Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Groom and value in-house workforce

Abdulaziz-Al-Jahdhami
Abdulaziz-Al-Jahdhami
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Human beings are generally granted different skills and abilities of thinking and doing things. For that reason, their level of understanding and competency are not the same of course. Some are competent in executing ideas while others are good at planning and imagination. Therefore, people’s talents and needs in different walks of life complement one another. The Chinese-born Singaporean film actor and producer, Jet Li, said: “I believe the world is one big family and we need to help each other”.


In view of that, one should never undervalue others no matter who they are. Whether people are skilled and educated or not; that should not be the standard to judge them. Likewise, people’s appearance and personality do not always reflect what they are capable of doing. Instead, their performance and deliverables are what matters most to value people, especially at a workplace. Therefore, bosses, for instance, do not have the right to underestimate colleagues or others at work.


Usually, bosses or employees with higher ranks are given command on others not to look at their employees or colleagues as inferiors, but to be more responsible for the business and people alike. In fact, a leader’s key responsibility is to get things managed properly and employees are adequately supervised and fairly rewarded. Speaking on this subject, the Almighty Allah, said in the Holy Quran: “We raise some of them above others in ranks, so that some may command work from others. But the Mercy of the Lord is better than the (wealth) which they amass”.


It is Allah, who distributed fortunes and fates to people, regardless of their origins, religions, languages and cultures. It’s just everyone’s fate in life, so some people are just a means behind making others’ dreams and fortunes come true. Hence, people are paving each other’s paths to live their fates, make a living and fulfil ambitions. Hence, no one has the power to control others or manage their way of living; we are all minding what Allah has created us to deliver.


What is really hurting is to see employees being humiliated and undervalued in many workplaces. With respect to all, sometimes you see expats undervaluing the competency of their local counterparts, while there are locals devaluing the expertise of expat colleagues. Such scenarios usually happen with some managers who look superior over their employees and other colleagues. Sometimes, such attitudes are observed in some organisations, where expat bosses are supervising locals! In contrary, employees experience the same with their local bosses too.


Actually, such culture should not be promoted at a workplace, which marks a second home for employees. However, in some corporates some expat bosses undervalue their Omani counterparts for being unqualified. As well, it happens with non-graduated Omani employees, who are regarded less experienced compared to other colleagues. It is shameful to know that expat counterparts, colleagues and managers are undervaluing or stereotyping their Omani co-workers and employers too.


This is unfortunately unfair and unprofessional of course. Omanis are always known as hardworking and outstanding people; they could prove it right when they are given an opportunity. Many of them have been competing with non-Omani experts in taking leading positions in different key companies in the country. For those unskilled ones, all what they need is proper training and guidance to groom their skills and bring out the best in them.


As a good advice for employers, Jim Collins, an American researcher, author, speaker and consultant, said, “First get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats, and then they can figure out where to drive it.”


 


Abdulaziz Al Jahdhami


aljahdhami22@gmail.com


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