Something positive

Jay Valleser

IT is not good to consider all conflicts as bad, unproductive and destructive to progress. In fact, most great inventions result from great conflicts such as the electric bulb, telephone, cars, etc..

Given his penchant for innovations and unafraid of thinking outside the box, Gov. Bambi Emano of Misamis Oriental comes up creative again by tinkering with office hours of employees without breaking any civil service rules or short changing the public in terms of services.

Capitol employees are asked to report for work one hour early and go home by four o’clock in the afternoon. I heard most employees are happy. Unfortunately, there are those who just can’t let go of what used to be the status quo.

Gov. Bambi wants capitol employees to be home early. And, I hope this is not only for the duration of martial law. This system can be reviewed after 60 days and I would like to see this innovation to be in effect year round.

The governor is not only reducing the stress brought about by martial law on capitol employees. Unknowingly, he is helping the city in its worsening traffic problem, improving family dynamics and making employees more productive in some other undertakings.

The daytime population of Cagayan de Oro is said to be triple from its 2015 census of about 800 thousand. By having capitol employees on the road earlier than the rest of the working masses is a relief on all our road users, pedestrians and motorists.

But this innovation does not have to mean that offices are unmanned after four o’clock in the afternoon. This can be designed in a way that employees’ working hours can be staggered so that offices can be manned even on lunch hour.

Not all leaders are managers, vice versa. This innovative move makes Gov. Bambi both a manager and a leader.  A manager who sees to it that tasks are done; a leader who sees to it that it is done properly and happily.

(Jay Valleser is a consultant at the capitol.)