Dear All,
I just want to clarify with all of you. One of my colleagues joined my company as a Production Manager. After one and a half years, he was moved to another department within the same organization. However, my colleague is not willing to go to that department. Our company's General Manager is insisting that he must move; otherwise, he cannot continue working here (albeit not directly).
My friend was very upset with the GM's decision and explained his difficulties to the HR manager. Unfortunately, the HR manager chose not to approach the GM and has not taken any action. He is in a very difficult situation. The company's appointment order states that personnel will be rotated through various departments to equip them with multiple skills. However, this time, the GM has placed him in the engineering department, even though my colleague is a chemistry student and not related to this field at all.
The GM has refused to engage in any discussion. Please guide us on what we should do to regain the same position and how to convince the GM about his difficulties.
Regards,
Sarwan
From Vietnam, Tây Ninh
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I just want to clarify with all of you. One of my colleagues joined my company as a Production Manager. After one and a half years, he was moved to another department within the same organization. However, my colleague is not willing to go to that department. Our company's General Manager is insisting that he must move; otherwise, he cannot continue working here (albeit not directly).
My friend was very upset with the GM's decision and explained his difficulties to the HR manager. Unfortunately, the HR manager chose not to approach the GM and has not taken any action. He is in a very difficult situation. The company's appointment order states that personnel will be rotated through various departments to equip them with multiple skills. However, this time, the GM has placed him in the engineering department, even though my colleague is a chemistry student and not related to this field at all.
The GM has refused to engage in any discussion. Please guide us on what we should do to regain the same position and how to convince the GM about his difficulties.
Regards,
Sarwan
From Vietnam, Tây Ninh
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Dear Sarwan,
Your friend has taken to heart the change in his department. It is unfortunate to note that despite achieving managerial status, he is resisting working in another department.
Any opportunity to work in a different department should be viewed as a chance to learn something new. Exposure to various departments helps transition from a "specialist" to a "generalist" role. Instead of embracing this change, your friend is protesting it. With this attitude, how can he aspire to become a "General Manager"?
If your friend wishes to step into the role of General Manager, he needs to familiarize himself with all departments, including technical and non-technical ones like Accounts or Security. Practical experience in these areas is crucial for gaining firsthand knowledge.
This is not harassment. For personal growth, one must break down the mental barriers they impose on themselves. Many individuals excel in entirely different fields. Perhaps your friend will thrive in the new department and even come up with innovative ideas. Therefore, encourage your friend to embrace the change rather than resist it.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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8219Your friend has taken to heart the change in his department. It is unfortunate to note that despite achieving managerial status, he is resisting working in another department.
Any opportunity to work in a different department should be viewed as a chance to learn something new. Exposure to various departments helps transition from a "specialist" to a "generalist" role. Instead of embracing this change, your friend is protesting it. With this attitude, how can he aspire to become a "General Manager"?
If your friend wishes to step into the role of General Manager, he needs to familiarize himself with all departments, including technical and non-technical ones like Accounts or Security. Practical experience in these areas is crucial for gaining firsthand knowledge.
This is not harassment. For personal growth, one must break down the mental barriers they impose on themselves. Many individuals excel in entirely different fields. Perhaps your friend will thrive in the new department and even come up with innovative ideas. Therefore, encourage your friend to embrace the change rather than resist it.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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Change yourself, and the world around will also change. If the new job profile is not related to the employee or if they are not interested in the new job profile, they can look for a job commensurate with their qualifications and experience.
From India, New Delhi
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From India, New Delhi
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I fully agree with Mr. Divekar.
In one of my earlier organizations, two Site Accountants (Commerce Graduates) who were working in different Project sites took initiative and learned technical work while performing their site accounts job. In a very short span, they learned every aspect of technical work and became Construction Managers. They also handled the entire projects to the Management's satisfaction. Not only that, they used to discuss technical issues with the EIL Team (Engineers India Ltd) and provide solutions for the technical problems while handling the projects.
Your friend is a Production Manager, which means he must have managerial skills. So why worry? Let him learn new things, give some suggestions, and share ideas that he comes across while performing his duty. Who knows, he may find the new job more interesting and may grow there.
Thanks & Regards,
Suresh
From India, Thane
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In one of my earlier organizations, two Site Accountants (Commerce Graduates) who were working in different Project sites took initiative and learned technical work while performing their site accounts job. In a very short span, they learned every aspect of technical work and became Construction Managers. They also handled the entire projects to the Management's satisfaction. Not only that, they used to discuss technical issues with the EIL Team (Engineers India Ltd) and provide solutions for the technical problems while handling the projects.
Your friend is a Production Manager, which means he must have managerial skills. So why worry? Let him learn new things, give some suggestions, and share ideas that he comes across while performing his duty. Who knows, he may find the new job more interesting and may grow there.
Thanks & Regards,
Suresh
From India, Thane
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Sir, in government jobs, there are instructions to rotate/shift officers from one department/section to another after some period, say two or three years. This is not done to harass any officer but primarily to ensure that officers also understand the work of other departments/sections and from a vigilance standpoint.
Top-level government functionaries like IAS, IPS officers are transferred to different departments/locations, even though they may not initially know the workings of that department. Sometimes these officers are in agriculture, sometimes in defense, and sometimes in finance. This rotation is not harassment but rather very challenging, educational, and helps broaden the understanding of the officers towards their master (Government of India/State).
This practice is not only beneficial to the officers but also to their family members, especially growing children who, along with their parents, visit various places in India. This exposure provides them with supportive and educational knowledge that can contribute to their success in the future.
From India, Noida
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Top-level government functionaries like IAS, IPS officers are transferred to different departments/locations, even though they may not initially know the workings of that department. Sometimes these officers are in agriculture, sometimes in defense, and sometimes in finance. This rotation is not harassment but rather very challenging, educational, and helps broaden the understanding of the officers towards their master (Government of India/State).
This practice is not only beneficial to the officers but also to their family members, especially growing children who, along with their parents, visit various places in India. This exposure provides them with supportive and educational knowledge that can contribute to their success in the future.
From India, Noida
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Appreciate all the posts on this. No doubt one has the prerogative to stick to one's known field. But it appears, there is nothing left in the Chemistry department. That's why the GM is trying to shift to engineering. If I'm correct, all Engineering discipline students learn basic engineering subjects during their first year of the curriculum and then branch out to their chosen subjects. Therefore, it is not going to be as if in wonderland for Sarwan's colleague. Why not acquire more knowledge in other fields? After all, they will not, hopefully, cut his salary. Thank God he is not sending him to the bench. (Sorry if this will hurt him, unintentional too).
Take, for example, my own experience. Basically, I am a finance man, but was posted to a project where I had to handle HR, welfare, taxation, procurement & storage, audit, and above all, some construction of quarters for staff for over 500, water facilities to the plant & colony, etc. I could do everything very successfully to the surprise of engineers. If I'm not mistaken, with due respect to engineers, I did excel where engineers either failed or did not attempt to.
I could narrate one of my successful tasks I handled - there was an acute shortage of water within our premises for both industrial and colony uses. When I took charge, I found lakhs of rupees were being spent only on buying water from local contractors, and it was in short supply, ultimately resulting in lower production. Boreholes within our premises failed, with scanty/less than average rainfall, and no adequate storage system. I took it on, consulted the state water department, took our engineers into confidence, finalized plans on what is possible. With their help, I arranged to locate water resources in nearby areas, obtained necessary permission from locals, pressed drillers for 3 boreholes in a day, procured the required materials the next day, installed them on the same day (pipeline of 2.5 km), managed teething troubles, and solved the water problem in a matter of 15 days to the delight of everyone. Now our plant is the main source of water for the entire village nearby (but I left the company on VRS).
Not only this, I took on one more project which is not in my domain, but since it was benefiting our plant, no one raised a word against me, and everyone cooperated. I was allowed to be there for only 6 months and was transferred back to HQ to shoulder higher responsibilities in our own department. This is not to boost my image but only to give insight into how willingness and a proactive approach could do wonders. So let him think positively, don't start with a 'touch me not' mindset. There is nothing wrong in learning the nuances of other departments, which ultimately proves his capabilities and paves the way for career growth. All the best to him.
From India, Bangalore
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Take, for example, my own experience. Basically, I am a finance man, but was posted to a project where I had to handle HR, welfare, taxation, procurement & storage, audit, and above all, some construction of quarters for staff for over 500, water facilities to the plant & colony, etc. I could do everything very successfully to the surprise of engineers. If I'm not mistaken, with due respect to engineers, I did excel where engineers either failed or did not attempt to.
I could narrate one of my successful tasks I handled - there was an acute shortage of water within our premises for both industrial and colony uses. When I took charge, I found lakhs of rupees were being spent only on buying water from local contractors, and it was in short supply, ultimately resulting in lower production. Boreholes within our premises failed, with scanty/less than average rainfall, and no adequate storage system. I took it on, consulted the state water department, took our engineers into confidence, finalized plans on what is possible. With their help, I arranged to locate water resources in nearby areas, obtained necessary permission from locals, pressed drillers for 3 boreholes in a day, procured the required materials the next day, installed them on the same day (pipeline of 2.5 km), managed teething troubles, and solved the water problem in a matter of 15 days to the delight of everyone. Now our plant is the main source of water for the entire village nearby (but I left the company on VRS).
Not only this, I took on one more project which is not in my domain, but since it was benefiting our plant, no one raised a word against me, and everyone cooperated. I was allowed to be there for only 6 months and was transferred back to HQ to shoulder higher responsibilities in our own department. This is not to boost my image but only to give insight into how willingness and a proactive approach could do wonders. So let him think positively, don't start with a 'touch me not' mindset. There is nothing wrong in learning the nuances of other departments, which ultimately proves his capabilities and paves the way for career growth. All the best to him.
From India, Bangalore
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