MB#46: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙂𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙍𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙤 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜.

[MemoirBlogthon #46] In 1996, I arrived for an All India Radio interview on the company secretary career, only to observe that the casual artist assigned to interview me was late and unprepared. Drawing on my 16 years as an A-Grade AIR artist, I ended up drafting 25 questions and mentoring the interviewer to salvage the broadcast. This memoir explores the importance of punctuality and professional diligence, culminating in my father's audio review of the broadcast that validated my clear and superior communication skills.

M#46 Interview on AIR, the Value of Clear Communication.

Later on that eventful day, I headed to the All India Radio (AIR) studio for a recording of an interview program in Yuva Vani (youth programs) on "Why should the company secretary course be chosen?"

Upholding Professional Standards

I was chairman of the Hyderabad Chapter of the ICSI, and the interview was a professional commitment. I arrived punctually, but the interviewer, a casual artist on a contract basis, was 30 minutes late, citing traffic problems. Worse, she was visibly unprepared and had not thoroughly drafted a questionnaire.

I noted the crucial contrast: the AIR building and infrastructure were the same as when I frequented the studios in the 1970s, but the professional conduct seemed to have slipped. I realized the recording would fail if I didn't intervene.

Drawing upon my own experience as a former A-grade casual artist at AIR for 16 years, I set aside my role as the guest and took up the role of the mentor. I helped the young interviewer by drafting a list of 25 relevant questions on the subject.

The recording took over two hours to compress into the final 20-minute broadcast. I was not just giving an interview; I was teaching the techniques of interviewing to the casual artist to salvage the program.

The Validation of Voice

When the program aired a week later, my father listened intently. His feedback was a perfect validation of my efforts: "Your voice and communication were clear and to the point when compared to the female voice who interviewed you."

The deeper emotional 'reason' here is the principle of punctuality, diligence, and maintaining high professional standards. Despite the interviewer's deficiency, I ensured the broadcast was informative and of high quality. My father's comment confirmed that my communication skills, honed through years of practice, were superior and capable of compensating for others' shortcomings.

MB#46: Quiz

MB46: Question: The author's All India Radio (AIR) interview in 1996 was intended to discuss the career of what profession?

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• A. Mechanical Engineer.
• B. Corporate Lawyer.
• C. Company Secretary.
• D. Radio Announcer.

MB#45: Quote

"Punctuality is not just about being on time; it's about respecting your own commitments."