Incompetence. In the workplace, it is something that we have all come to expect from time to time. In the organizational structure of any job, you always come to rely on other people to get some things done. Someone always has to sign your paycheck, you expect office supplies to be there when you need them, that kind of thing. I am amazed that any of these things actually get done here.
NGOs have a reputation for being slightly more laid-back than for-profit institutions. The people usually work harder for less money, and they are much more committed to their jobs. However, some formality and professionalism is necessary to keep an organisation running. This seems like a classic case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.
I was supposed to have a field visit to Varanasi as a component of my internship. The research I am conducting is about a project in the area, and it only makes sense to visit the project site. It has been in the works for all eight weeks of my being here, and it is build into the methodology of my report.
Of course, I'm not going. Somehow, preparing my workplan and itinerary at the start of my second week was not enough advance notice that I actually intended to go on the trip. The man who is supposed to be providing me with resources and guidance didn't start inquiring about tickets until Friday afternoon after I went over his head to the director to ask what the hell was going on.
Ok, so I could have taken the initiative sooner to be proactive about going, but that also shouldn't be my responsibility. I made it clear that I wanted to go, and I made it clear when I wanted to go.
Somehow, even working for free I feel like I'm getting screwed. It's just a rant, and I'll get over it soon enough. I could have expected as much.
The good news is that since I'm not taking a week to go to Varanasi, and I won't have any field data to factor into my report, I should be able to wrap things up by this Friday. I'm going to let the director know today that she can expect the final version of my report on her desk on Monday morning.
That gives me three full weeks in India with no work and no school. I think its time to finally get out and see some of those things I haven't had time to see yet.
Flown by mariposa at 08:35 AM on July 04, 2005
Reading habits become dismal when backpacking. What I would never read at home suddenly becomes interesting.
In any case, I read a book called THE PETER PRINCIPAL back in San Jose. Peter's primary principal (shoot me now for that) was that IN ANY HIERARCHY, PEOPLE RISE TO THEIR LEVEL OF
INCOMPETENCE.
This explains why managers are bad, principals suck, and the government fails to work. He even has rules that would explain why (or rather, how) El Presidente managed to rise to his position.
