The "PARKING LOT" Principle

I had a tough time reaching office this Thursday with two hours and a bit more in a not so comfortable bus. It felt like a bullock cart ride, thanks to the competition between the potholes and the traffic, each trying to outdo the other in delaying the journey.

After the struggle, I managed to walk into the office building and a colleague of mine was parking his car. After the customary “Good morning” and “how are you”, he asked me a question.

He asked, “How do you come to know how much a company pays its employees, how do you judge if they pay as per industry standards?” I thought he was asking me this question because my profile involves web communications and leveraging social media.

I replied promptly that you can go on websites such as www.glassdoor.com , www.payscale.com etc. and check out what is posted there. It will give you a fair idea.

He told me that all you need to do is check the Parking lot of the companies. Depending on the cars parked in the parking lot, you could actually gauge the pay scale and then map it as per the level you are selected for.

 I tried to visualize the parking space of organizations I have been to and tried to apply this. Hence was born the “Parking Lot Principle”.

This excellent learning was enough to recharge my batteries and I was looking forward to doing great work. I believe, sometimes, great ideas, observations etc. at the beginning of the day might help employees put behind hectic travel and other such problems encountered before reaching work and contribute to the fullest. It had that effect on me. It is just such sparks that ignite the interest in work and help individuals put in their best.

If such sparks are provided every day, I believe the results will be overwhelming. I am sure, The “Parking Lot Principle” is surely one such example.