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Thursday, April 18, 2019

Defining Integrity


The general lack of integrity is still a cause for concern, despite the focus on probity that we have fortunately witnessed in recent times. 

I am reminded of an incident more than a decade ago when a senior state level politician filed a motivated complaint, accusing me of dishonesty and seeking an enquiry to probe charges. A direct confrontation that followed set the matters right with doubts being raised on the politicos capability to even understand what honesty or integrity meant. The matter ended with a confession of the reasons behind the complaint followed by profuse apologies, apologies that the politico continued with for years.

And that set me thinking – why is it so easy to accuse someone of dishonesty, more so within the governmental setups, a scenario that is witnessed in the form of a plethora of vigilance cases, enquiries and charge sheets that engulf the environment. It is sad that even a deviation from a laid down norm or a mistake is regarded as malafide, a scenario suited to throttle initiatives.

It is not only about honesty. Honesty is truthfulness, integrity goes much further. While honesty is about acceptance of the truth in its absolute form always, integrity is about doing the right thing under all circumstances. Integrity therefore is also about an impeccable conduct and behavior for that is the right demeanor to possess.

Yet the blatant absence of it and why? During my over four decades of serving with the government, the majority of the officials I interacted with comprised of those who would do the right thing only if there was no pressure whatsoever from influential quarters to do otherwise. The silent minority who would do no wrong despite pressures also comprised of two categories, one who did no wrong and delivered, while the bulk did no wrong and also had no concern for delivery. The majority and the bulk of the minority, both lacked integrity.

The system unfortunately continues to regard everyone as devoid of honesty or integrity despite occasional signs of being proven otherwise. To that extent the legacy left by the british continues uninterrupted. 

The widely prevalent belief that regards check-posts as an appropriate deterrent for dishonest practices is also misplaced. The more the number of check-posts and those who police, the greater the ingenuity of those on the wrong side is my firm belief. If mere policing could reduce crime and corruption, the job was simply confined to increasing the number of policemen. Our rank inability to provide a corruption free society, a society where every interaction of the common man with the sarkari tantra is not laced with graft, despite the over powering presence of the watchdogs says it all. 

And why not, the society and the system generally lay no emphasis on the need for honesty and integrity. Never in my career spanning over four decades have I witnessed a forum called by my superior where issues related to honesty and integrity were discussed.

Trust deficit is a mild word, lack of trust is most appropriate. Yes a system that does not trust its own constituents can only propagate lack of integrity and that is what has happened. Viewing every action with suspicion has become the norm.

Inculcating integrity in the human resource has to be the numero uno priority for organizations as well as the society and putting this issue bang on the table would start the ball rolling.

3 comments:

  1. Dear Sir, Honesty and integrity is often not rewarded and at times punished. I had that experience once in 1989 and then again 1995, when my senior position for which I was selected was not given. Yet I did my duty to the organisation without any malice towards anyone at all.

    Thus, when i look back I fell so happy that I did my duty and never felt any anger at those who sought to derail my career. As Buddha said, "Those who know gratitude and are grateful is very rare" If that was then more than 2,600 years ago it got to be worse now.

    Also Buddha said "the greatest wealth is happiness". I know deep inside me that I am happy. If wealth is happiness, then why did the Australian Billionaire resign from all companies to go to retreat and try bring happiness to him?

    Also Mindfulness Meditation is the ingredient to build mindfulness and happiness with contentment

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Sir, Honesty and integrity is often not rewarded and at times punished. I had that experience once in 1989 and then again 1995, when my senior position for which I was selected was not given. Yet I did my duty to the organisation without any malice towards anyone at all.

    Thus, when i look back I fell so happy that I did my duty and never felt any anger at those who sought to derail my career. As Buddha said, "Those who know gratitude and are grateful is very rare" If that was then more than 2,600 years ago it got to be worse now.

    Also Buddha said "the greatest wealth is happiness". I know deep inside me that I am happy. If wealth is happiness, then why did the Australian Billionaire resign from all companies to go to retreat and try bring happiness to him?

    Also Mindfulness Meditation is the ingredient to build mindfulness and happiness with contentment

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dear Sir, Today in Financial Times I note a news item which says this year 2019/20 Air India has to service and repay a debt of 9,000 Crore or Dollars 1,285 million. This in the next 11 months comes to Dollars 116.8 Million. The solutions as I see to generate extra revenue are, increase seat factor which was only 83% domestic to well over 90%. With Jet Airways no more in operation, both this and the yield can be increased. Use the hybrid nesting system in domestic inventory to sell through tickets with international sectors using domestic inventory which will increase revenue as seat factors.
    At this moment to take the Revenue Management and monitor performance on a daily basis to boost international seat factors and domestic seat factors with inventory optimisation and work on advance selling to boost cash flow.
    Pricing to give stations opportunity to sell with all interline partners and code-share partners and Star Alliance. The Revenue Management is the key to generation of the extra money needed in this year, and sir it can be done because the markets are there in domestic and interantional and the need to be proactive NOW by Revenue Management.

    ReplyDelete