Flexi - Timing: Bane or Boon

After a late rising, good breakfast, and last minute touches to last night’s presentation; am on the way to office, swiping my card at sharp 9:00 A.M. For the whole department strength to grow full in size it would take another 1 hour. So it’s 10:00 A.M. and the department begins to start its operations, gradually picking on speed. But then an interruption comes in the form of a lunch hour at 12:30 P.M. For some the lunch hour begins at 1:00 P.M. Eventually after the break, work begins around 1:30 P.M. and now it starts growing in pace and by the time it’s 5:00 P.M. when work is at its peak of functionality; its time to head home. Some people stay back till 6:30 P.M. when the cabins are empty and the process to complete would require waiting for Mr. X, whose availability at the earliest would be the next morning at 8:30 A.M.

‘Flexi Timing is said to be the Future’, but does it fit well on all kinds of sectors and industries. For example a start-up IT Company cannot afford to get the concept of flexi-timing into its routine. It would be wasting a lot of its resources with the eventuality of staying up late and utilizing electricity, systems and supervisory issues.

Implementing Flexi Timing at manufacturing companies is another example of a misfit. By in large all manufacturing companies work in 3 shifts: Morning [6:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M.], Evening [2:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M.] and Night [10:00 P.M. – 6:00 A.M.]. There’s a General Shift normally between 8:30 / 9:00 A.M. – 5:00/5:30 P.M. depending upon individual Company timings, where all the support functions and the Managerial level employees fit in.

Now majority of manufacturing companies are held by strong hierarchical ties, and not even a single paper can pass to a third level without bypassing the second level; whereby it’s scrutinized and only when satisfactory is approved for further flow of command/operations. Under such circumstances when Flexi Timing is implemented, there are some people who still prefer being at their seats sharp when the siren goes, and would look forward to getting home when the siren goes off again in the evening. Yet there is a large chunk that would prefer to avail such benefits, or to say the Managerial level would definitely pool in a ‘Yes’ for the concept. Such is the time variation that the Manager may end up swiping his card around 10:00 A.M., but that whole time between 8:30 – 10:00 A.M. would go waste, as it’s impossible to move any papers ahead or commit over any task. Just because the issuing authority isn’t present! And when the work does begin for the day; its time for lunch. Again the variation of flexi-timing and normal routine affects the lunch hour. There may be people who are done with their meals by 1:00 P.M. as per Company timings; however the Managers are entitled to have their timings extended by another half an hour. So in no case work begins before 1:45 P.M. after more than an hours break. Now the flow is catching grounds and moving at a fast pace; but it’s 5:00 P.M. and most of the clerical office bearers leave for the day, and other Executive band level employees and still other Managers who were among the ones that didn’t avail the concept. Left behind are hardly 30-40 of the employees all by themselves, who have the issuing authority in their hands; yet cannot, pass the paper to the next level as it needs some modification by some Executive or no peon is around to take the document across the building.

Now quite a few questions arise here:

• Does Flexi – Timing prove to be helpful in managing the tasks well?
• Does Flexi-Timing ensure output/production to full capacity?
• Is it cost-effective to let employees continue deciding their in and out timings?
• What about the man hours lost? How will it be recovered?
• How to minimize the authorizing gap between band levels if not altogether negate it; if such benefits do keep continuing?
• How to motivate employees who are demoralized with the pace of work and not getting rewarded for following discipline?
• How to engage employees who turn up early at their offices?
  

Yes indeed employee engagement has become crucial in these hours when bosses aren’t around, and employees are left to do anything but work. Many end up wasting time on unnecessary usage of internet, or in forming groups around the water cooler and chatting away. Spending time in canteens or roaming around shop areas becomes a routine.

The final question is “Does Flexi-Timing ensure work getting completed by the end of the day, or is it simply convenience at its best?” Work which cannot be completed within 8 hours of designated timing would not finish in another 1 hour without the proper team of employees. What fun in sitting alone in the cubicle and segregating tasks that cannot be completed before the next day and complying by the 8 hours shift of the flexi-timing accepted??

Sick Human Unit

A ‘Sick Industrial Unit’ as defined in the ‘Sick Industrial Companies Act, 1985’ is said to be a unit or a Company (having been in existence for not less than five years) which is found at the end of any financial year to have incurred accumulated losses equal to or exceeding its entire net worth. There are 2 basic factors which may result in the sickness of an industrial unit, which are:

a). Internal Factors,

b). External Factors.

And there is a 3rd factor that attributes differently to a unit being ‘Sick’ which is the “Human Factor”.

It is then maybe even Government bailing out aids cannot help. And what becomes more irreversible a process is when the whole of the unit’s resources is plagued by the sickness effect. Then what ceases to matter is whether the unit is churning huge profits or taking a huge shelf space in the markets. All that happens thereafter is it being fed to a slow death, of the operations within the unit / Company.

Taking a closer look of how such sickness spreads, at times we cannot consider ourselves to be distanced from its roots. Looking around we can observe much exhibited a behavioural change in our colleagues, subordinates, superiors who begin to breed the notion that for all Gains they belong to the Company; but for all Losses it’s the CEO’s shoulder that takes the blow. And with this thought in mind, they start caring a less where matters require immediate attention and correction. The most unfortunate part shows up when they berate at those who think they are very much part of the Company’s shareholder policy without physically being one. And one thing leading to another, when the employees of the unit/Company start taking things at a pace slower than the need of the hour, delaying the process, the delivery of the services, and a number of back-logs within the system of outflow of materials/services.

The ‘Human’ approach to releasing past grudges and grievances at the wrong cause, making the working environment lose the balance is every Company’s’ Management’s nightmare. Coz they realise once started, this cycle is unstoppable without a few blows here and there. A good work culture is something every individual joining a Company yearns for, something they can relate to, the whole of their lives. But at times the unit/Company gets indefinitely ‘Sick’, because of the culture that is being built within a group of people; who start acting tangentially to the requirements of the unit/Company.

The top 10 ways to identify the behaviour/attitude of a colleague/subordinate/superior around you contributing to the ‘Sick Human Unit’:

1. It’s not my job.
2. The 5 minute paperwork shoved beneath piles of other files.
3. What’s there in for me? Do I get my margin?
4. It’s the owners’ headache; he needs to deal with the growing protests.
5. Why would I job rotate, I’m happy here since past 2 decades!
6. What’s the point in learning new things; I have just 5 years to retirement!
7. It’s not my responsibility either; I know nothing of it; despite the previous documentation bearing my signature.
8. Marking the paperwork to somebody else and the marking continues endlessly.
9. Changing decisions/stands when caught off-guard.
10. Will do it tomorrow or maybe next week.

Would I like to work in such a unit/Company? Definitely not! Neither would you! Least one could do, is take medication with the slightest of the symptoms.

But Precaution has been stated to be always better than Cure!

Breaking The Hierarchy - Serving Water To Guests

An office set-up is considered, whereby some guests have come for liaison purpose. The cabin of the Head of the Department is where the guests are seated. Outside the cabin are seated 6 subordinates [ranking executives], 1 computer operator and 1 project trainee. There are 2 peons allotted to the dept. however both of them aren't available in the vicinity, as have been sent around for Xerox and dispatching mail.

Water bottles aren't kept in the cabins, but rather in a closet at the corner of the far end of the room; where the peon keeps all the material for serving purpose, and prepares tea etc. So the cutlery too is placed there, as well as jug of water and glasses. Anybody wants water, calls out to the peon who carries glasses in trays.

Now when no peon is around to serve anything, one of the guests gets thirsty. And the Head asks one of the subordinates to get water inside.

The structure and hierarchy of boss-subordinate and peons levels are so strong, that certain type of work is said to be allotted; and somebody else cannot do the job or is considered below dignity!

In this case what can be done? Let the subordinate executive bring water / or ask the computer operator [since he's in the lowest bracket of designations] / or wait for the peon to return and let the guest go thirsty till then?

Well say the computer operator is asked by a new executive who recently joined the organization, to take water for the guests. Surprisingly it creates quiet a furor, and invites wrath from the other executives stating that the Computer Operator shouldn't have gone. Rather we should have waited for the peon to arrive [that's another matter the peon came after 30 mins]!

The case-let is brought forth to analyze how should we deal with the set hierarchy in the organization. How do we instill a sense of ownership, which makes every employee contribute in the smallest of the ways to the organizations health and growth. About just not talking of Equity among employees, but about taking measures for employees to feel it in the air. About making the organization more flat; so that such trivial issues do not contribute in becoming a water cooler moment!

On querying several people about the case-let; they came up with various suggestions; some of which have been described below:

Ms. Shikha Singh: Just start keeping a tray with 3-4 glasses of water in the cabin. Much ado about nothing.

Mr. Simhan: This is the problem of hierarchical demarcation. I for one (having worked abroad for over 40 years) would not have bothered if my boss had requested me to serve the 'guests', that's what the visitors are. Soon people change their attitude the better. What would we do, if the house-help was not there and the guests had to be served a drink? Would we not serve it ourselves? If I were the boss and felt that there was a hierarchy, would have got up and gone and fetched the water myself and set an example for others.

Mr. Parthasarthi: Self service and vending machine will be the best option in this case. Serving guest is not matter of dignity is matter of courtesy. People must take this as humanitarian angle instead of formal approach. Not serving guest is bad etiquettes and people who are stubborn with hierarchy are not fit to become employee if they do not exhibit good etiquettes whatever position he may enjoy in the company.

Ms. Asha Mathew: I tried being in the scene and as a person who is asked to serve water. What I would do is, pull the tray, place a few drinking glasses on it. Keep the jug separate, and arrange all this on a tray and ask the guests to feel free to help themselves. On the whole - I would just pull a table in front of them, with all the things on top of it. If you are asking on how to make the Organization more flat with certain tasks - it must flow from the top! I may feel bad to serve water to the guests, but if I one day happen to see my boss doing it with no hesitation - then I might as well learn that from him.

Ms. Preeti: I suggest keeping water bottles for each and every one. This will help in avoiding future disputes. Secondly if the Head is really a gentleman he should have not minded to get up, to take glass of water for himself and as well as for guest. There is nothing bad in serving glass of water or cup of coffee to your colleague or visitors. Only thing is people working there should be mature enough to understand the things. Instead of saying it low level work you should be confident enough saying that you have done something nice. In most of the MNC companies nowadays there is no office boys they do there work by themselves. It depends how one takes the things, if you think in negative manner you will feel that you have done something that wasn’t your job.

Mr. K.M.P. Singh: The Head has to be rational and the executive has to think the way the boss is ordering. In my opinion, giving a glass of water to the guest is not an issue but most important the way he orders. It is just matter of delegating the duties to the peons and it must be kept in mind that at least one peon has to be available at all the time.

To summarize the whole of the case-let, indeed many of us would agree that it has nothing to do with making the organization flat, but more with how we decide to breed culture within the organization and setting an example by being one. Yes the Head of the Department could have himself gone and fetched water, infact he did have an extra glass in his cabin. But on benefit of doubt even if he forgets the same, and some third person brings it who's not the peon shouldn't really kick up much dust from other on-looking executives.

The best reason of looking at it is the employees/executives to a certain level do not feel the essence of ownership of the organization. For them it means the organization belongs to somebody else but themselves. Maybe if we could develop on this idea along with structuring a healthy culture; a flat organization won’t really be much of a dream.

To read the comprehensive details/responses of/to the case-let, visit here.