Seeing that I was still a little sceptical, Rajni explained how Wikipedia also helped the client save money. If we were to actually sit and collect all the information that was already available on Wikipedia the project would take a much longer time than it did now. By using Wikipedia we were actually helping end a project sooner and save the client time and money. Otherwise, Rajni said, projects would take a really long time and clients would refuse extensions or new projects after paying for the old one.

That made perfect sense.

But most importantly he said that if I stopped being an asshole and used Wikipedia cleverly my decks would be awesome, Santanam would love them and he’d probably put in a good word when they’re having the promotion meeting in March. That made sense too.

So I agreed to calm down and use Wikipedia like everyone else.

I went back to the office and four hours later had the most amazing data deck I’ve ever made in my life. It had THREE HUNDRED slides on titanium including sections on titanium mining, trivia about titanium, a ten-slide profile on William Gregor who discovered titanium and a nice illustrated section on the Titans from Greek mythology. Rajni said that any reference at all to Denzel Washington’s Remember the Titans would be overkill.

Tony checked out my deck and said something about having sold my soul like everyone else and went away. I thought that Wikipedia really helped me make a comprehensive presentation. That man is becoming weirder and weirder every day.

Felt good to be a consultant today. Really earned my salary.

I’ve mailed the deck to Santanam. Tomorrow we’re spending all day at the Taj President for a one-day orientation programme. The Taj Exotica Goa programme got canned due to budget cuts. Damn pity. We were supposed to spend a whole extended weekend there with parties and parasailing and all that. I was also hoping to hook up with some of the foreign ladies there for some casual flings. No matter.

I really hope we get something from Panchatantra. I need something before March to propel my record-breaking associate promotion campaign.

13 September 2006

2.16 a.m.

High drama at the Taj President!

Our orientation programme was supposed to start at ten with a session on ‘Professionalism in Consulting’ by Jerry Kapoor, Dufresne’s Country Head. But he came half an hour late and we all had to sit around in the banquet hall doing nothing. When Jerry came in, he apologized and made a quick introductory speech. He told us that the orientation was probably the most important thing in our lives as new management consultants and that all the senior staff considered it to be the most important event in their calendar. Jerry said that we must take orientation very seriously and take as much as we could from the sessions. He wished us best of luck and told us that he had to rush for a meeting and that he would email us the presentation on professionalism later. Saying that, he quickly picked up a golf bag full of clubs from behind the podium and left.