Why letting loose snakes into the office isn't the best idea...

This week we came across a rather unusual report of an angry Indian snake charmer letting snakes loose in a government office! Apparently Mr Hakkul, who was the go-to when there was a snake on the loose in the area, campaigned for a plot of land to keep his snakes. After several delays in dealing with his request, Mr Hakkul had come to the end of his tether and had his revenge on the officials, causing chaos.

Photo from BBC

This cleverly links us to the importance of leadership and management within any organisation. The HR Dept continues to preach about being proactive rather than reactive. Sadly no one has a crystal ball; however foreseeing issues before they come to a head, is the key to dealing with issues effectively. In this case, there had clearly been miscommunication, confusion and upset felt by Mr Hakkul. Ignoring a problem and assuming it will go away will not achieve anything, in an extraordinary case like this or in the office environment.

The HR Dept advises managers as always to identify an issue quickly before it becomes a problem and escalates. Following policies and procedures will enable you to deal with difficult situations more successfully. The role of a manager is not just in the title, it is the ability to manage people and ‘prevent people problems’...