The organisational culture drives the presence or the lack of formality at workplace. Emerson wrote, a cheerful, intelligent face is the end of culture. It is about the sense of marvel and beauty. Culture is gateway to heaven, and it isn’t a subject of education; it is about working environment, it is about atmosphere and of heritage.
“The value of culture is its effect on character. It avails nothing unless it ennobles and strengthens that. Its use is for life. Its aim is not beauty but goodness” (Somerset Maugham). Culture or corporate culture, the existence of the best that has been of knowledge and is closely associated with the human spirit.
Culture of an organisation will determine its character; and character will make obvious manners -- which have to be good. Anything less than good will never do, because you either have manners or you don’t.
At our respective work stations, each of us takes a certain dosage of stress, which is just fine, but like all other over-dosages, an overdose of stress releases in us, our base animal instincts. An angry man is very ugly to look at. As said wisely, the true strength of character is revealed, either in contradiction or in adversity. At all other points of life, we have available flexibility. Not in noise or clamour but in stillness, silence and calmness lies a formal atmosphere of work. The pitch or decibel level must invariably be low. There should be no cross talk from one table to another. Instead of calling out for a person, the use of intercom is preferable. This is essential to prevent an office atmosphere that resembles a supermarket - stillness of environment sparks clarity in thinking: handling tension ridden issues, keeping focus on the goals, developing relationships, creating good will, building on good habits and above all an extremely important element , the productive environment.
Most organisations define a dress code, either by announcement, word-of-mouth or merely through practice. It is important to wear formal suitings for atleast the time spent at office. Jeans, t-shirt, polo necks, sneakers are not to be appreciated. Of late, there has been an invasion of thought from across the Atlantic, that those who do not have to interface with client that is those who are mostly back-end/office workers, can wear smart casuals to the office. I have noticed that those organisations that permit smart casuals are unable to draw the necessary demarcating line with informal wear. The seriousness of the work environment gets diluted with an informal wear. Informality seeps into everyday function. It is best for organisations to define with clarity how the office staff must appear well groomed and neatly dressed. Many office goers err in the selection of the color to wear for office; quite a few dress up thinking they are on the sets of a reality show. If colors had nothing to do with character building we would not have witnessed the strict compliance to uniform requirements at school; and some at colleges too.
Borrowing from the Western corporate culture, many of us have abandoned our tradition of referring to elders (regardless of their position and seniority) with great sense of respect by prefixing the name with a mister (Mr) or suffixing it with sahib (honorable). I find it very amusing, not at the younger generations audacity to call elder colleagues by their first names, but more so by the “elders” who specifically demand that they be referred to and addressed by their first name. Aping the west to demonstrate camaraderie is foolish - if the mind isn’t liberated, the first name calling has no locus-standi in the development of a friendly corporate culture. I recall aptly, here, the proverb read at school, an ape’s an ape, a varlet’s a varlet, though they be clad in silk or scarlet – the filth under the white snow the sun discovers.
In order to keep everyday proceedings with a strong undertone of formality, it is important for senior staff, to respect the need for giving time and space to colleagues. The random strolling to each others office must be kept in check. This begins only when there is a realisation that all colleagues are busy and have a time schedule to adhere to.
Meetings must take place in formal setting- off sites are an abbreviation of a paid holiday, to discuss the mostly unachievable and unthinkable. The confines of a boardroom provide for a serious engagement of views - a lot is achieved there, than any other location. I am personally a serious subscriber to the thought, that off-sites are informal, the dress code is informal, the atmosphere is informal and to beat it all, the discussions and decisions are informal - and the language used, highly informal.
In the course of serious meeting, each participant must speak on his/her turn; interjections that may be necessary, must be sought elegantly, by raising a hand or by clicking on the icon in case of video conferences. The chairperson has to ensure that no informality creeps into the debate and discussion. A free-for –all environment, doesn’t reflect a formal organisation. There must be distinction between the way, manner and choice of words people use to converse in the corridors and at meetings in the board room. The language spoken on the street cannot be lingua franca of a corporate entity. The speaker must honour the audience, for honour shows the man and honour changes manners.
Individuals many a time adopt different approach in dealing with those who are senior to them over those junior/reporting to them. Informal when instructing the juniors are extremely formal in conversation with seniors; infact the tonality and diction of the words used is changed to indicate the distinction, their mind carries such are extremely polite to their bosses and rudely arrogant to the reports. Henry Kissinger once said, “I don’t stand on protocol. Just call me your Excellency”. A defining statement of the zenith of egotism.
Men and women as co-workers must demonstrate in their character and dealing a visible respect for each other – female colleagues must be treated with respect without being ‘condescending’. The best productivity must be demanded from them, so that they feel they are not challenged any less for both, intellect and productivity. Divinely possessed with a heightened sense of empathy they make good human resource managers, besides other areas too.
The informal gathering in the corridors or at some favourite desk, need to be checked so that these do not become a norm. To unwind as a matter of routine, each Friday post prayers and prior to lunch, I would go and sit with one specific senior colleague, who always had one new story to narrate for the road - others started to join in, the numbers were swelling - we called it our organisations Hyde Park corner - with total freedom of speech. I checked on this habit, when the decibels of the guffaws were renting out too loud. No doubt laughter is the best medicine but if it inspires uncontrollable informality between colleagues, it must be used with extreme caution.
There is no deniability to the fact that managers do not have ulcers and acidity, they just give it to their colleagues. The management has to be conscious about the environment they create at work, which cannot be made to look like that of an informal club.
While it is true that a friendly environment creates greater productivity, the friendliness has to be watched and contained; lest it is forgotten that respect is always greater from a distance and those near the temple desire the Gods. Anything that is much on show loses its glamour.
Familiarity not only breeds contempt, but also provokes incompetence. A manager who is overtly friendly with his colleagues and reports overtime has to contend with less than acceptable standards of quality productivity. Intimacy invariably lessens fame. Every manager must know the value of the axiom that one must know a man for seven years before you stir his fire.
It is best to be formal in dealing with informality of the environment or the colleagues.
The writer is a senior banker and freelance columnist