A Willing Receiver

I still remember her name and face. She was Shubhangi, one of Senior Assistants working in one of my branches at Mumbai.

The year was 2005, when core bank solution, i.e. total automation work of branch operations was in progress, but salary payment was still manual.
Salary day used to be a very important day for all employees and officers working in the branch, including the Branch Head.

But preparation and disbursement of salary used to be a tedious job, as it had to take care of all allowances and sundry payments along with decuctions for PF, loan instalments etc, apart from preparing vouchers for debit and credit, and sending relevant statements to the controlling office.

So this work had to be allotted to an experienced, senior employee, like Shubhangi, who was not only senior, but also the most knowledgeable person in the branch, as she used to have all circular instructions on her fingertips.

On a salary day, as usual, she prepared salary and sent the salary register (used to be quite big in size) to me for approval and disbursement. When I opened the register for checking, I found some discrepancy, but I was not sure. I was scratching my head, when suddenly Shubhangi entered my cabin, and asked me,
“Sir, any problem?”

I was surprised, as I had not called her. My cabin was in a corner with glass walls, so that I could see all the counters and employees. Similarly, they as well as customers could see me. I asked her,
“Yes, but how did you come to know?”

Her reply was astonishing,
“I saw you opening the salary register and then slightly raising your eyebrows. That’s why.”

Even otherwise I would have called her, but I really appreciated that she could anticipate by just reading my face. That was a big learning for me.

Suppose someone disapproves you, but doesn’t express. In fact he sends a message that can be deciphered by persons like Shubhangi that too well in time. This doesn’t only improve the communication channel, but also the inter-personal relationships.

I had published a post, “B’s and C’s of Communication” discussing barriers and facilitators to communication. But if the receiver is also so willing, as the sender, no communication will fail. So let’s be one such receiver.

It’s never too late to be what you might have been.- George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)

–Kaushal Kishore

image: pinterest

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