MR. FINDOUT TRIES OUT FLEXI-TIMINGS
Mr. Findout had decided to catch up with the times. This was the outcome of his association with his friend Subramanium. To improve the efficiency of his office, he had decided to introduce FLEXI TIMINGS.
When Findout announced his decision, his staff (Arvind, Sales Manager, Preeti, Home team Manager, and Mangatram, Office Manager [in earlier days, he was designated peon]) wanted to know:
a) What, pray, were flexi-timings, and
b) How did he intend to start this fancy new concept?
Flexi-timings, explained Findout, was when everyone in the office worked when they wanted. No 9.30 to 5.30 any more. If Arvind wanted to work after lunch, he worked after lunch. If he wanted to visit a client in the evening, he could visit the client in the evening. If Preeti wanted to work only upto lunch and sleep in the afternoon, she could work only till lunch and sleep in the afternoon. Very simple, no? There was only one catch – everyone had to put in EIGHT HOURS WORK every day.
So, from the next day, the office switched to flexi-timings.
Findout found he was very busy the next morning. His staff had not come in the morning. So, he met candidates, interviewed them, and fixed appointments with clients.
Preeti wandered in after lunch. She felt that she could be more productive if she worked for eight hours after lunch. And after all, most candidates dropped in after lunch and after office hours. Most clients also had more time after lunch.
Findout did not meet Arvind for the next three days.
Arvind turned up one morning looking very haggard. “What,” Findout wanted to know, “was the problem?”
“I can’t decide when to work. The only thing I have achieved in the last three days is that my routine has been knocked out of gear.
I haven’t met any of my friends for three days. We used to meet in Nehru Place for lunch. Now, I am sleeping at home at lunchtime. I had to work late in the evening, so my girl friend is bugged with me. I wanted to meet my clients in the afternoon, but they had to meet theirs. This Flexi-time is a total washout.”
Findout was not fazed. “Don’t worry,” he told Arvind. “There are small problems that just need ironing out. Any new concept has to be given a little time for everybody to get used to.”
A week later, Findout noticed that a lot of regular clients had stopped giving business. He rang up one of them. “You guys are just not there,” explained the client.
It wasn’t working. So Findout went back to Subra (his friend Subramanium) for a little advice. Subra told him, “You can’t just have people working when they feel like. You need, for each of your business and office activities, a schedule so that people are there during peak times. Flexi timings are for slack hours.”
Back went Findout, and modified the Flexihours routine for the office. Now, Arvind and Preeti had to be present from 11 A.M. to 3 P.M., which happened to be peak business time. The other four hours, they were allowed to work when they felt like.
Two weeks later, Preeti came and sat with Findout. “You see, she said, I have to come to office at 11 A.M. So I might as well come at 9.30, since I get a convenient chartered bus. So, I am here at 9.30 A.M. Now, at 3 P.M., I get just 2 hours to go before I get a chartered bus home. So, I work till 5.30. So, what’s with this flexi timings? Where do I flex?”
Findout was very thoughtful. Here was an example of the success of flexi-timings. Preeti had the option of working when she wanted, and she did so. THE CHOICE WAS HERS. And the routine of the office was not disturbed. It was just so beautiful.
He cornered Arvind the next day. “How,” he wanted to know, “was the flexi hours going?”
Arvind was a little circumspect. “You see,” he said, “the whole world works from 9.30 A.M. to 5.30 P.M. I got to make calls; I got to do it at that time. Preeti is in the office at the normal times. If any interviews are to be fixed, I got to net with her in office. Lunch is meeting time with friends. My girl friend gets over at 5.30 P.M. I got to meet her. So, all in all, I work from 9.30 A.M. to 5.30 P.M. Keeps life smoothest. And anyway, whoever heard of any client giving requirements in the evening over a drink? Not to me.”
Findout was euphoric. Here was proof that the system was a success. His staff had weighed the matter objectively, and fixed timings for themselves that were convenient to both, without disturbing the equilibrium and efficiency of the office, Wonderful!
“Maybe I can get ISO 9000 for the company.”
Posted under Articles from Jobnet Magazine
This post was written by admin on June 2, 2010
