Incidents With Increments

Incidents With Increments
29th April 2005

This one is a postscript to Upraisals, Upheavals.

We got our increment letters yesterday.

I was sitting with Silent Assassin in his cabin, discussing a pitch we’ve been working on. In the middle of an engrossed discussion, he got up to meet Cobra’s secretary. And came back in with a handful of official-looking documents.

Hearken back to Upraisals, Upheavals. Where I had, to my surprise, received a pretty good appraisal from Suspicious and Scary.

And now hearken forward to the time after my return from Malaysia.

I’d come back charged up, ready to kick some advertising ass. Ready to crack one award-worthy idea a day. With Amma’s blessings and my own hopes and dreams resurgent in my mind.

And I come back and find myself writing product tags. That too, without a brief.

How does one write bad copy? Simple. A product tag with no brief is a great way to get mediocre.

So I slumped again. Shoulders sagged, spirits drooped. I spent most of my time flirting with the multitude of cute women in the office.

Ha ha.

I even told Silent Assassin of what I was feeling. He understood. Told me to relax, that I’d do some great work, that it was only a matter of time before I cracked another good ad.

So I threw myself back into work. Slogged over a recent campaign, got kudos from Scary and client for a heart-warming long-copy ad.

Then there was no more work. And back I went to flirting, fighting with servicing, and writing mediocre product tags.

Had a chat with Seniorita a few days ago. She told me that average increments were in the area of 20 to 30%. So I said, okay, I’m expecting about 30%.

Now fast-forward back to the present. Me sitting in Silent Assassin’s cabin. He’s handing me my letter.

It took me a few moments to comprehend what I was seeing.

A 50% hike.

As I told Silent Assassin, I didn’t expect this much. That I’d expected more from myself in the previous year. He just smiled, said, "Nothing like that." Then he shooed me away so that he could hand out the remaining letters.

Money-wise, my salary was raised by the same amount as last year. Which, as I found out, was far more than what others were getting.

All around me were sad faces. Whether it was SFX, or any of my colleagues. Everyone was disappointed with their increments, and it took a lot of straight-faced talking for me to hide my joy.

The value of my raise, I only found out today.

SFX is a copywriter two years senior to me. He joined Lowe a few months after I did. He told me his raise was around 15-20%. And, surprisingly, that Silent Assassin had fought for our (his and mine) increments last year.

Talking to Seniorita again today, I learned that my new package is only Rs. 40,000 shy of SFX’s new package.

What in bloody blazes!??!?

Just when I’d been thinking of moving, here’s proof that I’m growing at Lowe. If I’m being paid this much, it’s proof that my superiors feel I’m worth it.

Am I being fast-tracked? I don’t know. I hope so.

Maybe I should chat with Scary. What position am I at, where does she see me going in a few years. Life, the universe and everything.

This year’s increment may help get me into gear again. It may be too early to tell, but suddenly I’m feeling a whole lot better about myself. Suddenly I’m feeling like I might be motivated again.

Suddenly I want to work on that pitch at home tomorrow. On a Saturday.

My best friend had advised me to hang in there till September. Now Seniorita, herself quitting, is telling me the same too.

I think I have some (more) thinking to do. The old wheels seem to be getting a real workout.
And now that they’re working, I think I’ve figured what got me my raise.

Scary had threatened twice to cut my increment if I didn’t get drunk at a couple of parties.

At that last office I got smashed off my feet, outta my skull. More than obeyed her command.

Moral of the story?

Drink beer.