Green monster at work place

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In India we take pride in our intuitive understanding of the language of emotions and sentiments. We appreciate joy, fear, anxiety, loyalty, kinship, faith. We sing and dance our love to death, but naturally. Love of Radha for Krishna. Love of Yashodha for Kaanhaa. Love of Srawan Kumar for his parents. Love of Dronacharya for Arjun. Love in all hues and shades. But there is one love that we do not comprehend and even less appreciate.


It is love of work for the sake of work. We will not acknowledge, leave alone applaud some hapless soul’s love for her professional job! God forbid, is there such a thing? Can it be that someone around you, is slogging because they enjoy challenges, because they want to grow, because they get a kick out of doing something well or because they feel they owe it to themselves and so refuse to pitch low?


This truly is the Age of Envy. What are our reactions when a colleague in the vicinity pulls off something spectacular? They vary from, “She must be crazy” to “He is setting a bad example” or worse, “She is the boss’s smoothie!” Anything is easier than making an effort to match that person’s output or calibre.


This vicious malice is an epidemic in government, semi-government, quasi-government or copycat-government organizations.

It’s ok to wish we had authored that phenomenal task instead. But to pull the person down, to cast aspersions on their intentions, to belittle their sense of discipline and integrity is wrong, criminally wrong. I believe it is this green monster at the work place that is preventing India from moving ahead faster. Our view to work is not professional enough to appreciate that a certain X, Y or Zee may be hard at it for the pure pleasure of the task at hand.

In these stressful times, no boss has the hours, energy or inclination to suffer people for anything other than their worth to the organizations they head. If they keep some people close under the arms, it is probably because they deliver results, are trustworthy and do not whine.

Yes, a strange breed is these high-on-work folks. They just want to be left in peace to be able to do what they like doing and what they have to in the course of their jobs. Happy to stay out of the strobe light, all they are asking for is some non-judgemental, non-threatening and empowering space. But forget giving them their due, the envy lobby makes sure that the official policy stays one of non committal silence.

So all you motivated sods out there, itching to validate yourselves through productive actions, be warned. You are under a close watch of those who feel threatened by your good work. And while you are juggling your drive and modesty, do remember to thank the world for letting you live.

For some strange reason they believe that just as everybody gets the same salary they must also sweat in the same exact measure!!