TAKING CARE OF YOUR EMPLOYEES
– Radhakrishnan Pillai
(This weekly column will explore the relevance and application of Principles and Strategies of Chanakya as discussed in his 3rd Century BC treatise, Kautilyas Arthashastra, in Todays Corporate World)
Now this is more for your boss than you! Still, read on, as the ever-booming economy may someday help even you to establish a business and employ people yourself. And when you do that, you will soon realise that good, talented and skilled people are really rare.
Ask any HR department. Not only do they have to recruit and train people, but they have to also retain people within an organisation. In the end, all realise that it is not the brand nor even the salaries alone that can retain people rather, its the human touch the organisation gives.
For this, Chanakya suggests that the management needs to be totally aware of what the employees think if they dont, they are playing with danger,
Not being rooted among the subjects, he becomes easy to uproot (8.2.18)
Here are a few steps to do this:
- TAKE TIME FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES
It is important to spend time with all your subordinates, separately. There is just no substitute for this. Set aside half and hour every day for this purpose. This will help you to understand the way each employee thinks and can help resolve problems at the initial stage itself.
- GET OUT OF YOUR CABIN
Do not sit in your cabin and give orders over the phone. Now and then, get out of our cabin and walk to the employees desk and work stations. There are many benefits in doing that: One, there will be surprise checks. Secondly, you will directly come to know what is happening in the office.
- PLAN AN OUTING
There are limits in an office. An outing with your team, celebration of events at a different place, a party or a picnic all will not only reduce the stress levels but also help in emotionally relating to each other. Many talents get discovered in informal celebrations and gatherings.
- KEEP RECORD
Now, this is the most important part. Maintain a different file for each employee with the help of HR department. It should document the details of each employee. Record keeping is not enough; the management should have a look at it from time to time and make effective use of the employees looking at their inherent strengths.
A recent survey of Best Employer among the corporates indicated that employees who feel wanted and challenged in work place have better chances of staying committed in the company for a longer period of time.
This is better reflected in what the American industrialist Charles Erwin Wilson once said,
A good boss makes his men realise they have more ability than they think they have, so that they consistently do better work than they thought they could
(The author is the director of ATMA DARSHAN, a company that provides services, including spiritual tours. He is a management consultant and trainer. He can be contacted at radhakrishnan@atmadarshan.com)
Read more:
Introduction of Kautilyas Arthashastra
Management Fundamentals in Kautilyas Arthashastra