My old banker friend, ES make a date with me last week to have lunch today. He was late for 30 minutes but anyway, the important point is that late better than never. I brought along my assistant, Agnes for a simple CNY lunch at Osaka, Prai. It is a small restaurant and it serves dry bak kut teh which I had tasted many times before.
After we sat down at the restaurant, ES told me that he is retiring this year as the work pressure is too much and the KPI is too high. He has extended his contract with the bank for two years and later, he hinted that he may opt to retire before his contract expired. I told him to consider carefully. I have known him since my high school days and since he joined the banking sector way back in 1986. He is really a gentleman banker and moderate in his character.
He told me that nowadays, the management is different. The boss are very aggressive and if he do not meet his KPI, they will open scold him in front of his subordinates. It could be very embarrassing and everyone takes turn to be embarrass in front of each other. The courtesy of scolding on a one to one basis and in a room have gone down the drain. Maybe, this is this a better way to scare the subordinates to conform or to push them to meet their KPIs. This practice is against the basic human management principles.
Yes, I have written an article in my blog and the title is “who shout the loudest will win”. In my factory, this is type of management style is also rampant and we have been trying to change this culture through teamwork and our CSR news letters and it has only limited success. When we try to find out the reason for our high employees’ turnover rate, this is one of the reasons for our employees to resign from our workplace.
Why is there so much unhappiness around ? By using this “ fear “ technique, it is inhumane to people and could it be deemed as a harassment or victimization and if it happens on a female staff , it could be cited as “ sexual harassment”. Asian people are very complying and peaceful, their attitude to tolerate the nonsense from their peers have put tremendous stress on themselves and could caused serious health issues. Is this non-confrontational approach better than confrontation ? I think the latter should be the more correct way. Speak up and be heard and it is sinful to be submissive. We have to protect our rights and put our peers in their correct positions come what may. Scare of losing one’s job is secondary and our happiness is number one.
After the lunch, ES told me that time passes so fast and how many more three years is left in us. Why 3 years and not 10 years ? There was a very popular mandarin song with the title “ three years” and its lyrics points out that “ left three years, right three years , so many three years is left in us “ . It is not significant and it is only a number. Even Agnes, who is turning 40 knows the old song. Time really flies …. I have know ES for 40 years already. From a hairy person to a white hairless person and age really make a fool of us all.
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