‘ My mother is suffering from depression. When I get late, she starts to act uncontrollably. But my Department Head expects every one to stay after work, immaterial whether we have work or not. I have no guts to talk to him, cos I know the answer. ‘Deena. I can understand your situation. But what will happen a customer peep in and no one is there to look after?. It is essential you to stay at least 1/2 hr after work’
‘ I can understand your request for a laptop. But here only Senior Manager above employees have been allowed laptops. Some Managers work until 8 – 9 at night. So what if they also ask for a laptop?’ This was the answer given to a Manager who was expecting a secondment to Deena’s company. He had been given a laptop from his mother company, but this particular company refuses to give him a laptop saying it is only limited to Senior Managers.
‘ Everyday you are late to work. We cant tolerate this. I know you have a grievance that you are traveling 50 km. But that is your problem and you should solve your problems.’ When Anna asked for flexi time for 2 months, her Head of the Department answered her.
It is easier to work in a full automated manufacturing plant. No people, no people related problems to take decisions. Cos, except role models who always to be the ‘best student of the class’, ordinary people make requests and expect things from their work places.
My favorite subject is HR policy development. Cos it lays a frame work. It creates boundaries, limitations, what to do and what not to do.
Though policy development is the favorite subject of mine, ofen a simple question bothers me. ‘ What will happen a policy becomes god’s rule’?
Unfortunately, in most companies, HR policies and procedures become rules of god. There is no flexibility, no alterations.
If we work with machines, yes, we have to use same button, same gear and same production procedure. Ah, with people, YES, WE CAN. We can always say,
‘ I can understand your request, but you know we have a policy for this’
or
‘ You are very reasonable, but you know, if I do this for you, others will also ask for same’.
Ok. it doenst matter if this is the answer for EVERY ONE. but the problem is, 99% policy followers are bias for favorites.
What will be the ultimate result?
Company looses GREAT employees for NOTHING.
How can we take correct decisions which require a reasonable justification to other employees / decisions out from policy framework?
1. Scientifically measuring the impact of grating the request on other employees.
2. Measuring the impact on the employee who makes the request against the impact of granting the request.
A policy should not be violated. But at the same time, a policy should not be life or death rule. there should be alternations. Otherwise ‘human resources management’ becomes a myth which doenst come under ‘management’ definition.
wawconsultancy 
great, that is one of the top things we can learn from driving. prediction and foreseeing. We have to think far ahead before taking a single decision. The question ‘what if’ should be there all the time when we drive and we have to have 2 -3 options.
I am a bit fast driver. But I never try to overtake any vehicle without studying the driver’s style. There are some people who drive slowly but when someone attempts to overtake, they also speed up. Some people drive with a regular acceleration. they keep the speed in one point. Some people use the road as their own compound. so studying a minute or 2 is very effective and believe me, I enjoy it a lot cos it teaches me a lot about people behavior.
It is always said to keep an eye contact with the other driver when a vehicle attempt to cross our road. that is similar with a passenger who crosses the road. I have seen most of the passengers cross roads without even looking at the direction where a vehicle could come. They don’t have attention to what they do.
there are some people who use head lights to signal as a habit. there is another type of drivers / riders who drive by horn. they are restless and think all other give attention to them in the way they needed.
There are some drivers who dont have any humanity. Specially bus drivers. Yesterday a bus driver whom bus was about to crash by a truck intentionally attempted 3 times to hit the truck. He didnt have any attention where the bus was going. His only intention was to hit the truck which was coming side by side. 🙂 We sometimes meet similar people at work, who do have full attention on attacking others.
Some drivers think that the road is theirs. specially three wheelers. They use entire track and skip tracks even without looking at the vehicle coming next. So unfortunate follower should have to control the vehicle whenever a 3 wheeler creep here and there.
Average number of car drivers are either government officers or private sector employees. The personality they show as a driver wont change when they get down from the car. Their way of decision making wont be changed. That is why driving becomes an important learning point for us to understand others and respect whatever the personality they carry. On road, one wrong decision can cause a disaster. At work that wont be changed. So learning ethical driving will be a good exercise for attitude developing at work.