Dorji Tenzin: Random Thoughts like Cries of a Clown

  When I was a teenager, people of the community and relatives advised me to study hard so that one day, I will be on the revolving chair ordering the things around. I studied hard and got to sit on the revolving chair. Nobody told me to be smart and cunning. Now with almost a decade in public service, I have realized that people who are smart are never on the revolving chairs. Most of the time, they will be out of office leaving the chair empty and table neat. The public will never meet the smart people in the office. They will be on tour, training and workshops and rightly so if they want to progress in the society. Nobody gives a damn if you are hardworking. Only reward will be more work. Now I understand why smart people are never sitting on the chair even receiving applause for not spoiling a chair a bit in five years. When you leave your own empty and sit on the chairs of star-rated hotels and conference rooms, you have mainly three advantages; free food, more money in the ...

In my brief career as HR personnel, I learnt few things about leadership. I think I am fortunate enough to work under various leaders. All leaders are different and most are great in their own unique ways. I find it quite hard to describe good leaders as they seem to be all different. I admire one leader for taking risks for sake of outcome but I find that quality in bad leader too. I just didn’t like how bad leader take that risks. I admire one leader for being strict and I didn’t like are also being strict. I like one leader for being frank but I didn’t like other leader though he was frank.  I can’t define good leaders but I somewhat know how bad leaders behave; 1.        Bad leader crave for attention and every work he/he does is for attention and reward. He wants to get attention of high profile people, wants to be heard in media but really doesn’t care about management of the affairs if it doesn’t suit him or her agenda. 2.   ...

When I say people I work in Human Resource Division, they give me dry smile and say ‘Hema Rangden Drub. ‘In this past that used to offend me but not anymore. Working few years in district made me accustomed to such things. In the district, Dzongkhag Education Officer (DEO) will be called Deadly Eating Officer. His assistant will be called Another Deadly Eating Officer (ADEO). Indeed, every officer would be known by initials of their posts. People would imagine funny full forms for the initials. ‘Hema Rangden Drub’ is what people really think we do while the truth is we exhaust ourselves fulfilling wishes of others and not getting opportunity to fulfil self-wish which is good in a way. If HR personnel has authority enough for ‘Rangden Drub’, it may spoil the whole mechanism of internal procedures( if not careful).  Recently, a business administration graduate came to my office for internship and in the course of conversation, she told me her wish was to be HR manager. On asking w...

In my heart, I still feel young. Immersed deep into daily technicalities of life, I felt like time hasn’t move forward. Those pains, joys and doubts just seemed like beats of heart. Those tears I shed as kids are still fresh in my mind. I still feel I am just starting my career. But the biological clock says I have used half of my time on the earth and probably I have other half only if nothing untoward happens. But I like to pretend to be young. Every morning I shave so that moustache, the symbol of maturity, is removed. Often I removed those white hair so that I look younger. If given the chance, I would love to be a kid once gain and start life fresh with all experiences and insights I gained in life as lesson.  While my heart is still young, biological clock is ticking which makes me realize how old I am. Few years ago, I had toothache and I ignored it. Few months ago, I couldn’t ignore anymore despite my longing to pretend to be a young man. It has to be extracted. Few year...

Around 3400 graduates sat for Preliminary Examination, the first part of three-step entry exercise to the Bhutan Civil Service in professional and management cadre which in other words is officer’s cadre. Those graduates might have different reasons for attempting to crack the exams. Some did this for mere employment. They might have realized that this process is most fair process in recruitment system of Bhutan. Some attempted it just to park themselves in civil service while waiting for better opportunities to come their ways. Some might have attempted as they genuinely want to serve in public service or some might have any other options. Whatever the reasons, they attempted to succeed. On August 22, when result was announced. Only 927 scored above 50 % which is eligible percentage to sit for next round of selection. Those thousands whose hopes are dashed would be trying to figure out what is next for them. Some may be drinking their frustration out in the bar while some may be ...

Civil servants come in many shades and forms. So does their nature of profession and budget of agencies. If you are a program officer in the ministry of health, your passport might be stamped at least twice a year and you will see VISA for at least two countries in a year. If you are a teacher in the Ministry of Education, chances are you may get your passport stamped once in a lifetime. The privileges of getting passport stamped depends on nature of your job, budget of your agency and your own competencies in whatever forms (its joke if people say training is not reward). Since I joined corporate service and latter civil service, I had a dream. I had a dream of getting my passport stamped by immigration officials of many countries. I had a dream of changing of passport documents many times as a result of never ending stamps. But my dream, couldn’t be materialized. All I could do was pressed like button in the Facebook. If I see my pictures of my friends in the Facebook doing circumam...

Meanwhile my contribution Every day is a journey through rough and smooth, plain and mountain and, difficult and memorable road of my life. Every day is an experience of regret and rejoice, of hard and easy and, pains and pleasure in phase of my life. Every day is learning and learning is a step towards progression and regression, construction and de-construction, and success and failure of my natural age. In journey of my life, my career is a small constituent of my entire process as a living being. Since changing my decision to become a civil servant from a corporate servant, I have an honour of meeting people of various attitudes and educations, profiles and positions and, values and backgrounds. Attending 4 th HR Conference at Gelephu was one such opportunity. I have an honour of hearing from five members of Royal Civil Service Commission. I have an opportunity to interact and learnt from all HR professionals of Bhutan ranging from position like myself to high position of Ch...