It was his first day at the new company. He was feeling nervous, afraid he could do or say something stupid in front of his future co-workers. But he felt excited too, he dreamt big and really wanted to deliver a great performance.
On the first day, his boss called him to his office.
• Intern, have you ever worked before?
• No, sir.
• I was once at the exact same place you are now. Do you want to know what took me this far?
• Of course, sir.
• Practice and hardwork. Whatever someone asked me to do. I would do it fast and well. Faster and better than anyone in this company. And you know who taught me?
• No, sir.
• Myself. I would learn when I didn’t know, but I never said I couldn’t do something. And I want you to do the same. Are you ready?
• Of course, sir.
• Do you know anything about microscopes?
• No, sir.
• Good. I want you to buy me one. I wrote down some features that I need, and I want you to research and find a model that will suit my use. Are you up for the job?
• Of course, sir.
That same day, the intern comes back:
• Found the perfect model for you, sir. Have a look at this brochure.
• Amazing. Are you sure it’s the best option?
• 100% sure, sir.
• Good. You’re fast and confident. Go ahead and order and send the bill to the financial department.
• Ok, sir.
The microscope was perfect, his boss was extremely happy.
Some time later, he got a message. His boss wanted to see him. He couldn’t wait to please him once again. When he got to the office, he was surprised to find so many people waiting for him. Not only his boss, but the Financial Director, the C.E.O. and members of the board were present. He was feeling important.
A member of the board said:
• We have a problem regarding the purchase of a microscope, and we summoned you here to understand what happened from all the involved parties. How do you explain the fact that we paid U$125,000.00 for an equipment that costs US$ 1,000.00?
There are two possible endings to this story. Guess which one would happen in Brazil?
1) The C.E.O., the Financial Director and the intern were fired and would face an trial for embezzlement.
2) The intern went straight to jail. The Financial Director and the C.E.O. were found innocent and went back to their desks. It was clear they didn’t know anything about microscopes and could not be found guilty for trusting the fraudulent research performed by the intern.
Note: no similarities intended with Petrobras here. Microscope is not gas, and the amount of zeroes is entirely disproportional. Not to mention it is clear that our president is innocent and knew nothing about it. After all, everyone understands that a woman in her position must sign many documents she doesn’t really have the time to read with so much to do for her country.
Have I missed something?
