Does the new traffic law seem like a drag? You’d be happy if it saved your life. Read on for strategies that can do the same for your business.
Recently, I was driving along, minding my own business while watching a video on my phone. I was stopped at a traffic light when an elderly lady in the car beside me motioned to me to roll down my window. With a maternal smile on her face, she told me that I had almost hit her car just a minute ago, and asked me to put down my phone. Ashamed, I apologized and tucked the phone away. The whole conversation must have taken about a minute, but it really got me thinking; I had been driving while watching a video, and probably commenting on it to my friends. I knew it was against the rules (and common sense), but I had done it anyway, thinking, “Who is going to reprimand me?” That’s really no way to be driving a 2-ton hunk of steel at 100 kilometers per hour.
It has now been a few days since the traffic law came into effect in Bahrain, and beyond the bad jokes on social media (and the general moaning and groaning), this is actually something I am quite thankful for. It’s about time, too.
I have seen people descend into downright savagery when it comes to driving on our roads. They cease to show any sort of regard for other drivers, overtake at will, decline the use of turn signals, and run red lights as if it’s the norm—all while staring at their phone screens.
“I have seen people descend into downright savagery when it comes to driving on our roads.
At first, the public seemed shocked by the “new” traffic laws. However, we all know that in truth, most of these laws are not new at all, but are only now being strictly enforced. When you see senior citizens looking left and right before running a red light, that’s when you know enough is enough.
“Without rules, there’s chaos.” – Cosmo Kramer
A similar scenario can occur in the workplace. A policies and procedures manual can help business owners defend themselves against unfair dismissal claims, and serves to demonstrate that the organization is being operated in an efficient and businesslike manner. It can also foster stability, and ensure uniformity and consistency in decision-making and operational procedures.
This manual is usually handed to you on your first day of work to inform you of the applicable working hours, dress code, and all general codes of conduct. Once you see that people are lax about walking into work late, for example, you may have the tendency to be late yourself, if there are no repercussions from the employer.
This would usually continue until the employer notices how negatively this behavior is affecting the image and performance of the company—then the inevitable happens. Management will have to step in and enforce the rules, asking everyone to be in on time. What happens next? It’s the same as with the traffic laws. Disgruntled employees voice their disdain toward the “cruel” employer. How dare they enforce the rules that were always there, but never followed?
“How dare they enforce the rules that were always there, but never followed?
The simplest and best way to avoid employee backlash is to cultivate a culture in which it is unacceptable for employees to be late—and this expectation needs to be consistently enforced. Employers need to make it impossible for employees to walk in late with no valid excuse. In this way, when one employee strays from the flock, it will be easier to pull that individual back into line.
It is never too late for your company to start enforcing the rules it has set for its employees. Everyone should have the proper guidelines in place for a civil workplace culture.
