Small Issues in Organizations – Blog Post #404 by Asrar Qureshi

Small Issues in Organizations – Blog Post #404 by Asrar Qureshi

Dear Colleagues!  This is Pharma Veterans Blog Post #404. Pharma Veterans welcomes sharing of knowledge and wisdom by Veterans for the benefit of Community at large. Pharma Veterans Blog is published by Asrar Qureshi on WordPress, the top blog site. Please email to asrar@asrarqureshi.com for publishing your contributions here.

All managers, particularly senior managers, are quite interested in focusing and working on major issues. It makes sense. The major issues are likely to hamper the organization growth in a big way. At play, also is the fact that senior managers should only get involved in matters which are worthy enough to get their precious time and attention. 

Granted.

Let us for a moment change our perspective and look at small things which might actually be causing hurdles in the day to day operations. Collectively, these may be leading to more damage and wastage. Secondly, it is not every day that we encounter ‘big issues’ so it makes more management logic to spend some time and tackle small issues. Thirdly, some of these small problems may flare up and become really big. It is good preemption to work on them. Lastly, small issues cause more frustration and disengagement on a daily basis and become the reason for employee separations as compared to the occasional ‘big issues’.

Have you noticed for instance as to what is the employee reporting/ attendance system? Is it straightforward or is it complicated? If a staff member comes on time but somehow gets checked late, can he/she get it corrected easily? Are some late comers being checked ‘on time’ because they happen to know someone who manages the attendance system? It is common observation that in most offices, attendance is a source of bad feeling daily. Since it is a thorn on the side which gets freshened every morning, it becomes a source of spiraling irritation. It happens first thing in the morning and therefore dampens the work spirit before it gets utilized. Wouldn’t it do a world of good if this small issue is gotten out of the way? Believe me it will. 

Start the day. Most people have the habit/ desire to take a cup of tea early in work. Tea servers are often discourteous, rude or simply inefficient. They have a knack for spoiling a day which otherwise would be happily productive. They would serve the tea late or serve cold tea or serve the kind of tea which is not liked. For some people, this becomes almost a demotivation thing.

More during the day; Janitorial services are either in house or outsourced but are rarely efficient. If the staff does not get a clean chamber or table or basket, it again leads to an easily avoidable heartburn and waste of energy.

In some lesser offices, the big boss(es) sit inside airconditioned chamber(s) while the staff sits outside in ‘room temperature’. It is actually hot in summer and cold in winter. The ceiling fan is actually an irritant as it scatters the papers. During more humid months, the atmosphere becomes quite unbearable. The staff keeps going inside the chamber(s) and see the difference. This discrimination is a constant source of unrest and unhappiness. 

Keep looking around and you will discover a lot more.

Why should the senior managers step in? Simple. All these issues require some decision making and that rests with senior managers.

Are we, the senior managers, willing to take the road? I strongly urge that we should.

Concluded.