A
word to bank-employees :
COUNTER-LOGIC
In a training class for
the staff of a particular Bank, I asked the participants at the start of
question-time, "If you have another chance in life, would you choose
Banking for a career?" As one man, the class responded: "Never, Sir,
and even if we do so, we would not elect to enter this particular Bank for
employment!" The Deputy General Manager (DGM) who had taken the initiative
to organise the class was nonplussed at the vehemence of the protest which
revealed in unmistakable terms the standing of his organisation with its own
employees, until I intervened to explain: "This is the answer I get in all
the offices I visit and not merely in Banks. The character of the untrained
mind is to remain dissatisfied with the present, the here-and-now, and sigh
over the grass on the other side of the river that always appears green!"
A trainee posed a practical difficulty thus: "While
clearing a cheque for cash-payment I have to necessarily exercise certain
checks but the waiting customers show impatience to the extent of tapping on
the counter with their scooter-keys by way of hurrying me. I may be drawing
four times the salary of the tapper; and if I am treated like a menial servant,
will it not naturally cause resentment in my mind, Sir?"
"That is an occupational hazard of a counter related
work. Cannot you seek a transfer to file-work?" I asked him.
"Promotional avenues are more in my present location."
"Well, you want to remain in the Bank and you desire promotion.
In that case you must endure the discomforts of counter-work, for it is of your
own free choice. Even if you want to improve your present position, you will
have to reconcile yourself to it in the first place. Does not a sportsman in a
long-jump event run fast before he takes a leap forward? If the ground on which
he runs is slushy, would he be able to work up the requisite potential energy
which is to be converted to kinetic energy?"
The class was listening with attention and I continued,
"Now that you have realised the value of taking responsibility for your present position, I will give you a
method to prevent counter-tapping by customers.
"When you enter your Bank on Monday-morning, you are
in a state of peace. Resolve then and there that you would retain the peace and
take it back with you in the evening, notwithstanding the occupational
pin-pricks. For, no interest will be paid by the Bank if you deposit your peace
there!
"As you open the counter, introspect and resolve
further that out of 40 customers two may show irritation. 'Since I am not
responsible for any delay, I do not have to take their temper to heart. Nor
will I resent their attitude as they too must be having their own problems and
worries. Let them keep their anger to themselves and not infect me with the
poison.'
"You will not have sufficient inner strength to
maintain this resolve to start with, but persevere. After 10 days you would
feel lighter of heart which is a sure indication that you are winning the
battle with your own mind.
"Your inner peace is your own property and you should
not allow it to be alienated by others whether at home or on the road or in the
office. If you thus succeed in keeping your cool for 15 days in a row, you will
discover, much to your pleasant surprise, that a sea-change has come over the
troublesome customers too. They would somehow feel that they should not tap on
your counter since you are doing your best.
"The world is like a mirror. If you scowl into it, the
virtual image scowls back at you. When, on the other hand, you smile, the image
has no option but to return the compliment.
"While on the subject of counters, let me tell you an
anecdote about Abraham Lincoln, who started life as a shopkeeper. He entered
politics later and when he was contesting for the highest post in the
"Needless to say Douglas lost and
Sage TGN
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