The "HR" factor!

Ironically, the present day youngsters seem to miss the Human relations factor at home, especially at the “in-law” homes!

At work place, especially in successful organizations, there is abundance of that ‘HR’ factor. The bosses undergo even costly refresher courses to ensure that they give that subtle extra-sugar-coated “feel-good” factor to their juniors, subordinates co-workers etc! It does work too well. And it pays too! Very few fortunate people realize at least when it is a bit too late that, all the time, it was a commercially employed ‘technique, and there was never even a bit of emotion value or content in it!

I chanced to come across a youngster who recently got a chance to work under a teacher, but the basic nature of (human)relationship would be like an ‘employer-employee’. It is only then that I realized the distinction! This youngster had the opportunity to work for an organization, where Human Relations are at its best in terms of comparative evaluation in similar organizations. This organization was comfortable about normal anxieties concerning ‘attrition-due-to-lack-of-feel-good-factors”.

Like any other youngster, this person too would have ‘got-used’ to that pampering whether consciously or otherwise, aware or unawares. But, now when the role of ‘employee’ is going to be replicated during a study term, as a sort of apprenticeship or even assistantship for the sake of availing subsidy on the cost of study, I felt that there was going to be some contrast. A professor, is basically inclined towards research-oriented outlook, and the focus of the mind is towards excellence in the pursuit of knowledge. Such a person is naturally inclined to look at how well a student learns, and with what kinds of learning skills the student is equipped, and how well the student employs those tools, even while at work.

Let me take a ‘down-to-floor-level’ example, to make it light. An elderly lady employs a maid servant to get the floor cleaned. To keep the maid in good humour, and to ensure maximum productivity, the lady-employer would use all gimmicks to create that feel-good factor! Like offering a cup of tea in-between, insisting that the maid un-bend her back for a while, sip the tea while it is still warm, and then get back to cleaning the floor of the other room etc. Now, if the same lady, if she were to teach the art of floor-cleaning to her niece, would try to make sure that the would-be-bride-niece of hers learns the art of cleaning, well enough to avoid any ‘fault-finding’ from her in-laws. In this process, the aunt would forgo that ‘feel-good’ factor, and even create a mock-drill of being severe! The primary focus is to ensure that the niece learns perfectly. The emotional attachment due to love for own niece, gives that extra care and inclination towards teaching.

The professor-employer has no mental-leisure, nor is he ‘obliged’ to ensure productivity. He has no ‘attrition’ problems due to that apprentice student. So, I tried to impress upon this youngster, this factor, and asked him to be aware a bit more consciously about this aspect. Now, if situation permits, this student can show due humility towards the professor, for genuine reasons, which may perhaps evoke one extra remark about the student in the final appraisal, in addition to job-dexterity, giving that much needed feel-back to the potential head-hunters. The commercial employers, despite care and effort, would only look towards candidates who cause less drain on their HR effort. The job-dexterity takes a little bit of lesser priority than it deserves. It is this natural tendency, that I tried to impress upon the youth.

When I come to think of it, perhaps this is why the working girls of today find it difficult to allow the parents of the spouse to stay with them after getting married. These parents cannot be expected to play that ‘goody-goody’ role of boss-like-elders! We cannot really find fault with the girl-children, when they are expected to get over suddenly, what they got used to , all the while. And, if the young girl is a bit emotionally vulnerable, she would fall a prey to that ‘commercial-HR-factor’, and end up in undesirable ‘ties’. The problem is , this HR factor is an indispensable aspect for the success of the organization.

( In all humility, I have no hesitation whatever, in confessing that, I was unduly fortunate to be blessed with an experience under a spiritual Master, who even demonstrated how it feels to be under the ‘employ’ of a person, who has himself risen well above intellect and emotion! Buddhi is intellect. Buddhoo is below intellect level, and obviously, Buddha is above intellect! I am yet to deserve that blessing-full experience!)

I wonder if, the concept narrated above holds value in the view-point of others too! Only a response/feed-back can tell.
Psn(30th Aug, 2009)