Gifting problems and Gift Registry

"Man (that includes woman) is a social animal" was the first sentence in the Social Studies text book several decades ago.  It probably remains the same even now.  Being a social animal results in celebrating events in one's life with family members and friends.  Functions like marriage, house warming, baby shower, birthdays and anniversaries are very common and arranged regularly.  Hosts of such functions have to make elaborate arrangements to ensure that these functions are conducted smoothly and are remembered for a long time for the right reasons.  They have a long list of requirements and preparatory plans to ensure the success of the events. Selecting a suitable form of invitation and sending them to the guests is an integral and important part of the process.  Decision making on all these components is an enjoyable as well as a painful process for the hosts.

Once an invitation is received by the guest, the process starts at the other end.  The guest has to first decide whether he or she wants to attend the function.  If the decision is to attend, bachelors have no problem.  For those with a family, the next question is whether to attend alone or with family members.  Those with multiple families have multiple problems.  They have to decide which family to take to the event.  Once this is decided the next issue to be resolved is whether a gift should be presented.  Giving a gift is often an emotional action and involves a lot of feeling and planning.  Gift should be attractive, liked by the receiver and ultimately useful to them.  Fitting the item within one's budget is also a relevant issue.  Some carry gifts with them to ensure that others present at the event carry a good impression about them.  For them, the packet must be big though it contains a useless or cheap item. Even if the decision is not to honor the invitation by personal appearance at the occasion, a decision has to be taken to send a gift or not.  Then to send with whom or how?  The guest has to grapple with all these problems.

Hosts or receivers of the gifts have their own set of problems.  There was an ugly practice of noting down the amounts or items given with the name of the donors, several years ago.  Fortunately, it not seen nowadays. Problems of the hosts start with the transporting of the gift items received at the event place to their residence or place of stay.  Opening of the gift packets is itself an entertaining activity and attracts much attention.  Sifting and sorting the gift items leads to many interesting situations.  Receiving multiple numbers of the same item is one of them. Such items are often disposed off by gifting them to some other host when this host receives an invitation for the next event! There have been some funny instances where a gift given as a guest sometime ago is received back as a host sometime later! Then there are other items which the receiver does not know what to do with.  If the host is lucky, there can be many items which are welcome and indeed needed by them.

The problems enumerated above have been addressed and resolved to different extents by many different ways and means.  In our younger days, there would be an informal meeting of like minded relatives to dwell on the gifting issue.  Either funds were pooled and items were bought or a consolidated cash purse presented to enable the receivers to use it as they deemed fit.  Sometimes gifts were purchased from the pooled funds in consultation with the receiver, wherever possible.  Such items could be given privately to avoid the problems of carrying bulky items to the venue of the function.  Different  practices are used in other parts of the world.  In some countries of Europe, a bowl or box is kept to enable the guests to drop envelopes with cash. Those desiring to remain anonymous can drop an envelope without the giver's name. Present day solutions are handing over an envelope containing cash or giving gift cards.  Gift cards are becoming more popular.  Carrying them is easy and they can be sent by mail as well.  Receivers can buy the items of their choice and at their convenience.

"Gift Registry" is a modern solution to all the problems of giving and receiving of gifts or presents.  Companies like Amazon, Target, Macy's etc. have a system of providing solution to the problem as well as enhancing their own sales. The system works as under:

• The host (a bride or an expecting mother) prepares a list of all the items required and suitable for receiving as gifts.  The list of items is then placed on the website of the company which is appropriately called as "Wedding Registry" or "Baby Registry" etc. 
• The items may be for any amount, say from one dollar onwards and there is no limit for the maximum amount.
• Items in the registry can be deleted, modified or additions can be made. There is also provision for managing the registry jointly, say both parents or bride and the groom.
• Companies like Macy's also provide for visiting their stores, selecting the items, getting them scanned and getting a registry prepared as per the scanned bar codes of the items.
• Once the registry is in place, its availability is advised to the relatives, friends and colleagues by word of mouth, mail or phone.
• The word spreads and those willing to gift the items view the list on the website of the company.
• The giver chooses an item from the list, makes payment to the company over internet, through credit or debit card or other acceptable payment method, from the comfort of their homes or offices or even while flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet in a plane.  Company delivers the item at the doorstep of the receiver.
• Both the sender and receiver can track the movement and delivery of the item.
• Once a item in the list is taken by someone, the item gets blocked and thus duplication of gifts is avoided.
• If the item is available at an alternate source at lower rates, the sender can purchase there and get it delivered directly.  When such arrangement is made and advised to the company, the item is blocked in the registry.
• When the period for registry is about to expire or the event nears, the person creating the registry can buy the other items to complete the requirements.  Companies offer attractive discounts on the final purchases so made.  Otherwise the remaining items can also be allowed to lapse.
• Registry allows universal donors (from anywhere in the world!) and anything from anywhere as available on the websites.
• If the item is not satisfactory to the receiver, it can be returned free within the stipulated period.
• A "Thank You" list is available to the receiver to thank all the contributors to the registry purchases.
• Companies also have advising teams, available on line, to assist those who require help to use the registry system. 

Registry system thus provides solution to problems of giving or receiving gifts and prevents gifting problems.              

It is the ability that counts!

The young Branch Manager (BM) had a big problem on his hands.  Authorities in the bank had specifically briefed him about the new assignment.  Recently promoted, he was posted as the In-charge of the bigger branch with a heavy customer inflow and growing business levels.  Eye brows were raised when the inexperienced greenhorn was handed over the reins of the sensitive branch.  He was aware that he was under scrutiny of his peers and many of them desired that he should fail.  Manpower shortage was a problem for the entire industry and his branch was no exception.  With business growing month after month, managing the affairs of the branch with limited manpower was indeed a challenging task.  He and his two Assistant Managers were very active and had formed a core team to manage the affairs of the branch.  One of the senior clerks in the branch was as good as an assistant manager and shouldered far more responsibilities than expected of his designation. They were early years of computerization and  this branch was chosen for a initial implementation of a new software for advanced computerization of operations.  Quantity of manpower was limited and its quality compounded the problem.  Aging staff members fighting to upgrade themselves to handle the requirements of new environment presented a pathetic sight.  But the show had to go on.  Each day brought new and unexpected problems.  He was more into fire-fighting and trouble-shooting than attending to the requirements of business development.

Bank organized a three day workshop on computerization and he was directed to attend the same.  He was sitting in the program next to a very senior BM who was due for retirement in less than a year.  Partly due to age factor and partly due to the deliberations which he hardly understood, the old man often dozed during the sessions.  He would suddenly wake up in the middle of his stupor and ask a question of the moderator.  Even before the answer was completed for the irrelevant question, he would be back in his sleepy world.  This was an irritant for the moderator but provided comic relief to the others.  On the third day of the program he suddenly got up from his drowsiness and uttered a sentence: Kuch nahi hoga (Nothing will happen).  The senior man resumed his sleep before our hero could ask him what was the meaning of his statement.  Fortunately, the veteran was wide awake during lunch time and this gave a chance to our hero to pull him aside and ask him the meaning of his comment during the session.  The veteran smiled and replied, "You see, they are talking of new machines and new technology.  Machines do not work.  Humans work.  Aaap jitna bhi accha machine lagaao, Chalanevaale wahi gadhe hain!" (The machines (computers) and software may be of excellent quality, but those who run them are the same old donkeys).  BM was left wondering how true the experienced man's uttering was.

When the BM returned to his branch from the workshop, a rude shock awaited him.  The senior clerk was promoted and transferred to another branch.  A substitute was provided in the next two weeks.  He was an elderly man who was weak in application of interest and arithmetical calculations.  Most of the bank work revolved on these requirements.  Assistant Managers found difficult to work with him and complained about him to the BM.  BM cursed his own fate but decided to get on with things and face the situations as they unfolded.

The branch had its share of complaining customers who frequented BM's cabin with their complaints on various issues.  Their number came down progressively over the next two months.  BM was pleasantly surprised at this development and probed the matter.  He realised that the complaining customers were spending more time with the new elderly clerk and left the branch thereafter with a smiling face!  This man was very good in public relations and had his own way of tacking tough customers.  He could not manage routine counter work but was an expert in understanding human behaviour and meeting customer expectations with unorthodox approach.  Most of the complaining customers were pensioners and senior citizens.  This man was very effective in making them feel important and solving their emotional concerns.  Once emotional concerns were attended to,  they were not much worried about minor service issues which resulted in complaints earlier.  Suddenly BM found an alley in the substitute clerk who gave him relief and time to attend to business matters.  He slowly stated relegating some other issues like liaison with software and hardware vendors and follow-up actions with Government agencies etc.  The substitute clerk did not have the ability to manage routine banking hall activities but able to deliver out-door errands quite effectively. In course of time this clerk was even better than the two Assistant Managers form utility point of view.  The branch won the "Best Branch Award" that year and the new clerk had made substantial contributions for the achievement.

There is a maxim in HRD: It is the ability that counts, not the inability.  Every person is bestowed by the creator with some qualities or the other which could be used effectively.  Effective leaders are able to spot such talents quickly and harness them for achieving team goals.  Of course, the leader should have the time and patience to work on this belief.  Otherwise most of the team members in many teams may be declared as useless or ineffective.