Daily Times

Successful organizations adapt to the changing trends and agree to such policies and frameworks that are fulfilling the needs of their employee’s appetite and extract the finest qualities out of them. Such organizations have creative, skilled and active employees who are mainly multitaskers. Organizations with creative interiors have more employee working efficiency and create a positive impact on the workers within the official premises. For instance, an office located in Rawalpindi has an interior designed as clouds and lightening creating an informal environment for the employees to enjoy working while an office in Islamabad provides its employees with different chances of celebration as of mango or orange day where the whole staff is delved into creative games and activities. Such organizations attract more employees and tend to progress better than other organizations.

Organizations that are successful and produce productive outcomes equip employees who are creative, skilled and those who are adaptive of the changing methods. Most importantly, making any work or job effective is hiring the right person depending upon their area of expertise to meet the goals. For instance, a person hired for communications is good at research will not be the right person. Here the root cause of failure may be referenced hiring. No doubt that referenced employees are sometimes useful but lack the expected results.

Leadership is an art, which can be taught, learned or consciously brought into one’s personality, but it needs effort.

The work places may fail due to a major problem which remains under discussed is the influence of a BAD MANAGER – One thing which remains common universally in this fast-evolving world. If asked to every employee about their previous or present experiences, I believe most would respond positive of having a boss who has been bitter and unproductive in their case. Its not that all of us have faced bad bosses but the fact that every other person has a story which is something scary. One way or the other, slowly we are all being replaced at our jobs by tools like AI, the people working in offices are facing bad supervisors leading them to either quit or bear with the bosses’ self-made rules and act upon the given dictations which is challenging, leads to unproductivity, simultaneously not good for mental health. Developing countries like ours cannot afford our employees quitting at a stage of an ailing economy rather we have to build an environment where all of us are enthusiastic of working to help our country grow.

A bad boss can be recognized as someone who gives unclear guidance of any task that he or she may assign, will keep your role minimal, avoids giving credits to you for your work and takes all the appreciation of the part you worked hard for, has a bullying and harassing behavior towards you and does not respect you in and outside meetings, is rude and does favoritism within the team but acts neutral. There are innumerous other features of a bad boss but these count to be the most important in my opinion. Considering the high inflation and poor fiscal conditions of Pakistan, bad bosses cost a lot and create negative layer around the organization where they leave adverse impacts on the organization’s facade. Employees working under such bosses work with great mental pressure, remain fearful of the insulting behavior they may come across and feel unacknowledged of even their bigger achievements. A bad boss can lead you to self-doubt, lack of confidence and to the point that you may plan to leave your organization which may be the best suited, ideal working space for outsiders. People leave bad managers not companies because if one is harassed and bullied at their own workspace, they may not be able to continue due to the confused state of mind, an embarrassed personality and the doubt of losing their job anytime. We must build our system in a way that not only provides training for the newcomers but also has a system of capacity building for the leaders sitting at higher positions certainly called our boss. Are they true leaders? Are we running a system producing leaders? or are we being forced to work under anyone who violates human rights just to earn bread and pay a big cost of leaving our self-respect?

While we live here in Pakistan, one must expect the system to be just enough where policies are revised based on the operational system, infrastructural changes and technological advancements, grades are revised based on the performances instead of letting the seniors run the patriarchy and lead the hierarchy. The new employees are just like children who learn from their elders’ actions and reciprocate the same and if one cannot expect leniency, tolerance, guidance, respect and learning skills from their seniors or their own boss what do they expect from their juniors? It is to expect something one never taught, did or experienced themselves but expects it out of the blue moon. Are we expecting the impossible?

Nonetheless, we must talk about the bad juniors who are disrespectful towards their bosses and create a tension for their seniors to lead them in such conditions when they cannot allow them to go. It is again another type of toxic environment where the senior is unable to represent their work because it is insufficient, incomplete or not properly done because of those few or one junior. Obviously, the boss might react as a bad boss at that time and may put all their frustration over their juniors for a good they can either plan for them or to teach them a good lesson. It is a practice by both ends.

Leadership is an art which can be taught, learned or consciously brought into one’s personality but it needs effort.

A boss should be someone who doesn’t abuse their employees when they make mistakes rather help them learn through this experience. As in my personal experience, I made a big blunder and my boss had to face huge criticism but I was flabbergasted by the way he handled the situation and told me “Not to worry, and that it was okay to make mistakes to learn”. Not until today, I could hear from any of my friends or colleagues talk the same about their bosses. It is not that age teaches you business and moral ethics but one’s own adaptability and aptitude towards positive learning has something big to do with it. A boss like mine who at a young age knows professional ethic is someone I would look for wherever I go but sadly all we hear is the opposite stories and may be many times there are big lies about people trying to show someone as their enemy. Not every boss is the villain but some are kind like mine, we mustn’t generalize but not forget about the harsh reality of having a bad boss as your guider.

I believe, to sort out the problems at both ends there is a need of capacity building workshops for not only the newer employees but the seniors as well. Communication gap is yet another hurdle which creates trust deficit in between the boss and employee which we can overcome by being clear and honest in our communications. Lastly, I believe there is a need to create a culture of accountability and feedback in our workstations where no one has the right to put anyone’s morale low, so when people leave, we know why they are leaving. To progress today and to enjoy our tomorrow we must change our systems, we must encourage team works, a working environment where the boss is a leader but acts as an opportunity provider for its juniors. This way Pakistan may prosper and progress as a bigger nation!

The writer can be reached at xainabbaloch18@gmail.com