Value Proposition

With the spate of resignations in Bankerland, I have had to take a step back and ask what is it that Bankerland can offer to its employees. Perhaps, specifically, The General and Capon, what can they offer to their staff in the department. Obviously in these day and age, money is not and cannot be the only solution to long term loyalty and staff retention. And after much thought and brutal soul searching and reality checks, I realised that Bankerland is just going no where. All this rah-rah about regional expansion are just, well rah-rah. I have severe doubts now on the ability of The General and Capon to lead us to the promised land in a timeframe which is reasonable. I suppose at their level, they have much to lose and taking off to another organization is out of their comfort zone. So they got to stick with this and try to make it work. But it is truly a conundrum when their experiences have mainly been confined to the local market. Coupled with their policy of not hiring foreign help but rely on home grown organic talent, we have the perfect recipe for denial and the inability to execute the roadmap. Don't get me wrong, I am cool with home grown organic talent but sometimes, a dose of new blood could be the needed catalyst for a paradigm shift. On this premise, for the younger ones in the department who can recognize that we are not going anywhere here, the only option to avoid redundancy in 10 years time is to move on to a place that can offer a wider scope of work.

Sleep on it and hope for an epiphany.

+++

If God was an employer and we are employed as denizens on earth (I am keeping all the biblical promises etc out of here and just trying to create a contextual frame), what would be the value proposition for our existence here? Is it to experience sparodic happiness in one's life? Is it to live a path, irregardless of the destination, and say at the end of the day that it was the journey that matters? To enjoy earth and its material objects? To experience love? Is living life as great as its made out to be? Is our existence necessary save for the continuity of the human species? When Bumblebee grows up, what do I tell him when he ask the reason for his existence?

I do not have a definite answer to all of these and perhaps the answer is only realisable towards the end of our lives, which in itself is a true tragedy. Perhaps the trick is to observe the people around us that seem to operate and live with meaning and purpose.Hmmm, where do I find meself some truly happy people, nyek nyek nyek.......

+++

Overheard in Bankerland:

-- Banker Wanker:"I do not think our value proposition to our staff is strong..we do not have a regional story etc etc"
The General :"We are working on it, albeit at a slow pace"
Banker Wanker :"Staff might be worried about redundancy in 10 years time etc etc"
The General :"Not true, Capon and myself don't really have much of a regional background but we continue to get job offers from foreign banks..*rah rah rah about past glories*"
Banker Wanker :"The future might be different?"
Banker Wanker thinks that The General and Capon might be suffering from tunnel vision and illusion of past grandeur.

+++

Since the Queen is about to start work again after her maternity leave, we have been planning for Bumblebee's care for the days when we are both working trying to earn the buckeroos to fund his milk runs and diapers. The tricky part really is trying to balance Bumblebee's time with both in-laws and the help they would require to take care of him. The guilt does set in sometimes since it would mean a considerable sacrifice on their part especially to their daily routine and freedom. Don't get me started on the process of trying to get a maid, eventhough if you are willing to pay good money for help. The fear from hearing the horror stories associated with a foreign maid is enough to give me sleepless nights.

Sherlock Holmes the movie starring Robert Downey is cool la, go watch it!

+++

My last post for the year, so be good and have a Happy New Year. Let's turn the page and hope for the best and if the best is elusive at the end of it, we shall and will continue to soldier on because that is the best we can do. Over and out for 2009.