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.