Hey ALL,
I'm facing this problem since last few months.
In our office a specialised team was made by the senior management for organising events and conferences and seminars. The team was made asking for volunteers, it was not imposed on anybody.
We were 9 members in that committee, and decided among ourselves the responsibilities. Once the work started gearing up, we realised there were only four-five member working, streching official hours also. There were many suggestions from the members who were not doing but always suggesting.
All these sleeping members were taking all the credit because of their seniority in terms of age and position also.
I wanted to know what do we do with these sleeping members as we realised and heard from them also that they want to just make money out of this.
How do i solve this problem, We all want to teach them a lesson, which is very important, otherwise many peole may not believe in TEAM WORK.
Do give your suggestions.
Cheers
Archna
From India, Delhi
113I'm facing this problem since last few months.
In our office a specialised team was made by the senior management for organising events and conferences and seminars. The team was made asking for volunteers, it was not imposed on anybody.
We were 9 members in that committee, and decided among ourselves the responsibilities. Once the work started gearing up, we realised there were only four-five member working, streching official hours also. There were many suggestions from the members who were not doing but always suggesting.
All these sleeping members were taking all the credit because of their seniority in terms of age and position also.
I wanted to know what do we do with these sleeping members as we realised and heard from them also that they want to just make money out of this.
How do i solve this problem, We all want to teach them a lesson, which is very important, otherwise many peole may not believe in TEAM WORK.
Do give your suggestions.
Cheers
Archna
From India, Delhi
Hi Archana,
It is quiet natural in working evironment, we cannot avoid such situations. Feel it that you r gaining experiance how to treat colleauges and how to share work among themselves.
"Remember All Bosses wear success cap but never comes forward to take failure".
It is quiet natural in working evironment, we cannot avoid such situations. Feel it that you r gaining experiance how to treat colleauges and how to share work among themselves.
"Remember All Bosses wear success cap but never comes forward to take failure".
dear archna,
You may be know the meaning of "Working partner" and " Sleeping partner". The people who referred are coming under "Sleeping partner".
1. List out the areas they are not working towards.
2. List out the areas they are supposed to contribute.
3. Give those responsibilities to them and they need to do it.
4. Perhaps, a small amount of fee (sitting fee) can be paid to the members for attending the meeting. (hoping that they will get themselves involved)
5. Ensure that period of committee will be for a year. Then automatically new members will be selected.
6. You can involve young people in the committee, so that they do lot than the 'old lions'.
May be i can share my experience. Once in a meeting, my boss asked the people to come with suggestion 'how to keep the office clean'. As expected no suggestion came - but i made few suggestions, that we need to keep 'waste basket' in few places, so that they waste materials, papers etc can be thrown inside the baset. At last the responsibility of purchasing those basket came to me......and I did it.
So my little experience says that you try to involve young people.
When we work religiously, we are tend to concentrate more on those 'who do not work'.
Finally, dont focus those people. just carry on with your work. AVoiding them may some time give you good result.
hope above will be of use to you.
wishes
senthil raj
From Costa Rica, San José
You may be know the meaning of "Working partner" and " Sleeping partner". The people who referred are coming under "Sleeping partner".
1. List out the areas they are not working towards.
2. List out the areas they are supposed to contribute.
3. Give those responsibilities to them and they need to do it.
4. Perhaps, a small amount of fee (sitting fee) can be paid to the members for attending the meeting. (hoping that they will get themselves involved)
5. Ensure that period of committee will be for a year. Then automatically new members will be selected.
6. You can involve young people in the committee, so that they do lot than the 'old lions'.
May be i can share my experience. Once in a meeting, my boss asked the people to come with suggestion 'how to keep the office clean'. As expected no suggestion came - but i made few suggestions, that we need to keep 'waste basket' in few places, so that they waste materials, papers etc can be thrown inside the baset. At last the responsibility of purchasing those basket came to me......and I did it.
So my little experience says that you try to involve young people.
When we work religiously, we are tend to concentrate more on those 'who do not work'.
Finally, dont focus those people. just carry on with your work. AVoiding them may some time give you good result.
hope above will be of use to you.
wishes
senthil raj
From Costa Rica, San José
Hey Archna,
This is a very common situation and I face the same dilemma being in our company Welfare Society.
Maybe you should together with the active members take a stand and talk to the Managers who decided on forming the committee in the first place. That is if you are planning on an official approach to solve this method.
The other solution I see is together with the active members you can plan out a coming event. But at the last minute you can change the details and maybe adjust the schedule etc and since the sleeping members do not take part in all the ongoing activities they will not be aware of the changes. When inquired you’ll can explain that all meetings and organizing was carried out after discussing with the members who did participate in organizing and the people and so on………
Now this may sound like a cunning plot but…………….. you needed to teach them a lesson ryt????????? :)
Cheers,
Ashra
From Sri Lanka
This is a very common situation and I face the same dilemma being in our company Welfare Society.
Maybe you should together with the active members take a stand and talk to the Managers who decided on forming the committee in the first place. That is if you are planning on an official approach to solve this method.
The other solution I see is together with the active members you can plan out a coming event. But at the last minute you can change the details and maybe adjust the schedule etc and since the sleeping members do not take part in all the ongoing activities they will not be aware of the changes. When inquired you’ll can explain that all meetings and organizing was carried out after discussing with the members who did participate in organizing and the people and so on………
Now this may sound like a cunning plot but…………….. you needed to teach them a lesson ryt????????? :)
Cheers,
Ashra
From Sri Lanka
Dear Archana,
Yes, this is very common situation. Sleeping members are sleepy only when they have to do some work otherwise they may be cunning enough to be updated.
U propose to the managemt that this group of 9-10 members is vey big and only 5 members at a time can manage the event and distribute the events amongsts further two group - Active and Sleepy.
You can always propose that by having so big group is the killing of Company Time which u have observed in the last event.
Subhash
From India, New Delhi
Yes, this is very common situation. Sleeping members are sleepy only when they have to do some work otherwise they may be cunning enough to be updated.
U propose to the managemt that this group of 9-10 members is vey big and only 5 members at a time can manage the event and distribute the events amongsts further two group - Active and Sleepy.
You can always propose that by having so big group is the killing of Company Time which u have observed in the last event.
Subhash
From India, New Delhi
Hello ALL,
Thanks for the responses, I'm relieved to get so many replies on this problem of mine.
I know though that it is a common problem, but still I do not want to accept it. If I accept it today without sending the message to them that what they did was wrong, this kind of practice will surely keep coming up.
Being an HR personnel, I feel is our duty to take care of this kind of practices. Specially where people want to earn money out of any such thing.
I would also like to know, if it happens in out of office kind of situation, where something needs to be done purely on volunteer basis and still people have given wrong commitments.
Waiting eagerly for the responses from all.
Regards,
Archna
From India, Delhi
Thanks for the responses, I'm relieved to get so many replies on this problem of mine.
I know though that it is a common problem, but still I do not want to accept it. If I accept it today without sending the message to them that what they did was wrong, this kind of practice will surely keep coming up.
Being an HR personnel, I feel is our duty to take care of this kind of practices. Specially where people want to earn money out of any such thing.
I would also like to know, if it happens in out of office kind of situation, where something needs to be done purely on volunteer basis and still people have given wrong commitments.
Waiting eagerly for the responses from all.
Regards,
Archna
From India, Delhi
TREAT THEM AS NON PERSON FOR FEW MEETINGS. ASSUME THEM AS STONE AND DO NOT REACT TO THEIR SUGGESTION...THEY WILL COME BAKE AND CONTRIBUTE ACTIVILY..TRY THIS OUT>>
From India
From India
One important point to note is that most volunteer work or extra curicullar activity is usually an open item in most organizations.
Hence it is very important to emphasize the basis for the work among and between your employees who show interest.
Eg: If you are working on improving conditions for the poor, or medical camps or whatever, everyone should have the same objective - ie to help the economically weak. Period. There is no other agenda.
As a result of this approach, your work will begin to create awareness in your employees. This will result in a movement where there is a common goal and objective.
At the end of the day, the one who does the work will benefit. One needs to actually experience this inner cleansing.
Those who have other agendas will automatically fade away. This is the law of nature.
Hence please communicate your objectives from time to time. Do not extend the list of objectives. Keep it simple.
Best Wishes,
SK
From India, Bangalore
Hence it is very important to emphasize the basis for the work among and between your employees who show interest.
Eg: If you are working on improving conditions for the poor, or medical camps or whatever, everyone should have the same objective - ie to help the economically weak. Period. There is no other agenda.
As a result of this approach, your work will begin to create awareness in your employees. This will result in a movement where there is a common goal and objective.
At the end of the day, the one who does the work will benefit. One needs to actually experience this inner cleansing.
Those who have other agendas will automatically fade away. This is the law of nature.
Hence please communicate your objectives from time to time. Do not extend the list of objectives. Keep it simple.
Best Wishes,
SK
From India, Bangalore
:idea: it always work, think of winnig football match with one player against 11 playersor can you think of your problems be solved without your friends help. that's team work .now u can answer it.
From India, Delhi
From India, Delhi
Hello Kishore,
I really liked the idea, WE have used this also but I'll Surely would use that
again.
Thanks Sai Kiran,
We had a clear agenda for everything, These team members (who are not participating) ,they are senior in terms of age and experience also decided the division of responsibilities, which was communicated to all the other members of the team.
But everytime you go ask them, Sir we did this, they will give you one thousand suggestions and then say leave this upto me and then just GONE. I remember, the task they took was also not performed by them. It was in just last few days that everybody has to finalise the things.
Hi Kapesh,
I did not understand your message, f you could just elaborate a little.
Thanks to you all, Looking for more ideas to convey the message of non performance and other things to them.
Regards,
Archna
From India, Delhi
I really liked the idea, WE have used this also but I'll Surely would use that
again.
Thanks Sai Kiran,
We had a clear agenda for everything, These team members (who are not participating) ,they are senior in terms of age and experience also decided the division of responsibilities, which was communicated to all the other members of the team.
But everytime you go ask them, Sir we did this, they will give you one thousand suggestions and then say leave this upto me and then just GONE. I remember, the task they took was also not performed by them. It was in just last few days that everybody has to finalise the things.
Hi Kapesh,
I did not understand your message, f you could just elaborate a little.
Thanks to you all, Looking for more ideas to convey the message of non performance and other things to them.
Regards,
Archna
From India, Delhi
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