Butthead’s Beat: Praise for HCM – it’s due

EFFECTIVE managers go out of their way to look out for the ‘good’ people do for the company and not poison the operation with the ‘negatives’ only. Numerous studies will confirm that ‘rule-by-fear’ is seldom (if ever) effective.

Rather herald the ‘heroes’ as shining examples and encourage the rest to follow. Discipline (behind closed doors) by all means and even get rid of the few who are too selfish to go with the positive flow.

The same surely applies to our municipalities who actually work for us, the ratepayers.

It doesn’t feel like it sometimes and, in turn, municipal employees are probably tired of being reminded that: “We, the ratepayers, pay your salaries!”

It’s true, of course, but it’s only natural for any ’employee’ to resent anyone telling them: “I’m the boss.”

With the latter in mind, perhaps we, the ’employers’ should also be going out of our way to praise our ’employees’ for the ‘good’ they are doing… or trying to do under very trying circumstances.

One can already imagine some ratepayers (hopefully not too many) thinking: “What ‘good?’… hrmph!”

Well, put this in your joint and smoke it.

The Hibiscus Coast Municipality plans to circulate a comprehensive survey asking everyone to rate its services.

This must be an absolute first and one can only commend HCM for taking the initiative.

Municipal manager Max Mbili and his team are obviously serious about upping their game and, through these notices, they are humbly asking for us (their sometimes overly critical and very vocal ’employers’) for help.

We owe it to them to support this initiative and take the time to fill in the survey honestly and in detail.

Another very pleasant surprise home delivery this week were very professionally done pamphlets and refuse bags from HCM encouraging us all to ‘Go Green’ and to ‘Reduce, Re-use and Recycle’. (Read more about this in next week’s Herald or go to www.simplyclean.org.za.)

This is the ‘good’ that Hibiscus Coast Inc. management and staff need high praise for.

Let’s hold them up as shining examples of good local government and this might just encourage our district municipality, Ugu, to strive even harder to overcome its problems as well. Manager DD Naidoo and his team are also trying their best and are having to cope with one crappy set-back after another. Some don’t like to admit it, but many of these problems are a hangover of the past.