HUMOR AT WORK ......JOB ANALYSIS, JOB DESCRIPTION ..

It is not uncommon in some countries in Africa, wherein candidates who attend interviews for local posts like clerks, secretary, stores officers etc. to ask for detailed job description, job analysis and reporting structures etc. I used to wonder what is the big fuss about such a simple jobs mentioned above. But it never failed to amuse me the importance of such details sought.

The moment anyone is designated as Manager, there used to be a demand for an exclusive " Chamber" with appropriate size etc. followed by an exclusive Personal Assistant of fairer sex !!

In Indian Context, wherein even amongst very professional Multi National Companies, all these jobs listed in Job Description and more than that whatever Manager wanted to make you to do are covered by a simple statement " any other assignments / duties as may be needed from time time as per the discretion of the Manager / Immediate Superior " !!

It was in Malawi, when I learnt the importance of Job Analysis and Job Description !

We had a Africa Veteran who was our finance controller. He was from India and had lived in Zambia and Malawi for decades. He used to live in an exclusive bungalow with a fortified compound wall and security guards.

Malawai whenever economy went for a toss there used to be rampant looting. Poor people were also not spared as their bag of Maize flour....their staple food used to be stolen. In the case of people living in bungalows it used to be case of house breaking and burglary.

Mostly electronic gadgets used to be targeted and stolen. As Malawi, a land locked country surrounded by very porous borders stole goods used to get transported to neighboring countries and sold for handsome money.

Keeping this in mind expatriate population used to take adequate precaution. Some currency used to be left on the dining table, so that in the case of house break thieves could move out without disturbing the inhabitants of the house. Refrigerators used to be stacked with ready to eat foods, beer so that unwanted guests after breaking into the house could make good with a few cans of beers and food ! House members used to lock the bedrooms from inside to avoid attack by thieves.

Our Finance Controller was in the bed room. The house was broken open and the thieves had ransacked the hall. Entire electronic goods were packed by them. They had taken the car keys from the hall and were making an escape.

By then, the watch man  who was fast asleep had woken up and was trying to wake up the Finance Controller by banging the window. Finance controller came out and saw his car speeding away and his entire hall was emptied of all costly electronic items like TV, Play Station, VCR etc. He was obviously angry and started shouting at the Watch Man. " What were you doing. Why did not you catch them?".

Flash came the reply from watch man " Bana ( sir in local Chicheva language)..I am only "Watch Man " and not "Catch Man " !.

Don't you think the watch man was trying to take his Job Description and Job analysis a bit too far !!