There has always been a sense of ambiguity in my mind over having sentiments at work. My mind is torn whether to be cold and emotion-less or to be empathetic and humane.
At work, a new conveying line was set up a few weeks back and it has been troubling us since it was set up. There have been constant niggles and snags since it's installation. This issue has been troubling my team.
It was one of those days when I was working on resolving this issue. The whole team was there, my manager, technician and myself. We were fiddling around with the settings, trying to get the right air-pressure and orientation. We worked on it for more than an hour. Sweating it all out, our efforts bore fruit, the results started showing in about an hour's time.
We were done with our work and we were about to leave. Just when a workman who stood there doing about his work came to me and with a smile on his face and gleaming eyes said, " En sir namma mane inda ne oodsbitralla? hadineidu varshadinda ide machine ge operator aagi kelsa maadtidvi, neevu nodidre kelsadinde tegsbitralla?". ( Sir, this used to be my home and I have worked on this machine for 15 years and you have made me jobless here ). Perplexed by his statement, I couldn't digress for a few moments on what he was saying. My mind put on it's thinking cap and started thinking on why this man spoke those agonizing words. When my mind began this thinking process, I recollected my previous project where a completely automated secondary packaging line was installed as result of which 15 people were removed from their positions in the line. The result of which, this man lost his position in the line and had to be moved off to another line in another division. After the thought process was over, I responded by saying, " Naavu enu madalla ri, Company kelsa heliddu, naavu maadlebeku." ( Nothing is in our hands, we have to just do what the company says) to which he nodded with a smile, his nod almost telling a story, made me speechless. After the debatable incident, I left the place and went on with my work.
Though I went on with my work that day, I couldn't take my mind off the words that had from that man. I shared this incident with a friend of mine and laughed it off. But deep down, I was guilt ridden and morose about what had happened.
All this boils down to the question is it right to have emotions at work? Is it right to be empathetic and humane or do we need a much colder approach at work??
It was one of those days when I was working on resolving this issue. The whole team was there, my manager, technician and myself. We were fiddling around with the settings, trying to get the right air-pressure and orientation. We worked on it for more than an hour. Sweating it all out, our efforts bore fruit, the results started showing in about an hour's time.
We were done with our work and we were about to leave. Just when a workman who stood there doing about his work came to me and with a smile on his face and gleaming eyes said, " En sir namma mane inda ne oodsbitralla? hadineidu varshadinda ide machine ge operator aagi kelsa maadtidvi, neevu nodidre kelsadinde tegsbitralla?". ( Sir, this used to be my home and I have worked on this machine for 15 years and you have made me jobless here ). Perplexed by his statement, I couldn't digress for a few moments on what he was saying. My mind put on it's thinking cap and started thinking on why this man spoke those agonizing words. When my mind began this thinking process, I recollected my previous project where a completely automated secondary packaging line was installed as result of which 15 people were removed from their positions in the line. The result of which, this man lost his position in the line and had to be moved off to another line in another division. After the thought process was over, I responded by saying, " Naavu enu madalla ri, Company kelsa heliddu, naavu maadlebeku." ( Nothing is in our hands, we have to just do what the company says) to which he nodded with a smile, his nod almost telling a story, made me speechless. After the debatable incident, I left the place and went on with my work.
Though I went on with my work that day, I couldn't take my mind off the words that had from that man. I shared this incident with a friend of mine and laughed it off. But deep down, I was guilt ridden and morose about what had happened.
All this boils down to the question is it right to have emotions at work? Is it right to be empathetic and humane or do we need a much colder approach at work??
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