Cultural degeneration

A visit to any of the establishments where I earlier worked has always been a nostalgic experience. My visit to mpt office in hotel janpath yesterday had me almost in tears. Blessed I am for the tremendous love and affection that I have always received from all those who ever worked for me, be it the ministry of tourism, the india tourism development corporation, my various postings in the railways including the last one at the delhi division and the iconic posting as the head domo of tourism in the heart of incredible india. Such has been the love and affection that often I wish it was possible to be in more places than one, all at the same time.

In the face of such an outpouring of love and affection, the rise up the ladder in the conventional sense seems to have lost all its charm and relevance. After all we are mere servants of the government and being a higher ranked servant therefore does not attract me the way it normally does the entire clan. What however is really of essence is our ability to deliver and delivery itself.

It is indeed sad that most of us from the bureaucratic clan regard a job as an instrument of self aggrandizement and perpetuation, not as a means to serve the organization or the nation by means of bringing about a positive change. And therefore one witnesses almost always, a hasty clamour for obtaining personal gains by the occupants of fancy chambers in sarkari buildings cutting across sectors and services in this nation of ours.

Sadder still is the state of affairs in the railways, a so called HR centric organization the managers of which display absolute indifference for all those who work for them while at the same time going to ridiculous extents to satiate the unhealthy desires of those above. Moreover the language and the demeanour of the top brasses is also increasingly become a matter of serious concern. The usage of intemperate language and the inability to accept a difference of opinion often leads me to wonder whether we are really railroaders or are slowly acquiring the cultural traits of road side truckers. Perhaps being in the business of transport, and the time having arrived we have sadly degenerated to the level of truckers.

Railroading with the cultural traits of truckers, what an irony indeed!

Amen!

Dreaded Symptoms!

Sometime back I wrote about the tendency of the railway officials to invariably jump on symptoms, without any concern whatsoever about the disease that may have caused the same. Today's accident near Anantpur once again had my mind rattled on the issue. When shall we ever learn?

Learn what? That in an HR dominant organization like the railways human mistakes are bound to happen and the environment of fear that the railway babu's have created is only hastening the impending disaster. My mind has quickly travelled to the site of the acccident and I  can easily visualize the scenario there. With almost everyone who considers himself a somebody on the railways, and there is a fleet of them, trying to use his phone to find out details of what happened, not for remedying matters but to rattle out the details to his superiors when asked for, the men manning the field would be having a very tough time. All those somebody's would be trying to browbeat the others in seeking the head of the delinquent staff and offficers who would have committed the heinous mistakes leading to the accident. The ground truth and also the reason behind the staff committing mistakes while on duty would be lost in the chorous claiming the head.

Everyone out to impress the boss and in the race to bag the coveted "sycophants trophy" even at such moments when the organization and its mandarins should be seeking and facing the truth, is indeed sickening. The race also to be the first one to tell the bosses about what happened and commiserating with him on the perceived demise of commitment in the field staff is also a trait amply visible in the officers, who are regarded as rising stars in the organization, even at moments of disaster.

When shall we ever realize that almost all the so called ills of the system are no more than mere symptoms of various deep rooted malaise shrouding the officialdom. The core of the disease lies in the inability of the management, the upper crust to be more precise, to provide the right kind of leadership to the organization. Even a casual study of the bureaucratic practices of the railways would reveal the obvious, that we have adopted a conflicting variance with all that is written down in management books and case studies of repute. Moreover any organization, the upper crust of which consider ridiculing and pulling down their men as the solution to its ills is living in a fool's paradise and therein lies the tragedy of this great organization.

A rudderless organization, not led by, but headed by officials at various levels who have no vision or direction to convey to their team, but whose focus always remains fault finding and rendering unsolicited advice on all matters under the sun. "Dispense advice when asked for support" has emerged as our gurumantra. An organization based on mistrust is what we are rearing and therefore the regular recurrence of all those symptoms that jolt us out of our blissful sleep. A jolt that damages the organization more than it helps the situation.

May God help  us!     

Employees First

How many of us have ever reflected on the state of the employees under their control. In my over 30 years of sarkari seva, I have yet to be summonned to a meeting or discussion that had the welfare of the staff at its core. And yet this "great" organization professes that it is geared up to take full care of the passengers that throng its trains.

I fail to understand how an organization that does not have the welfare of its men at its core, even dream of taking care of the millions of passengers that utilize its services, not for the love of it, but because of the absence of alternatives.

Interaction with a contented staff has been a rarity during my current tenure. Most of the employees are unhappy and frustrated and therefore actively contribute in the overall unhappy scenario. Each keeping the other guy unhappy and simultaneously blaming the system for his unhappiness.

The problem with sarkari systems is that they are driven by rats, both of the bureau-c and techno-c varieties. These rats as a clan are generally self centered and therefore fail to look at the welfare of any human being other than themselves. This one point mission of welfare of the self has had a devastating effect on organizations especially HR centric organizations like the railways.

Yet, the babudom leaves no stone unturned in mouthing platitudes relating to the welfare of its passengers.

Whom are we taking for a ride anyway?

Taste of own medicine

My friend Vikas Arya has hit the nail right on the head when he says that the officer clan of the railways, has started getting a taste of its own medicine through the recent suspensions of faultless officers. His statement has opened up a new line of thought, hitherto unexplored.

It is indeed true that the officer clan of the railways never batted an eyelid in imposing indiscriminate suspensions and punishments on the front line staff, without caring a fig about whether the guy is really responsible or not for the act of high treason that the guy is being charged with. What has however emerged as a serious concern is that the bar has been moved upwards and officer class has also started getting a taste of the medicine that they regularly prescribed to the downtrodden. I find it ironic.

The fact remains that the railways with over fourteen hundred thousand employees has lost its HR focus totally and absolutely. The concern for the “aam railway man” has almost evaporated in the last few decades. It amazes me that in my over three decades of service, I have not been summoned to attend even one meeting that had the welfare of the staff at its core. Is it not sad that we discuss budgets, operations, materials and projects and even welfare of the super bosses, but never, repeat never the welfare of the staff.

Leave alone welfare, the system presided over by the railway bureaucrats leaves no stone unturned in exploiting the staff to the hilt. Classic instances of the same are some very glaring exploitation cases of irregularly utilized railway staff at residences of very senior railway officers who go even to the extent of physical assaults and extracting money from the hapless employees.

And I am amazed at the extent of charge sheets being issued, aghast at the trampling of self esteems and sad at the overall environment that promotes injustice and tends to deprive basic human dignity to those below by those above.

And the management continues to think that the problems plaguing railways lie elsewhere. How foolish and how sad!

Merit in the new India

How does one define merit in the new and vibrant democracy that India is now. The opening up of the economy in the early 1990's has now positioned the country on the verge of an entry in the real big league. Merit will or should now attract attention for it is the only thing that would facilitate deliverance, something that the country really needs.
But for all of us from the sarkari sector, merit carries a different definition. Merit in the true sense fails to carry any meaning in the sarkari sector of the country. Connections, pliability, adjustability, an absence of a value system, sycophancy, feudal traits are what really characterise meritocracy in this artificial world inhabited by the sarkari kind of people.
And railways really takes the cake in this field. 30 years of service has failed in ingrain in me meritocracy of the artificial kind practised in this sector. And so I continue to feel out of place in this setup. But it hardly matters. We have emerged into an organization that is inhabited by people who only look up, neither sideways or below. And so HR suffers, badly. I can see it and also feel it almost always.
The only saving grace is that true meritocracy is thriving in the private sector of the country and that should save the day for India.

Touch the softer side

The routine keeps all of us busy, or we expand the routine so as to keep us perfectly occupied most of the time, I am not sure. Still I am of the opinion and opinions may be wrong that the latter is true. After all indulging in the routine is the easiest thing to do. The routine happens on its own, has its own set mechanisms and consumes a lot of time. These are its USP's, though not exactly its strong points.

We all have to get out of the routine, though not totally. On the other hand, the routine also has to be disposed off, as otherwise it has a tendency to pile up. The solution lies in enhancing the efficiency of operations.

And what does one do after getting out of the routine. Touch the softer side, touch the human side, sides that have not been touched ever. It is strange that though all of us desire that the system, organization and the boss should care for us, we do not ever reciprocate this sentiment when it comes to our juniors.

Rank injustice, rampant corruption, filthy environment, sexual harassment at its peak and cases of drinking in official territory is what one finds on touching the softer side. Rather than diseases, these are symptoms of a management that does not manage, that is more concerned with the routine rather than going deeper into the system. And one would find this situation everywhere, cutting across ministries, state boundaries, sectors and hierarchies. The only commonality is that this all happens in the sarkari sector profusely.

Can it be set right? Yes only if one is prepared to walk the extra mile and also ask for it.

Do we bureaucrats have the desire, will, capability or the inclination to do it? Capability yes, but all others No.

It makes me sad. Yet I have decided not to lose hope.

Environment blues

Environment helps, it definitely acts as a catalyst in either a positive way or negative and that too fast. My new office that earlier boasted of one of the worst environments ever possible, is changing for the better. I can feel positive vibes, a positive energy that is slowly finding its way in the nooks and corners of this office, the nerve center of operations for trains in the capital area.
My belief in the power of environment took root in the early 80's when I observed a Calcuttan changing his colors immediately on descending the stairs of the newly constructed metro. The same guy who spitted and also litterred the town center known as Chowringhee, developed a sense of pride within the metro premises, a pride so fierce that it generated a feeling of protection for the metro system. Similar incidents, repeated many times over in subsequent years strengthened my belief in the positive effects of environment.
Most of us from the sarkari sector remain oblivious to this effect for want of first hand experience. And when they experience it, their life changes. But I find it sad that even the so called leaders occupying top managerial positions show no concern for either the environment or the HR. Their concern as always remains their own self, that prevents them for attaining true bliss.

The great indian railways

My belief that the core issue with the railways is the multiplicity of its organized services gets reinforced every day. This so called loyalty to the service, not the organization helps neither the service, nor the organization. It is however sad that this realization does not dawn on even the top echelons of the organization.
Many expert committees have in the past recommended the setting up of an "Indian Railway Service", but it is rather unfortunate, for the railways as well as the nation that this advice has not been heeded to.
I shudder to think what would have been the fate of the nation if the IAS and the national/state bureaucracies were also divided on the lines of the railways.
Railways is still a great organization, great because of its sheer size and number of employees. That way even India is great. True greatness would however come only if there is genuine concern for the HR, but that seems utopia at present. Departmental concerns override everything else, be it HR, concern for its clients or future growth.
When shall we start treading a different path that will make the railways truly great. I live on hope.

Does size (of states) matter?

I definitely do not think so. How can small states help when we already have small states that have been unable to help themselves. After all efficiency is definitely not dependant on size. It depends on the efficacy of governance or administration. Why the hell we do not realize that the fundamental problem with the sarkari machinery in the country is the almost defunct decision making processes and a complex contractual mechanism. Unless these twin issues are resolved, let us not expect deliverance, whether small states or big states.

Look at what happenned with railways. Going from 9 to 16 zones has not helped either. On the contrary dissatisfaction levels in the staff have shot up exponentially. After all deliverance cannot be expected from a disgruntled HR.

But definitely there is a positive side. More slots for babu's to fill leading to better promotional avenues and also more posts of ministers and chief ministers. There are gains, but definitely not for the masses.

Random musings

I often wonder why the present sarkari systems in the country lay more emphasis on loyalty to an individual than on loyalty to the organization or the nation. My tenure in MP was unique in that, the government - bureaucracy and politicians alike, appreciated the latter and therefore results flowed out in rapid succession. I wish other sarkari setups also appreciate and also inclucate in employees feeling of loyalty to the nation through the organization they are working for. But the wish is bound to remain a wish, that I am pretty certain of.
Our systems, sarkari ones have a trademark. They are characterized by sloppiness. And that is pretty much evident in the environment they radiate. And then everything else becomes a symptom. It becomes pretty difficult for someone not in love with the organization to differentiate between a disease and its symptom and so one keeps on running around a tree ad-infinitum without reaching or even having a hope of reaching the goal post.
But it keeps everyone busy. Busy like hell and it leads to a false sense of satisfaction, a satisfaction that is as temporary as it is fragile of having delivered. True satisfaction is different, but very few, perhaps the lucky ones like me are able to relish it.
HR is the issue, always talked about and flogged but rarely handled properly. And why not? Human relations and behaviour are the most simple as well as most complicated amongst all issues. Simple because everyone knows how he as an individual would like to be handled by the system as well as others and that the others are also individuals like him. Complex because despite knowing the same, people generally do not apply the same yardstick and measures while handling or dealing with others.
Enough for today.