An excellent tribute to all House Wives and particularly to Indian Housewives. Must be read by all House Wives!
Ode to the Indian Housewife (written in prose!!)
An article was recently in circulation that had appeared in The Hindu Newspaper on the Marriage Caterers and how they could be an apt case study for the IIMs on their excellent Management skills.
Just like Businesses calls for qualified IIMs and the like for running the show, has anyone thought of Home Management particularly of a traditional Indian household ?
Has anyone thought of the Conventional middle-class Indian Housewife? Is she not the best Manager that could ever have set foot on this earth - in real life???
Is ever get thought of or appreciated ? She is the "unsung heroine", her services always taken for granted.
Although
many are of the opinion that women are relegated to mundane household
functions, has anyone ever thought of the activities that she carries
out 24 x 7?
Most
management skills that are taught of which the IIMs boast and for which
they are highly paid, are also essential for running a traditional
home.
The Indian traditional middle-class housewife is the CEO here.
The
husband is mostly a (literally) sleeping partner - only financing the
requirements. He comes into the picture mostly as a Consultant or for
major Project Planning needs like Purchasing a house or for
children's marriage.
Let us look at some major skill sets:
Planning:
The housewife plans all daily/weekly/monthly/yearly actions for the benefit of the household / her family
All her plans are her "MIND" - mind that.
Forget
a Business's Annual Plans and Long Range Plans - everything relating to
the future requirement of the family is already well thought out in her
mind and she goes about executing it with her meager resources,
including all course corrections.
Organizing:
She
is the best organizer that you could ever come across not only for the
day to day cores for her and her family, but also for the future actions
Directing:
She directs all actions relating to the household every day
Staffing:
Whether
she has servants or not, whether other family members help her or not.
whether her finances would help her have additional hands or not, all
daily needs of the household are met without fail - thanks to her.
Coordinating:
She
is the main center-pin for coordinating for all the actions of the
family - for getting things done, for complaints resolution etc.
Everything/everyone revolves round her.
Controls:
Very
rarely does the husband ever know or get involved in controlling things
at home - it is the wife who is the monarch of all that she surveys -
directly or indirectly
Time Management:
She
could probably be the best Time Manager. Her duty hours are 24 x 7 all
the year round & life long. She does not get Casual Leave or Sick
Leave or Annual Leave nor does she get paid for Overtime.
Budgeting:
She
manages the finances, all the expenses & ensures that the monthly
requirements are met. Whatever her husband gives her, she manages the
entire show within that. She also creates reserves for the future major
expenses like education/marriage/medical etc
She might not be educated but her cash flow management is always exemplary.
Manpower Management:
Every
housewife could be an example of an excellent Man Manager - she has to
tolerate her husband and his office worries that he carries home, her
children's problems, her in-laws' etc., resolving all issues without any
demur and to the satisfaction of all.
She could beat any HR Manager hands down in Human Relations
Sense of belonging:
Who
can ever dispute her selfless dedication to the well being of her
family ? She is "there" always partaking in everything whether it be
happiness or sorrow.
Love and compassion:
Who
can ever dispute the love and compassion that she showers on her
family. Her shoulders are always available for all the family members to
lean on. She is the best solace be it for the children or the husband.
Kitchen:
Mother's cooking is the best - isn't it ??
She knows the likes and dislikes of everyone and satisfies one and all. She meets surprise demands of visitors/guest as well.
With whatever is available within her resources/budget she meets all demands, the best Works Manger you could come across.
Her Inventories which include many pershables are always well controlled. She does not know ABC Analysis or EOQ or JIT.
Most family members do not even know what is in the kitchen.
Quality:
Her food is always appreciated for taste and rarely does she waste or produce rejects.
She maintains the entire house very well and in an orderly fashion.
Has she undergone any special training on TQM or Six Sigma or 5S or qualified for ISO or other Management concepts?
Different Caps:
She has to wear different caps for different roles that she plays every day from morning to night:
As
a family member - as a daughter ( & daughter-in-law), as a wife to
her husband, as a mother to her children, as the housewife to meet all
her daily cores etc.
As
the CEO, as a Works Manager, as a Works Manager, as a Materials
Manager, as a HR Manager, as an Admin Head, as a Quality Head, etc etc.
Whatever be her woes she rarely exhibits them - probably her only solace is the Puja room!
Education:
Most
earlier housewives never got the so-called Degrees - She probably could
never go to a Bank or a Post Office or use a computer . ..
So what - her deeds are far far greater - her Universal Knowledge is far far superior
The
typical Indian Housewife not only manages the household exceptionally
well, she also brings up her children as good citizens inculcating all
good values, see to it that they settle properly in life and above all
,continues to serve one and all for ever in life, tirelessly without a
demur.
The
greatest thing about her is that her actions are never for "Returns"
except that she longs and prays for the well-being of everyone - to
be Healthy and Happy in Life.
....... This list is never ending.
I may further add that this is applicable even more to our Indian Wives who are in USA / Canada / European Countries.
Long Live the Conventional Indian middle-class Housewife
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