and gave her a warm hug unlike anything
she had experienced after 4 years
typing minutes of meetings
(they all added up to midnight).
Time mattered little in John's arms.
The hug ended. She knew a kiss was coming.
She didn't know if she wanted it
and did some quick calculations in her head
to ensure the enablers for love were in place:
(Green eyes + cloud watching + Spain)
x
(Jack Kerouac + cycling)
x 89% (farming / drawing)
+ (smell of daisies x 1969)
x breathing x breathing x breathing
= 97% chance of love.
The bottom-line is love.
*
She let the kiss come.
*
His kissing skills formed Peaks of Excellence
*
^ ^ ^
-----------------
and there was a lot of synergy between them.
*
She had met her targets with her outcome-based approach.
The key takeaway was that the sustainability level
of Love with John was high with resilience.
*
A thought in her head wanted
feedback analysis on the KPI Kiss
but the thought was soon gone
~
Mary was barefoot
her hair was no longer in a squeaky bun
but flowed down her shoulders
which, too long at the computer, were
now unfrozen by the cinnamon oven John.
~
The kiss had taken her to the
far end of the Cosmos.
~ }
After that they parted ways,
promising to meet again.
5 minutes later,
he sent her a message
'Roses are red
Violets are blue
It was dark
I'm glad I found you'
And she felt an overwhelming sense of cyber wellness.
She used her Android phone
and sent him an email
the subject was
'I love you (eom)'
but unfortunately
she was crossing the road
and a jaguar driven by an investment banker
who was texting his minion on his iphone5
did not notice her small frame
now blooming with flowers
and draped with sheer cloths
the colour of the deep blue sea.
The investment banker, thinking of
his key performance indicators,
how to nurture his partners
to have matching aims in their purview,
and the strategic thrusts he needed
to achieve these long-term targets,
ploughed into Mary
and the flowers were squashed
never to breathe again.
published in Ceriph