Wrestling with the Pig

Discussions on strategy are never easy. When the MD & CEO of the organization is in a mood to question every assumption and prove a point, the Head of Marketing stands no chance. 

We were amid one of these difficult meetings, and the Marketing Head was trying very hard to get some of his ideas heard. He was insisting on a greater acceptance of ground realities. At a particularly tense moment, the MD’s phone rang; he had received an SMS message. He casually read the message and burst out laughing. The message read, “Arguing with your boss is like mudwrestling with a pig. After a while, you realize that while you get dirty, the pig actually enjoys it.” Needless to say, the SMS proved to be the turning point in the meeting.