53.4 Cherishing the Close Ones

 53.4 Cherishing the Close Ones

 

Question:

How to reward the people who work for us?

Answer:

A king should not treat all those who are close to him alike.

He should treat each one differently according to their merit.

 There are many who look forward to such distinctions.                       (Couplet – 528)

பொதுநோக்கான் வேந்தன் வரிசையா நோக்கின்

அதுநோக்கி வாழ்வார் பலர்.                                                 (குறள் – 528)

Explanation:

Although in couplet 528, Valluvar mentions how a king should treat those who are close to him, his advice is equally valid for a leader or a manager who has the responsibility to reward people who work for him. People differ in their performance capabilities. Those who perform outstandingly would expect above-average rewards. Failure to reward people according to their capabilities and performance leads to a loss of motivation and enthusiasm in those who exceed others. As a result, people tend to be mediocre in their performance. In many corporations in the US, a well-designed performance evaluation system is used to reward employees according to their performance and contributions. In particular, senior managers are offered bonuses and stock options commensurate with their performance to encourage them to perform their very best.

In contrast, the US federal and state government reward system is not designed to encourage performance excellence. As a result, the government employees lack the motivation to excel in their performance. The combination of a lackluster reward system and job security contributes to mediocrity in performance by the government employees. This is perhaps true in other countries also. So, as Valluvar says, people should be evaluated on their performance, and the reward and recognition should be in proportion to their performance.