PA to ……
What is this? It is a common reference to persons who manage to ‘develop’ images ‘larger than life’. Yes, considering their position [personal assistant] in the hierarchy, such personnel should relegate themselves and be a little obscure to avoid the looks of someone seeking prominence.
It is a little too harsh to portray them as ‘persons seeking
prominence’. Yet, they turn out to be more significant than what their
designation prescribes.
By virtue of the proximity they have to
the seat of authority, they have a clear perception of the steps and intricacies
of the processes in the functions they carry out. So, the PA to the authority
looks ‘de facto’ power capable of ‘halting or tilting’ the operations to
advantage.
But to whose advantage? is something ‘flexible’ and pliable to tilt
scales -this way or that way.
In this ‘tilting game’, the PAs are exceptionally
smart in reading the trends of wind blow and settling for safe deals towing the
line of authority and make it appear that everything is in order and as per the
prescribed norms.
A major advantage to the PA is [s]he has
been in the same portfolio –no matter who the officer has been. With their
entrenchment into the system and as a virtual power, none dares questioning the
knowledge or the wisdom of the PA in over-ruling decisions of the constituted
body meant to assess the pros and cons in any dispensation.
Too often, the official boss is new to
the place and is not well versed with prevailing practices for settling any
dispute; this lends a huge advantage to the PA in prevailing over any other
mode of disposal.
That the PA cannot be ignored on ‘local
practices’ relating to any mode of disposal, confers natural advantage on to
the PA as one who is ‘long experienced’ in
amicable settlement of disputes between parties to a deal. Logically PA is a
perpetual authority and a formidable power in any administrative machinery.
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