Before we get on with the title, let us try and comprehend the subjective perspective for the need of this article.

Leaders speak – They say we should work for 70-90 hours in a week. They are among the most successful leaders in the industry and have created legendary legacies in the form of their organisations and also culture.

Their remarks have created enormous comments and debates from all walks of the society. Some are spoken softly and respectfully irrespective of whichever side of the argument they come from. Then there are others which are in very bad taste, disrespectful in their expression and reveal some latent tendencies in the character of individual expression that come out in such moments. Whichever the comment, this was anyways not a dictate from the respectful leaders but a personal opinion that was expressed in the context of the big picture.

The context – The idea is not the number of hours spent. Of course it is more about quality than quantity of hours and work. Also, unlike old times we have technology which helps us do our work much faster and hence save us time. It is also not about not spending time with the family and self. These statements were symbolic in the context mentioned below and not at all sacrosanct. Hence to understand the context of these statements becomes imperative for our personal benefit which is hidden in the ideology.

The context was the vantage point which our country exists in right now and the potential of growth that is there ahead of us as Indians. The context was the way America grew from the times of J.F. Kennedy to the early nineties. The context was the ongoing Viksit Bharat movement and targeting being the third largest economy of the world with industrial growth, disposable income and employment in addition to self-sustainable growth and removal of poverty as obvious by products for the society.

The context was that as countrymen we need to work extra hard if we are really serious about these targets instead of fancying a growth which is either wishful thinking or we don’t own it in terms of our personal efforts as a contribution. This is assuming we don’t think there is one leader at the top who is talking making India great and it is only his responsibility that it should happen and I will support the intention but not step out of my comfort zone !

Ever wondered why there is a hierarchical pyramid which gets narrow as we go up? Why do only a few people rise in hierarchy? Take a break and comprehend!

26th January is a Sunday…sic – Getting upset on a Sunday on an otherwise official leave is more of a bandwagon effect and/ or negative work related or childhood conditioning that we get upset in a similar scenario. It started from school when we were ‘taught’ to celebrate holidays and feel sick to go to school. Were we not happy when our teacher was absent? Add to it when our homework was not complete. Imagine the day when we the school was closed, due to rain on the day of the exam. Sadly even our parents supported our attitude !!

Imagine the mindset of the person who has dreams to grow in life and career. But he gets extremely upset because 26th January happened to be on a Sunday and he lost his rightfully owned holiday. So many of employees fall in this category as the grapevine will tell. Don’t we know that every year there will be a couple of such holidays which will coincide with a Sunday? Yet we crib every time. For example, in the beginning of the year we are eager to see how may holidays and long weekends are there (not that they have to travel every time). We desperately want to snatch that one holiday to make for a long weekend. Industrial psychology asks – what do you expect from an employee who comes to office in time because of the fear of attendance on the biometric!!!

There is a tendency to escape work officially. These people want a holiday even if there is a little heavy rain in the city. These are employees who never answer any business calls on leaves, even the quick ones, however urgent or important it might be. During the work hours though they might toil around wasting time in negative gossips and not important and not urgent things like mele babu ne thana thaya !! The list is endless.

The Leaders’ Desperate Moan –  The leaders at the top and employees who are committed to their growth as well know that the next two decades of will be historic in India’s economic and infrastructural growth to glory. They would want to join the national growth bandwagon and take the company to the next level and want to ride the wave as long as it stays. They know these precious moments are rare in their journey and so they expect everyone in the company to understand that they throw their watches and calendar away and focus on work as alongwith the organisation they will also grow. They believe in the importance of work-life balance and know how to take time out for self but their priorities are clear because their vision is not short term.

But when the large part of the workforce doesn’t sync with the growth mindset, sometimes such statements do come out as a desperate cry from the leaders at the top to express their inability to inspire the workforce to do their extra.

Amrit kaal – Words or figures like 70 or 90 hours is never the point. What has to be understood is the essence of these statements and where these are coming from. In India’s amrit kaal, everyone has to contribute more of themselves than they would normally do. This will be in the interest of the nation, the organisation, the society at large and the individual and his lifestyle as well. Probably we can’t imagine what massive growth we have in our hands in the coming especially two decades if we commit ourselves more than ever.

It feels sad though that instead, there are very obnoxious comments, memes, pictures and videos coming from the common people. It is fine to disagree with the great leaders but the way many have expressed their disagreement shows us a mirror on our character and this certainly shameful for us as a population!

Let us all collaborate towards national, organisational and personal growth because these few decades will never come again. Once again, it is not about the number of hours but pushing ourselves out of the Jonah’s complex asap !!

May God provide us with the mental strength to rise above our petty needs and live for the country, society, family and of course our personal happiness!

Categories: Workplace

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