How Important is the Environment ?

I remember my grandfather telling me that when 'Lal Bahadur Shastri' was the prime minister of India, there was an acute food shortage in the country. To face the crisis 'Lal Bahadur Shastri' had asked the people of india to skip one meal and that would be enough to fill the food shortage.On wednessday in our house there was no lunch cooked for anybody.My grand father used to skip lunch in the office where he used to work. Our neighbors also did the same, except that they skipped the lunch on Tuesday's. I sometimes so much admire that generation that thought so much about the country and its people. But what was it during that time that made people think so much about the country and jointly faced all the problems.I think it was the ' the 'environment' of that time.'Environment' was such that everbody felt connected to the cause of facing the problem of 'food shortage'
Environment is a very broad term.In terms of employees a good environment lets the employees connect to the place they work for.
Imagine working in a company where employees are valued for the work they do and are not treated as mere 'Resources'. Resources is a very pathetic word and i totally dislike people who call fellow workers as resources.Somehow the 'management types' tend to call everybody else as resources though.
A good environment promotes a healthy atmosphere to work. One where people like to come to office, and work is not a burden for them. Very small things can promote a very healthy environment for the employees for e.g a good coffee machine, comfortable seats and hygienic working conditions,flexible hours to work, work from home allowed.Ideas of the employees should be listened too and if are good should be worked upon.The company should strive to bring out the best from their employees and create a sense of belonging.
Now consider the word 'Environment' in terms of a student coming fresh out of college.In India when a student comes out of college, he thinks of either going for an MBA or MS or taking up a job in some MNC.Once he is in there he takes up some loan to buy flats / cars etc. Why is this pattern so common, because the environment is like that.The environment forces people infact very young people at a very early age to think in terms of 'SECURITY', when the word security itself is so overrated.These kids coming out of college are fresh with ideas, they just need a proper environment to prosper, to create organizations, to create a better india.
to be continued.....