The Stakeholder's Delight

Catching a late noon flight from New Delhi's sprawling Airport is always a delight. Morning can be well spent to settle the business for the day and then shift the work place to the Airport's well appointed lounge. Sitting beside the large windows, one can see the aircrafts going through their motions. One does wonder, who is making activities tick all over the Airport? Is it merely the human inside the cockpits or the humans belted inside the aircraft tubes or it it the ensemble of humans across the working spectrum of the entire airport's network? Stakeholders are everywhere and have to put their act together to achieve the result - a perfect launch or a smooth recovery of the machines.

As I walked towards the boarding gate, I could see the two young pilots clearing their entry. They were inside the cockpit with their mandatory checks as we boarded. The machine was firmly under their control even as one of them walked down to inspect the craft. He walked diligently around the tube to be flown and climbed up. It gives such a re-assurance as he took off his inspection jacket and signed the log book for the Engineers. We are all strapped up and we know that the two key stakeholders of the flight ar now known names.

The two stakeholders (the Pilots) are by now communicating with another key stakeholder in the ATC and settling the take off procedures. The 140 humans inside the Flying Tube are completely re-assured that they are in safe custody and safe hands.

The passenger next to me is elderly and seeking a reassurance from me as our eyes meet. I give him a lifted cheek smile as that can be visible behind my mask. I see his plump cheek also making an effort to rise. I do not know whether he has teeth or not but his eyes give out that confirmation that this is his first flight to today's destination. I get the message loud and I help him strap his belt. He is parched with the effort of going through today's grind since his entry into the Airport's hallowed premises.?

I can make out what would have been his experience despite the lazy airport due to dried out late noon flight schedules. I speak broken Telugu reminiscing me of my 9 long years in the City of Destiny (Visakhapatnam)- I hope I am right with the definition. My co-passenger is re-assured and more than my stakeholder inside the cockpit, I have become his stakeholder.

The take off is smooth after our taxing out. He is joyful as a young child and looking out of his window seat as world shifts from two dimensions to a point high in the sky. He must be imagining how he once looked at the flying tubes from the ground and what must be visible from the top. His dimensions are going to change from this flight onwards and he would have many stories to tell as he gets to his destination.

What can I do more to make his journey a delight? I check his boarding pass and there is no service listed there. I give him my bottle of water to help him equalize his ears just in case pressure builds up and makes the take off scary. The flight??is cruising upwards and I ask him to drink up few swigs. He is happy as the Airbus Neo lives up to its name.?

Soon, the food service begins and I ask him what would he like to eat? I am now firmly his stakeholder and he assumes it is a norm. I get him a meal and he is amused as I pay the bill. He asks me how did I get my meal and did not pay? I explain him my Corporate Stakeholders deal to put me on a flight and take care of my meals. He wants to pay but I reassure him that it is my privilege. I can again see that delight in the sunken cheeks.

He has been a farmer all his life and has had no formal education. His land holdings are substantial and he loves his village life. He had lost an elderly cousin and came to Delhi to join the rituals. He came by a train but had to now rush back to attend to an urgent work back at his home. He is actually an important stakeholder for many back in his home. His subjects want him back to give some important guidance. I wondered what it must be like to be in his World!

He had a basic mobile with 250 maximum contacts and this was his World. The Pilot in the cockpit has put the machine in the Auto Pilot mode and is cruising balance 700 miles to Vizag. All his stakeholders are happy to be sitting back and checking out their electronic devices while my co-passenger is still looking outside grasping all that he can fathom from 33000 feet. He knows, he is high up than the highest mountain in the World as this is the question he asks me? How cold is it up in the mountains is his second question? He is intrigued as he sees some pictures on my IPAD! Is the phone so big is his next question! I am now sure that his queries will only??grow from hereon. He invites me to his village. I have the idea of his village and it is home to some sweet Mangoes called *Banganpilli* I tell him. He is most happy as he has a mango orchard of same variety. Next trip to Vizag and I would come gives him assurance.

The lights inside the plane are being dimmed now even as the East India is welcoming the evening Twilight. We would be soon over the Bay of Bengal where once I ruled the depths in my beloved Submarines. I would be looking out for Dolphin Hill and the Lighthouse. The re-assuring beam of this light house used to welcome us Submariners home after long patrols at Sea. It was an undeterred stakeholder for us seafarers. Never did its light fail us, ever!

Stakeholders - if you think you are not to someone or you do not need someone- think again. Hold someone's hand and someone will hold your hand too. Be a reliable companion and a delight who can help. Cheer up and chin up as the Captain comes on line to announce the??landing. Cheers to life and stakeholders who are with us always in this avatar as humans.