Theme: Delegation of responsibility.
Know this:
(1) In a large and complex environment, it is impossible to handle the entire task by one person alone. So management gurus advocate delegation of responsibility and authority.
(2) Be aware that, a delegated task could miserably fail, if you do not take into account a possibility of failure. Provide for check-points and inspect them periodically. Delegation frame work should signal failures and a plan B should be in place, to recover from the slippage, if any.
Theme: Delegation of responsibility.
Short story: 07.
The merchants’ nightmare
This is an old Arab story. So, a donkey will invariably find its place in the list of characters.A merchant went on a long business trip with his donkey. There were days, when transport vehicles such as cars, planes and trains did not exist. So donkeys, camels, horses and bulls played an important role in the transport of people and material. So cattle were reared with lots of love and care.
Just as we take care of our expensive vehicles these days like cleaning and washing, servicing and tying sacred cloth on it, in the olden days, these animals were taken care of. When night fell, the merchant went to a popular hotel. He met a youngster manning the reception and enquired about the facilities provided. Then he asked him, “Young man, I have a few questions. My donkey is my life and I take great care of it.
Each man has certain needs, which change with seasons. So, will you take proper care of my donkey?”
The youngster replied, “Sir, you have not understood well about our hotel. Our guests, like you, are rich people. For them, their donkeys are more important than humans and are therefore taken good care of by us”.
The merchant was still worried about his donkey. So he continued. “Ok, you should know that my donkey is very old and needs a good bed prepared with hay to sleep on at night,”
The youngster patted the donkey and replied that it will be taken care of. “Not only that,” replied the man, “Since the donkey is old, its teeth are not strong and therefore it is important that the grass given is soft and chewable.”
“Don’t I know your worries,” asked the receptionist. “You need not even inform us about these little things. If we don’t realize these issues, then we consider ourselves not good” he replied.
0The visitor felt greatly relieved hearing this. He ate his food and went to his room to sleep. He did not even realize how long he slept and woke up suddenly. A dream he dreamt startled him. He dreamt that his donkey was without water and food and lay suffering on the cold floor.
He hesitated and then stepped out from his room. He went to the lodging where his donkey was kept. The scene he saw made his blood freeze. There wasn’t much difference between what he dreamt and what he saw in front of him.
Post Script:Every one has his own set priorities. The care we take to handle or safeguard some of our belongings, which are very important to us, need not be so important to another person.
If you lend your vehicle, a camera or a laptop to a friend, more often, it would require expert attention when you receive it back. If you find that it has not been cared for properly, it is not the friend’s illintention but it reflects the fact that it is not so much dear tohim, as it is to you.
When I heard the story from my friend, the following thought crossed my mind. “These marketing guys have not changed their ways, over several centuries now. May be they will never change.”