Follow the head, not the heart - In defence of the office nerd.
In many business scenarios, you get to see that the hard working people are always sidelined for the more glamorous ones. In a business set up, the most important factors are the profit margins, the people and the work that goes in to improve these. When companies concentrate only on the people, they are sure to lose out on business. In many companies, the proprietors and CEOs are seen to encourage an atmosphere perpetrating flings, affairs and illicit liaisons. This is just adding to the corruption in the company and should be discouraged instead of encouraged. I have personally been the victim of this kind of love politics that goes on in organizations. It’s obvious that the reliable but nerdy employee is of more use to the organization, but his promotion is always stayed. Some people, who are poor at work, will end up having flings and affairs and scoring over these so-called nerdy people, who are just interested in doing a good job. Organizations are not match making places. Some people engage in theses kinds of tactics to gain some publicity and leverage. But on the whole, an organization should be a clean place to work. It should not be based on relationships and how much fame and glory an individual is able to muster up.
People generally look at the glamour and the ease with which an employee builds relationships. These relationships may not be legitimate or genuine, but organizations continue to foster such liaisons. This just adds to the corruption, and companies instead of progressing get caught up in ugly tangles. I am not saying that a girl and boy should not go around in a company. But to just award and promote such people and ignore the ones who are sacrificing and working hard is not a good policy. Why do some people go out to work? Is it to add to the efficiency of the company, or is it to find a good match? Instead of encouraging such practices employers should take pro-active steps to talk to people who engage in such activities and bring down the credibility of an organization. You can’t mix your professional and personal life up. A seedy atmosphere makes it hard for genuine employees to work. A boss who has a clean reputation is generally perceived as more efficient than one who keeps bungling into relationships and affairs of the heart. India is an extremely corrupt country, and sadly, even the educated ones engage in such corrupt activities. But this culture of love and affection should not take precedence over hard work, intelligence and application.
Neha Singh
