Sunday, 15 May 2016
Saturday, 7 May 2016
A PAID HAND IS A PAID HAND By Victor Idem (c) 2016
THE WORKPLACE AND YOU - A PAID HAND IS A PAID HAND
Nature is a good teacher if a person chooses to learn at its feet. Every living system gets born, grows, gets old and redundant and dies off to make room for something new. So it is with an employee's work life cycle. You get hired, get trained , grow in the profession, get stuck at management level where your experience rather than initiative is valued, get redundant (no matter the training and retraining courses attended), and get laid off or throw in the towel to collect your gold wrist watch for long service.
That is the natural course of events, even for the Managing director of a Multinational corporation. Sadly, we have too many people in the workplace who cling on to the job, to a particular office, to a particular office resource (company car, desk, work space, even staff), to a particular procedure or process and to a particular mindset, that impede organizational growth.
Have we not witnessed members of staff who falsify their qualifications, marital statuses, medical records and other critical personal information and or pay bribes (in cash or kind) to ensure they remain in a department, location or get promotion so as remain in the comfort zone that ensures their survival in the corporate jungle? And for what, to stay a little while longer in the system?
Ultimately, every employee will leave paid employment no matter how invaluable he/she might be. So instead of spending time scheming to be indispensable to the company by means other than putting in dedicated service for the number of years you remain a hired hand, a discerning employee should develop skills, aptitude and knowledge that would position him to be able to become an external consultant/resource person for his current employer and or industry when circumstances present itself for him/her to either resign or be retired.
A paid hand is a paid hand, no matter how long you work for, or what level you rise to within a corporation.
Victor Idem (ACIA) (c) 2016
Nature is a good teacher if a person chooses to learn at its feet. Every living system gets born, grows, gets old and redundant and dies off to make room for something new. So it is with an employee's work life cycle. You get hired, get trained , grow in the profession, get stuck at management level where your experience rather than initiative is valued, get redundant (no matter the training and retraining courses attended), and get laid off or throw in the towel to collect your gold wrist watch for long service.
That is the natural course of events, even for the Managing director of a Multinational corporation. Sadly, we have too many people in the workplace who cling on to the job, to a particular office, to a particular office resource (company car, desk, work space, even staff), to a particular procedure or process and to a particular mindset, that impede organizational growth.
Have we not witnessed members of staff who falsify their qualifications, marital statuses, medical records and other critical personal information and or pay bribes (in cash or kind) to ensure they remain in a department, location or get promotion so as remain in the comfort zone that ensures their survival in the corporate jungle? And for what, to stay a little while longer in the system?
Ultimately, every employee will leave paid employment no matter how invaluable he/she might be. So instead of spending time scheming to be indispensable to the company by means other than putting in dedicated service for the number of years you remain a hired hand, a discerning employee should develop skills, aptitude and knowledge that would position him to be able to become an external consultant/resource person for his current employer and or industry when circumstances present itself for him/her to either resign or be retired.
A paid hand is a paid hand, no matter how long you work for, or what level you rise to within a corporation.
Victor Idem (ACIA) (c) 2016
Wednesday, 4 May 2016
VALUE ADDING EMPLOYEE: An asset to the company- By Victor Idem (c) 2016
THE WORKPLACE AND YOU: Bec
ome a value adding Employee
The greatest service I think employers should do for their members of staff is to educate them on corporate finance; the anticipation for, acquisition of, and allocation of financial resources within the organization. Such knowledge will help workers understand how their jobs add to the bottom line.
Most often, employees start to agitate for salary increment and payment other financial emoluments without consideration of the fortunes of the company. They see so much activities going on and misconstrue them to mean that the business is profitable. They fail to connect the dots between revenue and expenses (depreciation on tangible assets, overheads, taxes, pensions, trainings, marketing etc) and feel all the monies accruing to the business should be used to 'settle' them for their time.
It becomes more amazing when you hear some members of staff who have stayed so long on particular designations or ranks, doing the same tasks year in, year out, lamenting about the need for management to pay more for doing the same thing just because they have been around for a while longer. These set of of people are usually lethargic and clogs in the wheel of a company's progress as they forment problems and propagate a philosophy of 'more-money-for-less-work' amongst the workforce.
Every job in a company has a connected line to the company's profits. And a company's profits determines how big the pie baked to accomodate salaries, allowances and bonuses becomes.
So as an employee, devote time to add value to yourself, to your job and ultimately to your company's profitability. Only then can you confidently ask for that raise.
Victor Idem (ACIA) (c) 2016
The greatest service I think employers should do for their members of staff is to educate them on corporate finance; the anticipation for, acquisition of, and allocation of financial resources within the organization. Such knowledge will help workers understand how their jobs add to the bottom line.
Most often, employees start to agitate for salary increment and payment other financial emoluments without consideration of the fortunes of the company. They see so much activities going on and misconstrue them to mean that the business is profitable. They fail to connect the dots between revenue and expenses (depreciation on tangible assets, overheads, taxes, pensions, trainings, marketing etc) and feel all the monies accruing to the business should be used to 'settle' them for their time.
It becomes more amazing when you hear some members of staff who have stayed so long on particular designations or ranks, doing the same tasks year in, year out, lamenting about the need for management to pay more for doing the same thing just because they have been around for a while longer. These set of of people are usually lethargic and clogs in the wheel of a company's progress as they forment problems and propagate a philosophy of 'more-money-for-less-work' amongst the workforce.
Every job in a company has a connected line to the company's profits. And a company's profits determines how big the pie baked to accomodate salaries, allowances and bonuses becomes.
So as an employee, devote time to add value to yourself, to your job and ultimately to your company's profitability. Only then can you confidently ask for that raise.
Victor Idem (ACIA) (c) 2016
Thursday, 28 April 2016
IS YOUR TEAM HELPING YOU TO SHINE? By Victor Idem (c) 2016
THE WORKPLACE AND YOU (7)
From the 1990s, the 'Team approach' to achieving organizational goals became a corporate strategy. It has since gained currency in firms operating in the organized private sector in Nigeria. Not much can be said as to its adoption in the public sector.
Interestingly though, much as as this has become the swan song of Management , it has been observed that the application of policies that should engender the team spirit in the workplace are usually not done with consideration to the skills sets and competencies of the individual 'team members'.
Unlike in a football team where each player has his distinct role and usually doesn't have to overlap to function in a position where he has little proficiency, 'team mates' in the corporate environment are indoctrinated to think they can jump into roles at the drop of the hat and perform excellently. Usually, the skill set expected from such members is what Management term 'multitasking'.
Unfortunately, the results of this strategy can be observed as companies that invest resources to teach elephants to fly remain average performers. Rather, corporates that define a team by a collective and agreeable mission statement and then allow individuals to play to their areas of strength get to actualise their vision(s) better.
The team approach is only as good as to the extent it allows the individual competencies of team members to be harnessed and rewarded. Where sterling attributes of team members are stifled to allow the weaker links in the chain to 'look good', the organization will be bogged down by a mediocre workforce.
Victor Idem (c) 2016
From the 1990s, the 'Team approach' to achieving organizational goals became a corporate strategy. It has since gained currency in firms operating in the organized private sector in Nigeria. Not much can be said as to its adoption in the public sector.
Interestingly though, much as as this has become the swan song of Management , it has been observed that the application of policies that should engender the team spirit in the workplace are usually not done with consideration to the skills sets and competencies of the individual 'team members'.
Unlike in a football team where each player has his distinct role and usually doesn't have to overlap to function in a position where he has little proficiency, 'team mates' in the corporate environment are indoctrinated to think they can jump into roles at the drop of the hat and perform excellently. Usually, the skill set expected from such members is what Management term 'multitasking'.
Unfortunately, the results of this strategy can be observed as companies that invest resources to teach elephants to fly remain average performers. Rather, corporates that define a team by a collective and agreeable mission statement and then allow individuals to play to their areas of strength get to actualise their vision(s) better.
The team approach is only as good as to the extent it allows the individual competencies of team members to be harnessed and rewarded. Where sterling attributes of team members are stifled to allow the weaker links in the chain to 'look good', the organization will be bogged down by a mediocre workforce.
Victor Idem (c) 2016
Monday, 25 April 2016
THE ENTITLEMENT MENTALITY SYNDROME: Employees rights or privileges?
THE WORKPLACE AND YOU (3)
It is only human nature to become complacent and enter a comfort zone when a person becomes accustomed to his environment. So naturally, employees gravitate to a psychological level of expecting, even demanding privileges as though they are rights.
Have you ever met a colleague who laments about an inconsiderate boss who queries him for being a frequent latecomer?
Have you witnessed a fellow staff use office resources (official car, computers, stationery, subordinates) for unofficial purposes, claiming that such acts are perks of his office?
Have you circumvented company policy to further a personal ambition, propelled by a justification that your employers is taking more from you than they are offering in return?
Such 'entitlement mentality' syndrome is unhealthy and ultimately affects am employees performance and sabotages the organization's goals and objectives.
You were employed to work. Do just that if you cant do more. Doing anything less is counterproductive.
My name is Victor Idem (ACIA) and I just want to make commonsense.
It is only human nature to become complacent and enter a comfort zone when a person becomes accustomed to his environment. So naturally, employees gravitate to a psychological level of expecting, even demanding privileges as though they are rights.
Have you ever met a colleague who laments about an inconsiderate boss who queries him for being a frequent latecomer?
Have you witnessed a fellow staff use office resources (official car, computers, stationery, subordinates) for unofficial purposes, claiming that such acts are perks of his office?
Have you circumvented company policy to further a personal ambition, propelled by a justification that your employers is taking more from you than they are offering in return?
Such 'entitlement mentality' syndrome is unhealthy and ultimately affects am employees performance and sabotages the organization's goals and objectives.
You were employed to work. Do just that if you cant do more. Doing anything less is counterproductive.
My name is Victor Idem (ACIA) and I just want to make commonsense.
THE CUSTOMER VS THE EMPLOYEE? Who should Management listen more to?
In recent times, the workplace has become a terror ground where bosses,colleagues and even subordinates threaten the peace of fellow colleagues all in the name of moving the organization forward.
But what is becoming more appalling is the terrorism from customers. Just because the parlance 'customer is king' has ecome the trending jargon from Managment, our 'knowledgeable' customers have decided to make the workplace lifing hell by insisting on the impossible; most a time asking for things that conflict with the company's policy, couching their demands with subtle threats to report to Managaement of being wrongly attended to despite all entreaties that an employee is incapacitated to oblige.
A word to such Management that discount the feelings and contributions of well meaning employees to an organization's mission: your customers can never be more loyal than your employees.
Treat your employees as partners who have brains and deserve some respect!
True, the customer is king but even the King deserves to be told when he doesn't have his robes on if seen walking round the palace naked!
My name is Victor Idem (ACIA) and I just want to make commonsense.
Follow me on @AfricStoryTell
@VicEmmaConsults
But what is becoming more appalling is the terrorism from customers. Just because the parlance 'customer is king' has ecome the trending jargon from Managment, our 'knowledgeable' customers have decided to make the workplace lifing hell by insisting on the impossible; most a time asking for things that conflict with the company's policy, couching their demands with subtle threats to report to Managaement of being wrongly attended to despite all entreaties that an employee is incapacitated to oblige.
A word to such Management that discount the feelings and contributions of well meaning employees to an organization's mission: your customers can never be more loyal than your employees.
Treat your employees as partners who have brains and deserve some respect!
True, the customer is king but even the King deserves to be told when he doesn't have his robes on if seen walking round the palace naked!
My name is Victor Idem (ACIA) and I just want to make commonsense.
Follow me on @AfricStoryTell
@VicEmmaConsults
Saturday, 23 April 2016
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