Well I challenged my Senior

GS Ramesh

After joining we used to have regular review meetings on Saturdays wherein the big boss and other Seniors used to be present and we were the Junior most. While Saturday Review Meetings used to be tough for all, it was quite informative and educative. 

In one of the meetings, the Head of Personnel of one of the Coal Mines openly challenged that no one could manage his Mines, wherein more than 4000 employees were working and it is a difficult Mine. He challenged in the open meeting whether anyone could accept his challenge.

I was the Junior most full of zest and as usual I raised my hand and I told him, I accept the challenge. Everyone were shocked and laughed, but I said that “I meant it. I would like to take this challenge.” My big boss, I don’t know what he felt, after few days, suddenly he gave the charge of that Mine to me.

The day when I took charge, it was obviously very challenging and I used to come to office at 8.45 A.M., whereas office time was at 9.00 A.M. To my surprise, I found the office staff entering the office at 9.30 A.M., 9.45 A.M., 10.00 A.M.,  I called one senior most person who was about 55 years of age and asked him that why all the people were coming late. 

He stared at my face and then said in the past Mr. ‘A’ came and left, Mr. ‘B’ came and left, Mr. ‘C’ came and left, no one could touch us, you are too young to handle us. This reply came as a jolt, but immediately I responded to him stating that ‘A’ came ‘B’ came ‘C’ came & left, but now Ramesh has come & he will not leave and you might have to leave the company if you don’t fall into the discipline. He was shocked and looked at my face on hearing this reply, then I asked him to leave the room & go and sit in his seat.

  

After some time there was a big noise in the Office and I was told that all the staff had come out of the office and stood outside the gate shouting against me and told that I had insulted the Senior most person.

They were bare bodied

 

GS Ramesh

Well I am very happy that people are started liking my Blog. The response is very encouraging.

Handling Coal Miners was an experience by itself. When we see a Coal Miner, his attire is helmet, which is known as Caplamp and they will be bare bodied, except having a dress which you can call it equivalent to swimming suit. 

When I visited underground mine, I could see the different working condition. That means loading coal through a basket wherein the oxygen level as well as humidity level both were not at very comfortable limit. Honestly recalling their working with high level of commitment and the present people who enjoy most of their life in AC and always cribbing is their habit. I may be wrong.  I have experienced such people who are working in tough working conditions, they also need right appreciation, recognition by the society. Similarly many unorganized sector still have not got the right response from the society as compared to organized sector who always claim that they are the one who is contributing to the nation. This is a malady. 

I always thank God that I got an opportunity to work in Coal sector, Steel sector, Cement sector, Government sector and then in Auto sector and sometimes I feel writing a book comparing all the sectors and their experiences, which itself has been a great learning more than the academic learning of MBA or otherwise. Today comfort has become a big menace of the growth of the country. Honestly I learnt the dynamics of HR, Man Management and Industrial Relations in Coal and Steel sector and the take away, I can summarize in one sentence is

“ Be empathetic to others”

“Develop ability to feel for others”

“Learn to give happiness to others”

My boss resignation letter to me

GS Ramesh

In Dhanbad, just after my induction training, I was posted in one of the Coal Mines which had more than 3000 in strength. When I reported to the office of the Personnel Officer, I was asked to wait, and finally I met my Boss, who welcomed me with a cynical smile. Although it looked different, I settled down apprehensively. 

After 2 days, one afternoon my Boss came to me and hugged me and said that I was the lucky one for him that he got a job and he just handed over his resignation to me and said Good bye. I was totally shocked why to me! When I called my Top Boss, I was told that I was competent and that I could manage and to just handle it. 

Honestly, I never knew anything and I was just fresh from the Institute and again I was confronted with a challenge to prove myself. When I looked around, I found heaps of files covered with coal dust and the drawer was full of applications and papers which has been kept pending for a long time. 

The question which popped up is, what was I going to do now and how was I  going to manage. This reminded me at that time the following :“The will to do springs from the knowledge that we CAN do. Doubt and fear are the great enemies of knowledge, and he who encourages them, who does not slay them, thwarts himself at every step.”-

 

I got two answers from inside me. First one ‘get out and run away’ and the second ‘Don’t be foolish, you can manage’. So the second step I took which I thought would be best is, to reach out and thus the Journey of understanding the essence of HR started  – HR - “Honesty in Relationship”.