Understanding the Law of Kamma and Workplace Promotion Criteria : หน้า 131/207

in the past. So when we perform good deeds, sometimes we are suddenly hit with the bad outcome. By the same token, sometimes we see somebody doing something bad, but they are hit with windfall. It looks like bad deed is being rewarded. Since the outcomes are not instantaneous, some people begin to doubt the effectiveness of the Law of Kamma. This can really mislead anybody into thinking that good deeds do not bring about good outcomes. They may go as far as to abandon any good behavior. But sooner or later, immoral actions will come to light and get punished whether in this life or the next. The Law of Kamma is universal. Criteria for Promotion The concept of having the right objective and exerting a full effort while staying within bounds can be employed when considering a promotion. For example, a banker was sent anonymous hostile notes by his subordinates. The reason behind this attack was that the subordinates received different levels of promotion: some received one step up, some two, and some three. This is very human reaction. If one of then had received any promotion there would not be any problem. Antagonism and jealousy only arise when the rewards are different. Therefore, there must be some clear-cut guidelines for this kind of situation. The banker asked for the senior monk’s advice when he was questioned by the board. The senior monk suggested that he should explain himself as follows: A particular person did not receive a promotion because he missed the objective. He might have worked hard but achieved nothing. The success of a company does not come from hard work alone. Moreover, missing the objective of any endeavor can bring about monetary loss to the company. Another employee might have hit the nail on the head, but he did not hammer the nail all the way down. This kind of person did not do anything wrong, but he has nothing to show for his performance. He might have moved forward an inch, but he would brag that he had gone a yard. Therefore, if we have this kind of person as a subordinate, we should be ready to prove his actual accomplishments. It even happened to me once before. If a person has fulfilled all three requirements, he deserves a two-leveled promotion. For the one who has only stuck to the objective, but failed to carry it through, he only deserves a single-leveled promotion.