Kiss & Hug versus Real-Deals

Influenced by ‘KBC’, the Indian version of ‘Who Wants to be Millionaire’, I and my son often play our own version of the quiz-show at home. The other day, it was first my turn to be on hot seat and Arnab was the quizzer. I was wondering what would he give me as ‘prize money’ and thought maybe he will fake it like kids do with some torn pieces of paper as currency. But he turned-out to be smarter than I thought he was and when I answered the first question correctly he announced with flair that I had won one kiss & a hug from him. The he followed this by showering the ‘prize’ on me immediately, as a ‘signed cheque’. He asked me five more questions and every time he kept increasing the kisses & hugs much to my amusement and our happiness.
Then came my turn to be the quizzer, his turn to be on the hot seat. I thought I shall copy him and give him kisses & hugs as he keeps on answering the questions correctly. But this time again, he turned-out to be smarter than I thought. When he answered the first question correctly and I told him that he had won a kiss & a hug he took the same but said that this won’t suffice as the ‘prize money’. He wanted some real deals every time he gave a correct answer. So I had to give him a ‘Calcium Sadoz’ tablet, a Hajmola (tasty digestive chew), Mentos and few Polo Mint-rings in the subsequent questions and his correct responses that followed. He however did not miss-out on my kisses & hugs, as well.


Expectations from everyone are not the same. From someone it may be just and kiss & a hug whereas from someone else it may be some real-deals as well, in addition to the kiss & hug. Engagement is as much on the rational plane as much it is on the emotional plane.

Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest carmaker seems to be doing just that! The year 2011 saw the carmaker being jolted by series of labour strikes at its Manesar plant in North India. The worker’s demand for fair-treatment and for a separate union, than the already existing labour union at the Gurgaon plant, was opposed by the management. The face-off between the management and the workers reached a flash-point when the management demanded the worker to sign a good-conduct bond. However after losing out on considerable sales and market-advantage, the management seems to be finally learning its lessons. It has done a complete U-turn on its earlier stance. Now the Maruti management is actively following-up with the state government’s labour department for the verification and registration of the new union formed by the workers at the Manesar plant. In addition they are also revising the wages of the workers and currently are in the wage-settlement process. The Management initiative to get the new union registered is more of a ‘kiss & hug’ whereas the wage-revision is more like the ‘real-deal’.

Working Mothers

Few days back, on one of the episodes of the quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati a contestant was a lady constable working for one of the state police force. Like many contestants who bare their personal lives in the show, she also narrated her story. She had married a boy of her choice much against the wishes of her family members, since the social affiliation of the boy was different. Since then the girl's family had not kept any contact with them. She has a small kid whom she leaves behind home for attending to the calls of her duty, which at many times are at odd times and odd places. During such times her insecurity about her baby is very high. On the show she even pleaded to her family to forgive them and accept their relationship, now that much water had flown under the bridge. Imagine in our country sometimes people have to apologise for choosing their life partner! What a pity!!!Having said this, her present difficulties also indicate the predicament of the young working couples with very young kids.

Human resource departments should understand such realities and attempt to create facilities and benefits which take care of such women workers. That would be the biggest engagement that they would be able to create for such employees. Mind Tree Consulting, for instance, has a on-site day care centre known as 'baby's day out' and women counselling network known as 'Dhrtiti'. Such benefits not only allay the worries of young working mothers but also help them reduce their anxieties and stress.