DailyPost 1612
SUPERFLUOUS PROFESSIONAL ROLES
Is the cost of living, unit cost of variety of goods & services, the nitty gritty of job descriptions directly proportional to our lack of understanding of the superfluous roles which we have created and we are in the process of recklessly creating. While the automation makes some ripples here and there, we are still of the firm conviction that only the number of professionals can make a difference. The quality and improvement of management processes does not even make a fleeting appearance in anybody’s mind. Nor does the immense technology enablement’s. There are no comparisons with the successful HR models and very rarely we have devised anything worthwhile in the last two decades.
When we want to make a change in the organisation, the easiest and most comfortable way is create a new org chart. The arrows and boxes are supposed to redefine work and efficiency, which rarely happens. There is also a plethora of professionals only to take care in case other professionals not working. Why keep them? The supervisors as they are called, in lots of cases have become more than the delivering professionals. Any professional who has been around for more than 5 years, that too for mechanical work, which most of them are and still in need of supervision, should be shown the door. We have reached such a pass that a HR audit for this purpose might end up validating the superfluous and asking for more.
Administrative Reforms Commission has talked about involving only three level hierarchy in a decision making exercise. When something is dealt with by various departments and organisations you can be rest assured that there would be only decision obstacle points, the numbers remaining unknown. The superfluous roles at the end of the day make the organisation itself superfluous. Leave aside the cost and inefficiency, it becomes extremely difficult to fix responsibility and that is where the fun begins. It is an eternal honeymoon. The superfluous come with the mental baggage of proving their worth. This like putting the cart before the horse.
Besides the superfluous roles, there are superfluous people manning worthwhile roles. They make that job description superfluous. They have an axe to grind and they are full time in this passion of theirs. From corporate communications to bill clearing professionals to customer relationship, how far can we go? The sad part today is that quite a few times the smaller organisations also get enamoured by this Superfluous Role Drama. An eye surgeon at Aravind Eye Care System operates 2000 times a year compared to 400 by others. It’s a social enterprise. Who wants to follow it? In a mentally corrupt society, the superfluous mind is the decision maker.
SUPERFLUOUS HAS LOST ITS MEANING – GOVT, PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ENTERPRISES.