Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Tremendous potential of the HR


Human Resource is the key to revival, yet very rarely the same is understood or appreciated. And we search for solutions in strategies, high sounding words and solutions and often in power point presentations.

Slick power point presentations have caused the nation and its organizations much harm. Presentations conceptualized and made by young MBA’s while remaining fairly distant from ground realities, yet presented powerfully under a false shroud of conviction have the ability to take many for a ride. The boss, partaking of the presentation remains under an illusion of a time well spent, even though it is totally wasted.

The problem of an illusory ground connect especially at apex levels is for real. Unfortunately our society, already highly compartmentalized, differentiates between the lower and the upper echelons on an almost 24/7 basis, thereby preventing the much needed interaction that makes one aware of what is really happening.

The solutions touted therefore remain theoretical and fail to work. What remains constant are post mortems of why and where we went wrong.  Jet is one such example. With a debt that is apparently manageable if the organization is well run, one fails to understand why the organization went down under, if the management was capable and committed enough.

And so have been many other organizations, the national carrier being one of them. How can an organization be allowed to remain in reds continuously for over a decade since merger, a scenario that has resulted in the current debt trap, without real remedial measures being initiated the moment the dip became apparent.

I have witnessed the same everywhere, be it Madhya Pradesh tourism, ITDC, Railways or the National Carrier, all faced the ignominy that emerges out of inadequate top management. In all organizations, invariably the blame for shortcomings was laid at the altar of the field soldiers. On the other hand I have also witnessed though rarely, organizations rising from the ashes whenever a humane leadership played on the front foot.

We all know how we would like to be handled by those above us in the organizational hierarchy, yet we fail to apply the same when we handle those below us in the hierarchy. We are rough with those down below and extra polite with those above us, regardless of the merit of the argument being made and the subject being discussed.

The ability to stand up for what is right and to be able to correct what is wrong is amiss, almost always, everywhere. This quality is what defines an individual and all other traits are borne out of this singular attribute only. Everything else is secondary.

Let us all focus on the human resource, alleviate their grievances and suffering and get the best out of them. It is indeed almost impossible to comprehend me as to how much more we can get out of a charged motivated individual.

We need to believe in the tremendous potential of the human resource.

1 comment:

  1. Dear Sir. There are three levels of knowledge or wisdom. First is what one get from reading, hearing, watching. It is known in Pali Language as Suthamaya Panna. The second is chinthamaya panna, the knowledge derived from contemplation. But in both these cases it is based on what another has said or written. The important one is Experiential wisdom or Bhavanamaya panna.

    HR can only go right with people at helm who have experienced. So is for all other disciplines. In the old days on 1980 - 1990, airlines focused on regional offices. Airlines like SQ, MH, BA or QF and American carriers had regional offices that did marketing, HR, Finance and others. Buyt technological evolution changed all that and by late 1990 regional offices were gone.
    Instead it was a case of regional head for each region with may be two or three staff but all in the airline head office. Technology also changed the old protocol of mails from lower ranks up the ladder in 7 8 steps to decision maker which created inertia. Now it is from user to the concerned authority particularly from country managers with copy to region head. If regional head does not respond say in 24 to 48 hours then the user department will decide and inform country manager. This is what happens today mainly in airline pricing because competition is so severe that no time can be wasted in decision making.

    It also reduces the administrative costs which are unproductive.

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