Brian Mendonça
As we entered the school gates the guard -- who was
being paid to marshal the entry point and regulate the traffic -- was sitting
by the side of the gate reading the newspaper. If an accident should occur it
is doubtful it would be traced to the guard’s laxity.
This was peak time when parents were frenetically
making the detour (like me) to reach their kid(s) to their classrooms and head
for work. Cars were buzzing to and fro from the entrance gate which was located
at an intersection where 3 roads met. Little children were walking briskly
holding on to their parents’ hands or clutching them for dear life on their
scooters.
In January this year 8-year old Riya Kadam died in a
swimming pool in a practice session organized by her school – even though there
were 3 lifeguards present. Of course, nearer home we still have to nail those
responsible for raping a 7-year-old school girl in her own school at Vasco,
Headland Sada in 2013.
Despite the proliferation of surveillance equipment
there seems to be a lack of will to hold people accountable – however heinous
the crime. People, after all, have short memories.
People grow progressively complacent as they bask in
the surety of their job. Instead of using the experience to sharpen the skills
they were hired for, they rust, regress and often create conditions detrimental
to the organization they work for.
When I go to the graphic designer to view some samples
of certificates he puts me on to some teenagers manning the systems. They are
having their own chat, pulling each other’s legs, guffawing loudly. They are
least bothered in showing me what I need. A non-literate person tries to
compose the text for a banner for his restaurant. The lady at the computer nonchalantly
types the wrong spellings and seems to resent it when I point them out.
It is necessary to love the job you have. Or else you
will only be a pain to others who approach you in good faith. Many times people
have no idea how important what they do is to the organization they work for.
If they did, they would do their job – however unimportant it may seem – with a
sense of pride.
Officer John Parker was detailed to be the bodyguard
of Abraham Lincoln. He arrived 3 hours late for his duty. Since he could not
see the stage he moved away from Lincoln to a better seat. During the interval
he ditched Lincoln to have a drink next door. When the assassin stepped up to
Lincoln he saw Parker’s chair empty – and fired the fatal shot.*
Kaizen, the Japanese philosophy -- which turned around
Toyota -- advocates continuous change (kai) for the better (zen). The goal is
to do better work not just more work.
Sometimes the destiny of a nation rests on our
shoulders. Let us rise to be worthy of the call.
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*’Lincoln’s Missing Bodyguard’ at www.smithsonianmag.com; Published in Gomantak Times Weekender St. Inez, Goa on Sunday 13 March 2016. Pix courtesy tagsecond.com
*’Lincoln’s Missing Bodyguard’ at www.smithsonianmag.com; Published in Gomantak Times Weekender St. Inez, Goa on Sunday 13 March 2016. Pix courtesy tagsecond.com
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