PREDECESSOR Vs SUCCESSOR -- THE UNSEEN BATTLE NEEDS TO BE STOPPED

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When you vacate a house, you hand over the keys to the owner and walk off with no hangover. But when you vacate a post, you just do the opposite. Same is true when you enter a new house and position. The usual expressions are 

  •  I left behind a clean and up to date office.  
  •  I inherited a messy office.   

THE TOP IS PERSPECTIVE OF PREDECESSOR AND BELOW THAT OF SUCCESSOR

Life in the corporate and business world is hugely trapped many times between these two contentious statements. What is unfortunate is in both cases there will be facts that are right, but the perspective is diagonally opposite.

 What is conveniently forgotten is if you are right the other need not be wrong. At times matters are complicated by people who support the successor or predecessor and add up fuel. When the predecessor takes over in the controlling office any post, his office time hobby would be to put spokes to the successor.  

I was also surprised that this attitude existed in all cadres. I have seen peons talking of bad maintenance of office after they left and clerks and typists feeling that they were more obedient and efficient than the present lot.

I learnt an early lesson in life in this game and resolved not to play it and as an HR to identify active players of this game. It helped often in understanding as to how mountains are made from molehill. In the banking industry, a decision particularly on credit is right or wrong is largely decided by perspective and precedence.                                                                                    

Career of bankers is of almost four decades. Escaping right decisions getting interpreted as wrong should not be a reason in such long career for black mark, punishment or blocking growth. All employees more so managers need to realize that all are predecessor and successor in each posting and the very fact of being a successor or predecessor should not be a reason for creating black mark to others. 

The HR has a larger role as they must be the custodian of justice and justice is possible only when facts are rightly mixed with perspective. 

Hence beware of interpretation of successors and predecessors while making decisions. 

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