Life has umpteen components, be it growing, loving, caring, devoting, dedicating and the like. Celebrations are a part of it that comes with different reasons. Celebrations form one of the important components of life. Celebrations bring cheers on the faces of the people associated. It adds flavor to one’s life and gives ample excitement. People love to celebrate for umpteen reasons: be it birthday celebrations, anniversary of wedding, jubilees of companies, holiday markings etc etc. Therefore, celebrations can be formal or informal depending up on varied factors. Whatever the causes of celebrations; one thing is sure: it gives us ‘excitement and fizzles out our stress to a great extent’.
The company I am working for celebrated its 80th Anniversary just a few weeks back as it was founded on 1st of October 1938. Yes. I am talking of state’s premier financial institution Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd. and I work for it. When the ‘new news’ about celebration of our bank’s 80th anniversary reaches its staff, everybody was landed in a state of great conundrum for such a celebration was to be held at the operative levels (all bank branches, extension counters etc) across the nation for the first time since its inception. This was indeed a historic decision by our worthy CEO and Chairman Parvez Ahmad. The whole staff, be it young or old, male or female, peon or officer or president or even Chairman was to be clad in a designated attire.
One of my colleagues uttered to me that in his 35 years of service, he has never witnessed such a titanic festivity in the history of J&K Bank. He was literally flabbergasted when he came to know that he has to celebrate the anniversary at and outside the branch premises to be clad in white coloured T-shirt and Cap to be provided free of cost by the bank management. Like everyone, he was supposed to report the branch at 8:45am that very day which he reported even half an hour before thanks his over excitement.
All the branches across the country wore a festive look that very day. Everyone was eagerly waiting for the Chairman sir’s LIVE speech from Corporate Headquarters that was streamlined through different platforms and commenced at 9am for half an hour. The ‘customer-and-staff-centric speech’ was lauded by one and all. “It is because of the ‘retired’ staff who served the bank with their zeal and zest that we are in a consolidated position at the moment”, Chairman said in his speech.
The conclusion of CEO’s speech was followed by cake cutting ceremony (as was already directed) at every business unit giving a fresh vigor to the staff who witnessed something ‘quite unique’ over the years of their services. “Today, unlike before, I feel I am a part of an organization I work for”, a friend rang me while I was tasting a piece of cake. “I now realize there is somebody who sanities our value”, he said.
Holding promotional rallies by the staff (men clad in white T-shirts, white caps and black trousers and women in pink stoles and white caps) outside the branch premises especially in the nearby markets witnessed the culmination of this much-hyped celebration. “I feel much relaxed today beating the daily routine work which otherwise I have never ever witnessed before”, a staff member whispered to another nearby staff eavesdropped by the branch head who silently passed a loving smile.
All this was done without any hindrance to customer service that very day. Seeing everybody clad in white, a customer articulated in a lighter vein, “I think JK Bank staff is scheduled somewhere for a cricket match today”. I responded with laughter seconded by my colleagues.
Resorting to different platforms of social media, the staff enthusiastically uploaded the pictures and videos of the celebration of the great day. Hashtag #80yearsofbonding was flooded everywhere. Copying the Chairman Sir’s oath ceremony, various branch heads administered the oath to their staff aimed at the theme of the anniversary “I pledge to strengthen it”. Branch Head, New Secretariat Road, Zahoor Malik did the same which was responded quite devotedly especially by the female staff and uploaded it on facebook.
One thing I personally realized that the staff of the bank after the celebration resolved by themselves that they will continue to work with full dedication and integrity and will treat the customer as the ‘king of the market’.
(The author works in JK Bank as Associate Executive and is presently posted at Tulmulla Ganderbal.)
imtiyaz.sofi@jkbank.com