Subordinates At Office

Though superiors are there to order and manage, the work of the subordinates is no less important. The peon who cleans the master's table, the typist who types the letters for him and the driver* who is attentive to his duties throughout the day and at times even at night are the most useful people in his working life. The work of the organi­sation may come to a standstill if all these small, big and medium pillars of action do not function in a coordinated manner. Work is sacred and today's subordinate may have the possibility of becoming tomorrow's master. Despair and frustration are evils that eat into a subordinate's efficiency and have to be discouraged and dispelled.

The important thing for the subordinate is to remember his place, the range of his duties and his limitations. Orders are to be carried out without question and the subordinate who fits himself into this operational preamble will automatically catch the eye of his master or at least will never go unnoticed. To know one's duties and to obey orders may not be so easy in the practical field, as it may appear in theory. There may be contingencies where the subordinate may have to use his own intelligence, or make decisions on his own. There is no doubt that these are small d ecisions but they are decisions all the same, and the subordinate who has taken the correct step once may go ahead in life following in that step.

There are curtsies, bows and so on that a subordinate has to extend to his superiors in the office. It is also customary for a subordinate to stand up and keep on standing when the boss is at his table. But rules differ from office to office and while some offices may bestrict in this respect, others may do away with such formalities. The absence of foimalities, however, should not do aw ay with the form. Talking and speaking come next to gestures. A subordinate must learn to hold his tongue when the superior has taken over the discussion an d unless he has to point out any outstanding misdirecti on, he had better be silent.