Police Station, Jalandhar Railway Station

I personally held the view that all this was solely attributable to our upbringing.  As a toddler, my mother would threaten to hand me over to the constable at the street corner if I was mischievous.  Policemen to me were ‘kid’nappers.  All this,  when my own uncle was a top police official.  While my friends would envy me, I for one felt totally uncomfortable being in the company of my uncle.  I even consciously avoided talking to him in public, forget going to his house.  I vividly remember, as an auditioned artiste of All India Radio, Chennai, on one occasion I was offered the chance to talk to Mr.Walter Dawaram.  A shiver went down my spine.  I felt uneasy and breathed a sigh of relief only when the opportunity was grabbed by my colleague.

Why this aversion, should I say, towards policemen?  I have no answer but my gut feelings were confirmed when last week a vegetable vendor met with an accident and lay helpless on the road for sometime.  No one volunteered to help.  Even the shop keepers in the area chose to remain silent spectators.  Unable to stand the indifference any longer, I moved to help when someone pulled me back firmly by my shoulder.  “Don’t go.  Police will come soon and you will be asked to accompany them to the station.  Life will become miserable thereafter for you,” he whispered in a firm tone of a well-wisher.  As expected, a couple of policemen arrived on the scene, marked the place, bundled the victim into a waiting auto and left.  God only knows what happened to the injured vendor thereafter.  Will this animosity, if one may say so, never end?  Will this lack of confidence never be overcome?  How do we bridge the gap of faith? How do the policemen redeem their image? Are not policemen our brethren? Are they not part of our society? Are we not partners in progress? Will someone answer?

Renewal of  licence,  is in my superior’s view, a jiffy’s job.  “Fill the form, pay the fees, get the licence” he would jocularly remark every time I approached him for leave on this count.  Hours ran out at the RTO office, I looked for help that was not forthcoming.  I was jostled around with my expired licence in hand.  At one desk there were a number of people and I couldn’t figure out who among them were outsiders like me.  They all giggled and gulped tea switching places intermittently. I approached one person only to be directed by him to sit down on the bench, even before I could speak. Tired I moved to the tea stall outside to refresh myself, where the person who took my order for tea also caringly enquired on my requirement.  On being told, he promptly asked for the original and dished out a few forms to be filled in.  Perusing the licence he remarked, “No problem. You can get it straightaway” .  His words were a welcome relief for me.  I looked at him in disbelief as he hurriedly completed the formalities, filled in the blanks, affixed my photographs, took my signature and collected the fees.  A Good Samaritan, he accompanied me while I was photographed and was constantly on the move while I sat still before finally handing over the duly signed laminated card with a smile.

If you do not want to be pushed around, if you do not want to listen to indifferent responses that confuse you further or add to your frustration,  if time is precious and you are worldly wise, you will close your eyes and plump for the services of a broker.  They are good Samaritans who understand the needs, the feelings of people and have tailor made solutions that work.  They will guide you on whom to contact, what documents to produce and the fees to be paid.  They will even fill up all the forms, may not be neatly, but that which will be accepted by the authorities concerned.  It’s a different story that if you as a layman were to fill up the same form in similar fashion you would probably end up incurring the wrath of the desk officer and rejection of your papers.  Come as a stranger, befriend a broker and go back with a peace of mind with your job accomplished.

M.S.VAIDYANATHAN

A CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION HAS JUST BEGUN

The battle against corruption has just begun and there is a long way to go before one sees or experiences any semblance of a corruption free environment.  Its Round One to Anna Hazare and his team who have made the politicians sit up and take cognizance of their demands.  It is a big relief for the supporters of Anna, like yours truly, primarily because Anna has called off his twelve day old fast.  This movement against corruption has still to cross many a hurdle and we need Anna and his Team to ensure implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill in letter and spirit.

The Jan Lokpal Bill mooted by him has extraordinary features.   The system proposed by the Civil Society will ensure that within two years the corrupt will go to jail and that includes politicians and senior officers.  It will have complete powers to order dismissal of a corrupt official.  People, who hitherto had nowhere to go to complain, can now expect to be heard.  All investigations will be transparent and politicians will have absolutely no say in the selection of the members of the Lokpal or Lokayukta. All public grievances will be resolved in a time bound manner with a penalty clause for delays. Loss caused to government due to corruption will be recovered from all accused and there is enhanced punishment for the guilty.

But it is too early to rejoice over what has been achieved so far.  No doubt Government has felt the heat of the people’s movement for the first time.  This is reflected in the demands of Anna being adopted by a ‘Sense of the House’ resolution.  There are already reports in the media that carry apprehensions on the strength of this resolution adopted by the Parliament.  Some have questioned its validity as a ‘resolution’. It is reported that the ‘Sense of the House’ is only a recommendation that can at best have a persuasive effect but will not be binding on the Standing Committee.  If there is any merit in the opinion voiced by legal experts, passage of the Bill as mooted may remain only a distant reality.

A forwarded SMS received by me states that in 1982, inSingapore, a bill similar to Lokpal Bill was implemented and 142 corrupt ministers and officers were arrested in a single day.  Today only 1% of the population in Singapore is poor.  There are better medical facilities, prices are cheaper and  90% of the money is white.  All this happening in India is a distant dream. Our politicians, regardless of their party affiliations, can be trusted to effectively thwart any attempt to pass this Bill as proposed. They have the wherewithal to ensure the Bill loses its teeth in due course of time.

The people’s war against corruption, led by Anna Hazare with his indomitable spirit has started off with a bang.  It should grow from strength to strength till the fruits of this effort are realized. The Team members must stay united and speak in one voice. With the people rallying around them, they should lead with a determination worth emulating.  It should not end with a whimper or be allowed to be put in cold storage by the powers that be.

M.S.VAIDYANATHAN

Image By procsilas

There are reports in some sections of the press that the Government has banned the distribution of snacks and gifts by Companies to their shareholders at the Annual General Meeting and any violation of the order invites punitive punishment.

There is apparently a distortion in reporting, which gives one the impression that forget the gifts,  there is a blanket ban on serving even beverages at the AGM.  The draft undated circular F.No.17/218/2011 CL.V of July 2011 issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and ported in its website,  in the first place puts forth its proposal to ban the distribution of gifts, food coupons or gift coupons and other enticement.  There is no bar on distribution of tea, coffee, soft drinks and snacks etc. in the Annual General Meeting which is extended as a courtesy to the shareholders.

This is nothing new as such an initiative had been mooted some years back stemming from the ruckus that was created in some meetings and the unacceptable proportions the modes and channels of distribution of gifts had assumed.  In many cases, it was observed that companies had resorted to distribution of gifts to cover up their misdeeds and also planned the process of distribution in such a way that no useful, constructive discussion could take place on critical areas in the annual report or on the controversial resolutions sought to be passed. In many cases, even before the shareholders could count and collect their gifts, the meeting would be declared closed by the Chairman, with all the resolutions proposed and seconded by the promoter’s own people.

Let me hasten to add, that this does not mean that all the companies that were distributing gifts had a hidden agenda or some scam to cover.  But here what prevailed in the minds of those advocating good corporate governance, was that such gifts, if given, should be made available to all the shareholders regardless of whether they attend the meeting or not.  As ensuring this, was not practically possible, it was suggested to do away with the practice.

It is a customary practice, especially in our country, to offer refreshments to invitees on any occasion.  As an Annual General Meeting is a meeting of the shareholders, who are the owners of the company, courtesy demands that those attending be provided coffee, tea, soft drinks or snacks and there is nothing wrong with it.

Even the Secretarial Standard -  issued by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, for good corporate governance -  that deals with General Meetings categorically states that NO  gifts, gift coupons or cash in lieu of gifts should be distributed to the Members at or in connection with the Meeting. It does not talk of forbidding serving of snacks or beverages at the meeting..

Non-adherence to the proposal mooted by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs shall be treated as misconduct on the part of the Board of Directors of the Company who shall be liable to pay back the cost of such expenses to the company and shall also be liable for penal action as provided under section 168 of the Companies Act, 1956 for not convening the AGM properly as required under Section 166 of the companies Act, 1956.

The draft circular ends with an invitation to all the stakeholders to provide their views/comments/recommendations to the above proposal of the Ministry.

So members can at the next Annual General Meeting they attend, flaunt a copy of the circular to claim their cup of tea, if not provided well before the meeting!

CS M.S.VAIDYANATHAN

“Will you be able to do it?” I quizzed him, knowing fully well that he had his roots firmly entrenched in the village and farming was his bread and butter.  Even when our other relatives had left the village for greener pastures, he stuck to his ground.  Although a science graduate, he never harbored any thoughts of migrating to the city that promised lot of glitz and glamor to the people especially from the rural areas.  A simpleton, he loved doing extensive research in farming, having won prizes for achieving record output for black grams, having cultivated record number of bananas in a single tree and growing tamarind not just big in size but in pulp content as well.  No newspaper coverage or media interviews on his achievements, could in any affect his commitment to farming.  It is in this background that his statement shook me up.

He did appear a little depressed.  His usual boisterous spirit that belied his age was just not there.  “I am unable to carry on.  There is no support from the authorities;  labour is hard to come by.  Now everyone prefers to ‘enroll’ for the government scheme that guarantees 100 days of work and wages.  Migrant labour is seldom seen and even if available they demand exorbitant rates.  Forget nature playing truant now and then, man-made miseries are more.  The sight of the officials at the rice mill is sickening, to say the least.  They never leave empty-handed.  Added to all this, is the unusual trend of farmer friends selling their fertile land, considering the attractive prices they fetch today.  If this trend continues, where do we go?” he paused for a moment, before continuing, “today farming is not for farmers like me. It is for those with money and muscle power.  We used to have name-sake fences to prevent cattle from casually grazing on lands especially when crops were fully grown and ready for harvesting.  But today, we are unable to fence the same lands to ward-off anti-social elements from stealing our crops.  We are forced to spend sleepless nights.  God-fearing people may soon become extinct.  Moral policing may seem to be a thing of the past.  Having given considerable thought to the day-to-day problems I have to face in the village, I thought it prudent to sell my property and move to the city.”

True, fertile agricultural lands are fast coming under the scanner of real estate developers.  This, in the long run will have its impact on agricultural output.  There is no security for small farmers as the level of moral fear is fast dwindling.  Are the Government’s measures to reduce the plight of farmers not being implemented in letter and spirit, one is prompted to think.  Who are the beneficiaries of all those much publicized write-offs and waivers?

“You should experience the plight of farmers like me to understand our life and predicament,” he mumbled and moved.  I stared at him in disbelief.  His parting words had said it all.

M.S.VAIDYANATHAN ACS

Working Professional

]]> http://wikitoday.org/2011/featured/the-plight-of-farmers/feed/ 138 http://wikitoday.org/2011/wikitoday/whither-employee-motivation/ http://wikitoday.org/2011/wikitoday/whither-employee-motivation/#comments Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:20:16 +0000 M.S.VAIDYANATHAN http://wikitoday.org/?p=3463 .

WHITHER EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION?

A critical component of human resource management is an employee’s level of motivation and a principal cause of the high level of attrition. An employee’s morale is a key factor that determines the success or otherwise of any company. A subordinate must be made to feel and be confident that his superior is with him, to support and recognize his contribution.  Sadly this aspect is found wanting in good measure in the work place in many cases.

True level of employee motivation can probably be best gauged in a proprietary concern where every single act of the boss tells on the profit and goodwill of the enterprise. The level of motivation generally declines in private concerns and in is still worse in public sector units

Managers more often than not, take their staff for granted. They deem it their right to show their smartness on their employees. Its an entirely different issue of extracting the maximum work from those on their rolls commensurate to the salary they are paid. But when it comes to treating them with dignity, many fail. Small acts but they have a big impact. Let me give some instances to highlight my viewpoint.

During a function of solemn significance in a company, everything went on as planned. Finally it was the distribution of sweets to all those present that was slipshod. The function was held on the terrace that housed the corporate office and all those assembled there had to come down the stairs past the executive mess, the work-place, the staff canteen and go towards the main entrance. Everyone rose to leave when someone gestured that all others except for the senior management could collect their sweet packets from the staff canteen. Hurt by this discrimination, many just trooped out of the building straight home declaring publicly never to accept any invitation in future. Did the executives realize the gravity of the act perpetrated by one of their colleagues? In any case the damage had been done and became the subject of discussion for a long time.

In another incident, a staff had applied for and had been sanctioned privilege leave well in advance. It was mandatory provision in that company to ensure each staff goes on eave at least for ten days in a year. The staff in question had planned to take his family along on  a holiday. His boss sanctioned his leave with a big ‘YES’ and signed the application. On the D-day, while signing the attendance, the staff was in for a rude shock.  His leave application stared at him.  Between, the ‘Yes’ and the signature of his boss, some words had been inserted.  A closer look revealed the words, “If branch audit is completed”. The boss was aware of the arrangements made more than a month in advance and denying the leave was just not there. But he acted smart, by inserting the words and pleaded helplessness. He had asserted his superiority. The individual’s interest had been served but the institution had lost.  This act had a cascading effect on the other staff too.

Take the case of an incident that had a positive impact. The CEO of a company made a surprise visit to a branch. While sitting with the Accountant, he flipped through the sales report of the representatives attached to the branch. After some discreet enquiries, he quietly  left the place leaving a slip of paper – stapled to one of the reports – with the Accountant, on which above the CEO’s signature was scribbled ‘Give two increments’. One can imagine the favourable impact this action had on the cadres, let alone the staff in question, to do better.

Change in mindset of superiors

There is not much difference between  private and public sector , in terms of attitude of many managers. They work with a short term perspective and primarily to protect and promote their interest. If their basic concern is to ensure that there no lapses during their tenure in the office – in case of a transferable job – or doing their remaining service, prior to superannuation, they are unlikely to motivate their subordinates. Their interest in the work, will be limited to a small area. Their involvement will be committed to the extent of saving their salary and not developing the organization they are working in. What invariably works in the minds of such people, is to let the new incumbent resolve the issues, if any. An escapist attitude,  such a mindset must change.

Training

Sending a staff for training is considered by many superiors as a favour being bestowed and as a bait for getting their personal work done. This is just not the case. Training is meant to enhance the productivity of the employee in question, by updating their knowledge and enhance their performance. Merely calling for details of training programs required in the annual performance appraisal without any intention of giving effect to it, is making a mockery of the whole process and strong de-motivating factor.

A motivated employee will go the extra mile to enhance his knowledge level and work competency besides assisting his bosses in the discharge of their duties efficiently. It is the management’s job to assign work to the staff and extract work from them. They should feel the pulse of each and every employee. Recognize and reward their efforts. In many offices, much of the paper work is done by one officer and the credit is taken by some other officer who carries the paper for discussion with the bosses. It is like in a hotel, where the well dressed waiter bags the tips and the complaints are passed on to the unseen cook sweating it out in the kitchen. No one thinks of identifying the cook and complimenting for the preparation. Without forgetting that rights and responsibilities go hand-in-hand, if they add a personal touch by their words and actions it can do wonders in terms of boosting employee’s morale. We are basically adept at framing rules and regulations, listing out do’s and don’ts, but when it comes to implementation we fail miserably. Managers must ensure that they walk the talk to motivate employees.