Performance Management - National HRD Network

"Sir, this is too much. I am humiliated. In
presence of all my subordinates, he
occupied my chair and sat on it. Where is
my prestige? If we keep quiet, one day he
will occupy your chair also." "OK, Raman,"
said General Manager (Finance). "Have
patience…. Let us think how to combat the
situation….First, give in writing what exactly
happened". Mr.Raman, Manager (F), in
charge of Bills Section, said "Ok. Sir, I will
give in writing. But, Sir, you should not tell
me to withdraw the complaint. ." "Mr.Raman
don't conjecture from now on. Let us see
what happens. You give the complaint now"
"I will give it, Sir. But, what will happen?
My boss, Dy.Div.Manager (F), will forward
it to you and you will seek the advice of
Personnel Department. They will conduct
a preliminary enquiry. Then, Management
will order for a Domestic Enquiry. In the
enquiry, the offence committed by the Union
official will be proved. At that time, will you
take action against him? No. We have no
guts to take any action against the Union
Official because we have to maintain
harmonious industrial relationship. Then,
why all this drama…? Sir, I know you will
advise me as I am a Manager, working
under you. But what about my insult and
humiliation? Sir, excuse me if I am blunt in
my saying. You can get many Managers like
me, but I know the Management cannot get
another J.P.Singh.." "Mr.Raman, please cool
down and control your emotions. You are
one of the executives of the company. Go,
sit and give your complaint. Mr.Misra,
please take Raman to your chamber and
help him to write the complaint.
Mr.JP Singh, a Machinist and Jt. Secretary
of the Union who is distantly related to one
of the State Ministers, came that day to
Raman along with four persons to Bills
section for some enquiry. Raman, at that
time, standing at one of the employees' table
in the section, was explaining by showing
a Register and the computerized sheets to
R. Dharma Rao, Head, HR, ICBM. He can be reached at: ravidharma_icbm@yahoo.co.in
'Let Me See! Who Can Take
Action Against Me'
Case Study - 15
his subordinate. He requested JP to just
wait. JP said that he had no time and should
listen to him urgently. He came along with
a supplier. Raman said that the explanation
was almost over and coming. JP, who was
restive by that time, looked at his men like a
hero and went straight to the table of Raman,
pulled out the chair with a bang and sat down
on it. Raman and his staff members
helplessly watched the scene dumbfounded.
JP's fellow-men were enjoying.
Raman controlled his emotions some how
and slowly went to his chair to request JP
to vacate. JP, without vacating the chair and
looked at his men smilingly and twisted his
moustache. All his staff members stood
up and were watching the situation
speechless. Raman lost his control and
shouted at JP to vacate the chair. JP
refused and told 'jayiye, jisko bolna boliye,
Dekhte hain hamare upar kaun action lega!'
By uttering so, he told Raman that he was
going to the President of Union as he had
some important meeting with him. Raman
was still telling him that he had no business
to occupy a chair of a Senior Executive of
the Company. But JP, without giving any
importance to this remark left the place with
his men, adjusting his dhoti jubilantly.
Raman went straight to his immediate boss,
S.N.Misra, Dy.Div.Manager (F) who pacified
him and ordered for coffee. Both were very
sad on this incident and decided to meet
the GM(F) since it was a serious matter
concerning a Union official.
A preliminary enquiry was conducted by a
Personnel Manager. Framing of a chargesheet
became a challenge to the HR
department. A team of HR executives with
the help of Legal Department drafted the
charge sheet very carefully. The act of JP,
occupying an executive's chair in presence
of the executive himself and his staff was
no doubt a very serious matter of
indiscipline. But it was neither an
insubordination nor disobedience! But then
R. Dharmarao
what could be? These two points were
thoroughly debated and finally a charge
sheet was issued to JP through the Foreman
of his section. They charged JP that he
unauthorizedly and forcefully occupied the
Executive's chair and committed a willful
insubordination and disobedience. Refusal
of an instruction given by a reasonable order
of a superior was also included as another
charge. JP's reply was not satisfactory and
a domestic enquiry was being conducted.
This issue was taken by executives as very
important and Management should take a
firm decision to stop permanently
recurrence of these types of indecent acts
by Union officials. Each executive at one
time or other had faced similar incidents.
Some of them were of the view that the
behavior of a few Union Committee
members was unbecoming and the
outcome of this enquiry may bring an
answer to this problem. At the same time,
Union Committee Members also took the
issue as prestigious. They wanted to bring
to the notice of the Management that JP was
not only a worker but was a Jt.Secretary.
Tension thus was slowly mounting up in the
minds of both employees and officers. They
were anxiously waiting for the outcome of
the enquiry. In the meanwhile several rumors
were also in the air.
Management and Union did not want this
situation to continue any more. The MD and
the President of the Union, who met in
camera, decided that in view of the excellent
industrial relations which they have been
maintaining for years, the matter should be
closed by a compromise. Raman had
withdrawn the complaint and the domestic
enquiry was cancelled. But Ram was
emphatic that the compromise should be
done in the presence of his staff members
and at the same place where the occurrence
took place. On a particular date, a meeting
was conducted in the Bills Section where
both Raman and JP shook hands.
u H
"Sin and mercury cannot be digested."
The scriptures say that next to lust, anger is the greatest enemy of man.
If anyone says a word against his faith, he first argues, then becomes angry, and at last
loses control and becomes violent."
| HRD News Letter | March 2007, Vol.22, Issue:12 38|