SwaziPost Doing Away with the ‘Post Office Mentality’
Please note that I write this as an employee of SwaziPost and do know that SwaziPost is working round the clock to do away with the post office mentality culture.
If you have been to other meetings outside postal business stakeholders, you may have heard the phrase ‘post office mentality’. It surely sounds bad when used in its traditional context. I heard it once while attending an academic class and it didn’t go down well with me but the forum couldn’t allow me to complain. My understanding of the context is that, ‘the post office mentality’ means poor workers, lazy people, job security for staff, absolute monopoly and government’s favorite, which I think SwaziPost has outgrown in a long time.
What does this mean then? It means that any organization can be said to be having the ‘post office mentality’. Unfortunately, this undesirable attribute can sometimes identify with individuals. Do a self introspection to see if you don’t fall under the post office mentality culture – too bad if you do.
Coming back to the subject, I’ll tell you why I think SP is doing away with the post office mentality? This year, things have changed for the box renters. Those that have been receiving business mail through their domestic boxes have been kindly encouraged to upgrade to business level, rather receive domestic mail from business boxes and not the other way round. Why? Because it is simply wrong to receive business mail while you rent at the domestic rate. Space won’t allow to detail the deals with external bulk mailers, other postal administrations and individual clients.
I pick this post box rental example because on Monday 21st June, I saw a friend who voiced his complaint about SwaziPost taking away the pleasure of paying less for business mail. Unfortunately for him, he thought I work for telecoms. He said it all and was still telling me even more about his discomfort when I suddenly told him ‘I’m part of them and agree with the decision’.
But then, it’s not about bragging to be part of SwaziPost but its more about the endeavor to change the post office mentality culture. You will agree with me that the national culture, particularly for the majority SP stakeholders – the public, still think that SP identifies with the traditional ‘post office mentality’ as defined above. You also will agree with me that with the many changes and the visibility SP is making nationally, there has been a remarkable change for the better, and so does telecoms. How I wish this positive shift could gain momentum and make SPTC a global model of change.
