Till some time ago, I always felt Travel Agency is the second most busy occupation (after Stock Brokers) for it require time bound, quick, prompt action & communication both with customers and suppliers. Being intermediary for a product or service is tough business but travel agency and stock broking in particular always keeps you on the toes (or rather on the phone). Then I came across “Mr Pappu” of our famous “Pappu Travels” from Bhatinda who like state employees was awarding himself extra leisure time by faking his busyness.
It is not uncommon for human fatigue and slackness to creep in, in such a high intensity, interactive and time bound business environment. Lack of motivation and repetition of tasks sometimes plague such environments with a phenomenon called “Procrastination”.
Procrastination is a big word to describe a type of behavior which is characterized by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. It’s basically doing C’s and D’s in the figure 1e in order to avoid A1 or A2. It’s a habit we develop in the belief that it will protect us from unpleasant situations, and give us a temporary sense of relief. Procrastination is to travel trade what AIDS and Hepatitis is to our society – the silent killers. It specializes in “Fake Busyness”, which emphasis slowness over showiness, avoidance and delay over actions and downplaying situations and tasks over time bound deadlines. The cleverest and most prolific procrastinators like Mr Pappu are nerdy superstars for they play games which involve high skills of avoidance, deference and delays. His case is not exceptional for its picaresque twist. Every travel agency employee has a favorite way to practice procrastination; the frontline staff who besides handling customer calls, creeps in with some personal chit chats and love talk, the back office staff who’s a specialist in internet porn, though he may look a champu by look and feel.
It is not uncommon for human fatigue and slackness to creep in, in such a high intensity, interactive and time bound business environment. Lack of motivation and repetition of tasks sometimes plague such environments with a phenomenon called “Procrastination”.
Procrastination is a big word to describe a type of behavior which is characterized by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. It’s basically doing C’s and D’s in the figure 1e in order to avoid A1 or A2. It’s a habit we develop in the belief that it will protect us from unpleasant situations, and give us a temporary sense of relief. Procrastination is to travel trade what AIDS and Hepatitis is to our society – the silent killers. It specializes in “Fake Busyness”, which emphasis slowness over showiness, avoidance and delay over actions and downplaying situations and tasks over time bound deadlines. The cleverest and most prolific procrastinators like Mr Pappu are nerdy superstars for they play games which involve high skills of avoidance, deference and delays. His case is not exceptional for its picaresque twist. Every travel agency employee has a favorite way to practice procrastination; the frontline staff who besides handling customer calls, creeps in with some personal chit chats and love talk, the back office staff who’s a specialist in internet porn, though he may look a champu by look and feel.
It will take more than a clampdown on malingering to achieve lower procrastination. More fundamental changes are required in the basic structure, work culture and thinking process of the entire team including higher and middle level management. The big test will come this winter, when the commission clouds will bid adieu and the staff will have more and more free time at the disposal in a sluggish and weakening travel spends.
As we leave these “unpleasant tasks” unattended we often force them from Category 3 (Very Important/ Not Urgent) to Category 1 (Very Important/ Very Urgent) and this is where we are caught napping. In such a case a task which we have been procrastinating about snowballs into a major task with some very unpleasing recuperation.
Prioritizing is a habit which needs to be cultivated at the ground level and following the priority matrix every tasks needs to be handled with its merit. It’s the same as a batsman playing every ball to its merit regardless of reputation of the bowler.
The best way to handle procrastination is by using Nike’s “Just Do It” tagline. Do them first and handle them early in the day, lest they should hang like a sword over your head the whole day. Set deadlines for such tasks and don’t wait for the right mood (for it will never come). You won’t handle it when you are having a PMS and when you are overjoyed you definitely won’t like to handle such unpleasant tasks.
A Word of Caution – For you may successfully prioritize the tasks that are important and urgent and demands your attention (A1, A2, A3); always check that “C” is not your Boss’. (Ironically “C” is also the most popular “helping verb” used in North Indian lingo?)
As we leave these “unpleasant tasks” unattended we often force them from Category 3 (Very Important/ Not Urgent) to Category 1 (Very Important/ Very Urgent) and this is where we are caught napping. In such a case a task which we have been procrastinating about snowballs into a major task with some very unpleasing recuperation.
Prioritizing is a habit which needs to be cultivated at the ground level and following the priority matrix every tasks needs to be handled with its merit. It’s the same as a batsman playing every ball to its merit regardless of reputation of the bowler.
The best way to handle procrastination is by using Nike’s “Just Do It” tagline. Do them first and handle them early in the day, lest they should hang like a sword over your head the whole day. Set deadlines for such tasks and don’t wait for the right mood (for it will never come). You won’t handle it when you are having a PMS and when you are overjoyed you definitely won’t like to handle such unpleasant tasks.
A Word of Caution – For you may successfully prioritize the tasks that are important and urgent and demands your attention (A1, A2, A3); always check that “C” is not your Boss’. (Ironically “C” is also the most popular “helping verb” used in North Indian lingo?)
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