Transforming Organizations

This article was published in Hindustan Times op-ed on 4/6/2019

India is a nation on the move, a rapid and visible move as witnessed in the last five years and expected with greater vigour in the next five. The “WILL” is visible loud and clear and that is what really matters.

Transformation is the mantra and a complete transformation of organizations is the only way forward. Transformation and a complete one at that, generally stimulates delivery to an extent that cannot be imagined otherwise. Unfortunately the general mind-set believes more in flogging the system for enhancing delivery, that does work but only for marginal improvements, not for a quantum growth.

Rejection of the status quo is the hallmark of true leadership at political, bureaucratic and corporate levels. A true leader looks at sustainable change that only transformation, or “organizational reforms” can bring and for that to begin, a tremendous sense of urgency needs to be first established. There is a need to establish a firm belief that business as usual cannot continue and complacency will kill slowly but surely. Fortunately for the nation, the existing dispensation strongly believes in the necessity of change and is driving change like never before.

The desire to excel, propelled by sheer will power is the most potent of all potions. A combination of absolute trust and a common shared goal propels organizations in the right direction.

Indian Railways recently went through a very powerful dose of transformation when it attempted organizational reforms, cultural, procedural and structural on a scale, never attempted earlier. Driven by the Board and piloted by a very able set of officers that constituted the transformation cell, railways witnessed phenomenal changes in a small period of over a year, changes that transcended zonal and divisional boundaries and impacted the ground and ground level workers. It was indeed an attempt to simplify the complex bureaucracy, do away with frills, simplify deliverance and impart a sense of pride in the entire workforce and in the process, be able to do things that earlier could never be imagined.

An organization is invariably defined by its culture. While the beginning is generally clean, complacency, materialism, ego, lack of concern for the human resource and the prevailing social environment, all tend to influence the organizational culture in due course of time. The organizational culture directly influences the morale and the pride that men have in the organization they work for. A no frills culture that has a catalytic impact on deliverance is to be aspired for, but is rarely achieved.

It has to be repeatedly said. In my over four decades of association with the government machinery, I never had the occasion to attend even a single official meeting in which the welfare of men and the need for an ethical conduct was discussed. Therefore while mundane issues are given cognizance, the cultural issues were invariably lost sight of. Perhaps it is the grounding most of us get during service including at the service training institutions that makes us leave these vital issues in favour of the easier mundane ones. One of my first orders therefore was to ban the well-entrenched practice of giving bouquets, gifts and protocol across the organization.

Unfortunately most of the top managements shy away from a ground connect for they do not realize the sheer difference it can make to deliverance. A seamless connect across various tiers where one tier is never shy of approaching the upper echelons for issues official or personal does much to enhance confidence levels, self-esteem  as well as pride in the organization. Management by walking around, anytime, anywhere and everywhere and in the process interacting with the men cutting across the various tiers is the simplest way of initiating cultural changes.

I have always been surprised by the mistrust that organizations nurture, nurtured by the men who want to be trusted yet do not trust others and in the process create positions that generally do not have adequate power or authority to deliver what the organization expects them to. The best organizations are those that maintain a perfect balance between authority and accountability, yet it is so very rare to find them. The railway transformation cell headed by Sudhir Kumar therefore initiated a major effort to empower all field units with an unprecedented delegation of authority – something that could not be done in last seventy years was achieved in just one and this reflected in the vastly improved pace of infrastructure creation, upgradation and maintenance.

New courses on leadership, capacity building and emotional intelligence along with unique initiatives like project Saksham for training the entire staff and mission Satyanishtha aimed at inculcating ethical conduct also started making a difference on the massive railway system.

There needs to be pressure to perform, not for not making mistakes for the only way not to make  mistakes is by shunning work altogether. We need to create an environment where people are fearless and do not have any qualms about standing up or doing what is right. A fearful employee devoid of courage can never be an asset for the organization he works for. We should encourage top guys to freely mingle at all levels as that really helps in creating such an environment.  

We also need to encourage small successes and appreciate our employees whenever they succeed, even if it is a routine activity done well. What needs to percolate is the thought that good work needs to be actively and continuously encouraged. Regular felicitation of even the lowest rung railway employees in the Chairman’s chamber, for their exemplary work while on duty made an impact. More than the felicitation, it was the dignified manner in which these employees were treated right through their visit to Delhi that made a lasting impact on their lives as well as on the organization.

Reforming the processes, processes related to decision making and contractual is paramount. It needs to be clear to all in the organization that deliverance is paramount not the process, but unfortunately the understanding is generally the reverse. Simplification of processes and having absolute trust in the men, unless proven otherwise holds the key.

That structures are not sacrosanct and need to adapt to the culture and the processes and not the other way around is also a very important learning.

Organizational reforms is the way forward and Railways has shown the way.

Public Sector blues

The fundamental problem with the public sector has always been the half-hearted nature of its formation and handling. The intent initially was fine as it was surmised that a business venture that the undertakings are, should be governed by the companies act and function as freely as the private companies with only the ownership being vested in the Government. Arms-length distance was obviously envisaged between the owner and the company as is generally the case even in the private sector, but unfortunately it has been followed more in breach.

What really emerged was far removed from what was envisaged. The original thought of allowing the public sector total autonomy that would lead to a performance comparable to the  private sector never really happened.  

Selection of the chief executive, a diligent exercise that continues almost a year for top of the line corporates is given the short shrift while selecting the head honcho for the public sector undertakings. And even the brief exercise undertaken for undertakings focuses only on sectoral knowledge rather than the leadership capabilities of the guy under consideration. The private sector that on the other hand is finicky while undergoing the process of selection, subsequently gives a very long rope for the selected guy to perform quite unlike the scenario on the other side where the head honcho lives under a shadow of mistrust from day one.

Over a period of time, many of the public sector enterprises emulated the complexity of the decision making processes and contractual mechanisms that already engulfed the sarkar, thereby seriously hampering their efficacy. Presence of over-zealous vigilance wings that regarded every act of deviation from the book as an act of malafide, also killed initiative and risk taking, something so vital for a commercial venture. This affected the working of a large number of public sector organizations that started piling up losses.

The fear of taking a wrong decision, wrong in hindsight of-course and then paying the price has engulfed the managements of the public sector, with attendant consequences. Many realized that the best way to avoid making mistakes was to avoid decision making.

The prevalent tendering system is indeed the bane of the nation. A system in which the process for purchase of bulk commodities is same as that for highly technical or creative items can never meet the requirements of emerging organizations. Often great ideas are espoused, but the enthusiasm wanes when discussions start around the tendering process to be followed for executing the great idea. Obviously there is a general tendency to play safe and that does not give the desired results.  

Another issue of concern plaguing the undertakings is the often misplaced notion of over-staffing, a notion that continues unabated despite the organization reaching a stage where rampant under-staffing starts affecting performance. Ad-hoc ban on recruitments, that once imposed are never revoked, invariably result in a drought of fresh ideas and also an aged workforce, a scenario conducive for a slow demise of the organization. 

The over-zealous participation of various agencies that remain removed from realities as well as delivery yet regard every move of others with suspicion and wait for an opportunity to pounce, has failed to reduce corruption or improve efficiency but has succeeded in curbing initiatives. How can a scenario in which individuals who have no stake in delivery sit on judgement even on routine decisions taken by people who are responsible and also accountable for delivery, be considered satisfactory. The safest path that emerges  is to merely indulge in the routine and not take bold initiatives and that is what has actually happened cutting across the public sector, something amply visible in the number of organizations that have become a drain on the nation.

Process constraints and an environment based on fear and mistrust have ensured failure of many undertakings. Either we proactively handle the obvious constraints and create an enabling environment or else disinvestment is the only practical remedy.

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.

The kings shall rule........

………..always over the hearts and the subjects would happily do all that the kings desire.

One rules only with the heart and keeps the mind safely tucked away as that is how a successful reign would always be. And this advice is not only for the real kings, but for all those who command men and through them need to give results.

This holds good for all sectors, governmental and private.

Yes, as Gandhi said, it would always remain a mystery as to how someone could belittle his subordinates and feel good about it; practice this belittling daily and thereby achieving perfection in the art of disseminating unhappiness all around. You see such practitioners every day, cutting across sectors and state boundaries, practicing this art to the chagrin of many, and fortunately or unfortunately being easily identified by unhappy faces all around. They are mere bosses, not kings, and do not realize that bosses, people detest and kings they love.   

Even a raised eyebrow of a boss hurts, whereas a raised sword of someone we regard as king is calmly accepted, for the king rules from the heart and the boss, bosses from the mind. The heart is always superior to the mind, yet very few of us realize this fundamental and pass our lives in a state of perpetual unhappiness.

Life is to be led to its fullest and to its fullest it can be led only with happiness all around. Only a king lives this way and one need not be born to a royal family to be a king. He only needs to have a heart that he invariably turns to for advice and rules with, with the mind generally remaining oblivious to whatever is happening in the environment all around.

The quest of heart over mind shall continue and one who places the mind over the heart shall generally remain an unhappy soul, creating more unhappy souls whenever and wherever he interacts with others.

The finest and the most successful top guns have been those who have genuine love and affection for the men working under them. Such officials treat their men as their own men, with respect and compassion. The vagaries of rank are not allowed to come up in their relationship that they really cherish and would not allow to be wasted on petty issues. Ego is farthest from their persona, yet they can take a stand on the right issue, a stand that they would never compromise even at the cost of all that they cherish and hold dear. And they take full responsibility for all that is happening in their domain, without making any attempt to pass even an iota of responsibility to those who work for them. Such officials are kings in the real sense, their domain remains their kingdom. 

Bosses invariably fret over mundane issues, while the kings never miss the larger picture, even while appearing to be engrossed in the routine. And the perpetual attempt of the bosses to please their masters shall never be the style of a king for while a king may have a superior but never a master, nor does he regard someone as one.

How we miss kings in the environment we work, for it is there that we need them the most. The rank inability to get the best out of our men is a situation created by a lineage of bosses, who never had the gumption to be kings. Bosses, who aspired for a position for that is all that identified them, and who only regarded a position as a means of bringing about a positive change in their lives as well as that of their families, not the organization they work for and for whom a position was not a means to an end, but was an end in itself.

How we miss kings who can take a stand for what is right and not acquiesce to unholy demands just to avoid a fleeting inconvenience. How we miss kings who would not sell their soul for petty personal gains and realize that such deals are not really worth it. And how we miss kings who always flaunt their pen and never their tongue, a phenomenon witnessed far more often than desirable.

Where have we gone wrong, perhaps in the grooming of the youngsters in general and our own men in particular. We need to course correct and put value systems and the need to place the heart over mind at the forefront of the norms of the society and organizations.

It is time that the thoughts and deeds of great men like Vivekananda and Gandhi are widely disseminated so that they can be imbibed by a large section of the society.

Bringing such changes takes the toil and patience of decades. Are we ready, yes we have to be, for we need our officials to be kings, not a mere instrument for bossing over subordinates.

Learning from the past

NOT MERELY SCIENCE, BUT DEDICATION TOO

Tuesday, 11 November 2014 | Ashwani Lohani | in Oped

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Human ego is the biggest stumbling block to progress and growth in today’s era. Bigger the ego, the lesser the delivery

The national penchant for re-inventing the wheel and invariably showcasing efforts as the first of its kind is as damaging as it is hilarious. I vividly remember the beginning of my tenure in the tourism sector when I was asked to take steps to prepare State-level master plans for the development of tourism. I tumbled upon a bookshelf and found that similar reports were prepared many times over in the past.

Yet, in our efforts that are directed towards self-perpetuation, we never learn, nor seem to be inclined to, despite the fact that there is really much that can be gleaned from the affairs of history. Napoleon’s conquests and his emergence as the emperor of France when he was merely 35, the rise of Germany as the most powerful nation in the world within 70 years of its being totally vanquished during the World War I and the ejection of the British Empire from the sub-continent almost single-handedly by Mahatma Gandhi, are classical examples from history that should  inspire us towards achieving greatness.

And it is not merely these great examples. There are many other equally important examples, albeit on a lower scale, that are within the realm of realisation by mere mortals. How many of us know that the great architectural masterpiece, Red Fort, took only 10 years to build — that too almost four centuries ago — and the iconic Howrah bridge took just five? That the three hill railways, namely, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Kangra Valley Railway and the Kalka Simla Railway, each took less than three years to build, is also beyond the realm of comprehension. Unthinkable indeed in the present era, when the skills, technological as well as managerial, are far more advanced than the time when those masterpieces were created.

Perhaps then delivery was as sacrosanct as processes are today. And therein lies the folly of the systems of present times. And it is also about ego. “The bigger the ego, the lesser the delivery”, a statement that symbolises the working of all the enterprises today, says it all about the causes that underline our most glaring failures. That human ego is the biggest stumbling block to progress and growth is a fact that needs appreciation. Yet what really surprises me is adjustable egos that do not even whimper when a superior pulls one up but flare up in the presence of a subordinate at the slightest pretext. And the tantra is perhaps the finest example of egos that remain elastic throughout ones lifetime. What a great waste of life, human life that according to the Hindushastra is conferred after passing through 84 lakh life forms.

The great Indus Valley civilisation of the 5th century BC is an outstanding example of what our ancestors were capable of even in those days that were bereft of technological advancements of the kind that exist today. The strides that this civilisation made in the fields of town planning, trade and culture are really an eye-opener and make us wonder with awe — if so much could be achieved in those days, why not now?

Perhaps it is all about our ability to dream and having a single-minded focus and determination to convert the same into reality. Yet the same would not be possible without three things — leadership, absolute integrity and ethical behavior, the void of which this great nation had been experiencing for quite some time now.  Yet we remain engrossed in trivialities, things that really do not matter in the long-run or even in the short-run. Moreover self-gratification and an absolute lack of concern for the collective can never propel a nation forward.

State firms fail because of inept management

(This article was published in the HT of 17/10/2013)

On October 10, civil aviation minister Ajit Singh told a private TV channel that the national carrier - Air India will have to make itself  “profitable or a subsequent government will have to explore at privatising.” The statement created a flutter reminiscent of the era of disinvestment when the hospitality sector giant India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) and many others were sold off.

As the head of ITDC, I was often amused at the irrationality of the excuses trotted out for justifying the sale of the family silver — governments should not be in the business of running hotels, the company facing huge loss and the government needs money — were the three major excuses trotted out, but without substance. The counter-arguments were: if the government can’t run even hotels profitably then can it run the nation, give us time and the company will be as profitable as those in the private sector; and if the aim is to maximise sale proceeds why not sell through an open auction and why attempt restricting post-sale operations.

Major properties were palmed off at prices that would not fetch even a decent house in the outskirts of Delhi. Unfortunately, the tremendous enthusiasm over selling the family silver overshadowed the need for sanity.

The theory that governments should not be running businesses and, therefore, get rid of them is inherently faulty. Running a business enterprise requires sound commercial sense. That is why private enterprises burn the midnight oil while selecting their chief executives. Had the same diligence been applied while choosing CEOs for State firms, the story of even the national carrier could have been different. With the might of the State behind it, the public sector has an inherent advantage over the private sector. Unfortunately, this advantage is now being frittered away.

Also, the latent strength of the Indian public sector enterprises lies untapped even after 66 years of Independence. It defies common business sense why many of these commercial enterprises set up with public funds and backed by the State perform so badly.

The reason lies in inept apex management as often the criterion for appointments lack merit. That the kinds of ownership and technicalities are mere peripheral issues and what matters is the commitment, zeal and integrity of the person in charge of these enterprises.

Air India and ITDC are textbook examples of inherently profitable business enterprises brought to the mat by inept managements.  Contrary to public opinion, blaming political masters or the external environment for the ills of a company merely diverts attention and shrouds the real causes. The fact remains that the ‘companies act’ and the ‘memorandum of articles’ sufficiently empower the chief executives to ward off any hostile threats to the efficient working of the enterprise, yet in many cases the chief executives lack leadership traits besides showing undue eagerness to succumb.

Any commercial enterprise, be it the local paan shop or a multinational corporation, is only as good as its leader, or in other words the officer who heads it.

Unfortunately, most of the senior officers only look upwards and display extreme keenness to be identified as the blue-eyed boys of the powers that be. They achieve that goal but in the process the company they head often lose out.

Giants and Pygmies

Perhaps my blog may have been successful in conveying an impression that there is much to be desired from all those who occupy apex level positions in the railway system. Yet despite the rot, I have come across many who would not fit the general bill of today as they stood out as stalwarts both as officers as well as human beings. It is indeed unfortunate that most of us do not appreciate the basic truth that the foremost  prerequisite for being a good officer is to be a genuine human being and therefore generally display tendencies and behavior suited for human beings fairly low in the pecking order in so far as humanity is concerned.

Shailendra Kumar Budhalakoti the only man who literally adorned the chamber of the General Manager of the Northern Railways is one such man, the likes of whom one does not bump into these days. His tearful farewell was also perhaps the first farewell that was shorn of sycophantic connotations when a boss is poised to move upwards or utter disdain when a boss is about to move into oblivion. A highly courageous man who had the ability to stand up for his subordinates unlike many others who lick their superiors and kick their subordinates, Budhalakoti shall always be remembered and revered for his humanity, humility and above all guts.

Romesh Chandra Sethi who retired as the top honcho of the diesel locomotive works at varanasi has been another person who hardly exhibited any of those qualities that the railway brass is generally known for. A terrific leader of men, he deeply touched the lives of each one of us who worked with him. A man who had the courage of his convictions and could therefore take setbacks in his stride, Sethi, a terrific speaker who can keep even large mobs spell bound with his oratory, shall always remain family for me and many. 

Ravindra, the Chairman of the Railway Board in the late nineties is another such leader of men who shall always remain an icon of perfection for many. His humanity and humility have indeed given him a halo that is difficult to gloss over. Clarity of purpose and guts to take uncharted decisions were his strongest qualities as the chief executive of the railway system.  A legendary figure who made almost all his successors appear like pygmies, he shall also always be remembered as perhaps the finest example of a chief executive of the railways in recent times.

Gujral with whom I never worked earlier has also left his impact on the railways, with his farsightedness and the uncanny ability to take bold decisions in the interest of railway operations. Crossing 200 million tonne mark is his own personal achievement .

The four giants who left an indelible impression on the lives of the people they interacted with and the fleet of pygmies that one bumps into these days, that is what contrasts are all about.

Amen!

The rise of the pygmies!

I find it difficult to overcome my penchant to focus on obvious faults in the railway system and therefore invariably veer around to the (non) working of its bureaucrats. I am now rather convinced that the fundamental issue with this great organization is its too many cadres and the heavy intake in each that ensures that none in our services has any substantive charge that he or she has full control over. This lack of power or authority is largely instrumental in the rise of the pygmies as they say it, within the organization.

Blokes from other services generally have authority from day one, authority that they may or may not use for the development or growth of the organization, but our kids are kept engaged right from day one in mundane matters, as mundane as finding their feet within the organization. The only authority that the organization confers on them is that of punishing and ridiculing their subordinates and also their clients, an act that they become adept at rather fast and practice throughout their (non) working career, exceptions apart of course.

This thirst to be seen as one with power and pelf leads to distortions within the organization as can be seen in the autocratic style of functioning of almost all those who occupy general management positions with utter disregard for the fact that these positions would serve better if the occupier had leadership qualities rather than sadistic tendencies. A cultural shift is the crying need of the hour.

The solution perhaps lies in implementing the various committee reports that suggested having only one cadre for the railways, with simultaneous reduction in the intake. After all, induction into the services should not be done with the sole aim of providing employment opportunities and perpetuating the status quo.

With almost everyone being a departmental officer with a limited vision, the next obvious question would be who shall do it. Obviously it has to be none other than the top guy. Merger of the services is the biggest issue with the widest ramifications and therefore should be the utmost concern of the big boss. Perhaps being busy in the mundane is not leaving the upper crust with the time or energy for visionary thinking. The upper crust has to comprise of visionaries who lead the organization especially at times like the present.

If only wishes were horses!  

Nayi Subah!

After almost a decade and a half railways is back with a mainline political party. And promptly did I see a news item crediting the top guy with the idea of raising fares during the tenure of Dinesh Trivedi, an idea that was promptly shot down along with the minister by the didi. And that made me wonder as to why the bravehearts who dived under the cot then, are now planting stories of their bravery in the national media. The spinelessness followed by sycophantic behaviour of the bureaucratic leadership sickens me.

Yet, the fact remains that the transfer of the railways to a mainline party augurs well for the monolith that despite being disabled and deflated by its own bureaucrats still remains the most visible symbol of dynamic delivery in a nation, now known only for its scams and delivery failures.

A mainline minister would do us a lot of good, provided the octopus bureaucracy of the railways lets him and not leads him up the path to nowhere.

The fundamental problem with the railways is its bureaucracy, a bureaucracy that feeds on its constituents, a bureaucracy that regards all subordinates as untrustworthy and all superiors as worthy of worship, a scenario one is unable to avoid even at the apex levels. A bureaucracy that regards as blasphemous even offering advice to its own ministers, yet unfailingly and with amazing regularity shoves advice sans support to all lower levels. “Lick above and kick below” has unfortunately become the motto of the senior bureaucracy in this organization.

Perhaps the biggest battle that the new minister would have to wage is against a mediocre run of the mill bureaucratic establishment.  Funds would necessitate a mere stroke of a pen, but changing the mindset of an almost dead, yet deadly bureaucracy would perhaps be the real challenge for the new minister.

Conformance galore!

Conformists rule the roost in all mediocre organizations and railways is no exception. An organization that remains devoid of even extremely faint traces of leadership invariably provides an ideal ground for the conformists to take deep roots.

In conformance lies anonymity and in anonymity lies a mediocre survival, a survival that provides not   satisfaction but ample opportunities for self aggrandizement.

I recently realized that it is only since my return to the railways that a liberal usage of the term “self aggrandizement” has been finding way in all my writings. Yes it is indeed true that one starts appreciating this term more in railways than anywhere else and perhaps I also would not have appreciated the same had I not spent a considerable time outside the organization.

For where else one would find, almost the entire fleet of babudom, with limited exceptions, merely living for themselves, without any concern for the organization, staff or the clients.  Which other organization provides its top level officers, opportunities to ridicule, punish, loot and exploit on a platter. And this exploitation is amply witnessed in misuse of railway staff at home, ridiculous protocols, almost ordering gifts from subordinates and yearly renovations of toilets and hanging curtains almost worth a nano whenever the incumbent changes. The brass is above rules and procedures and the brass cares only for itself is what the rank and file has learnt by experience.

The lack of vision and direction and absolute unconcern for men and land has also apparently emerged as a mandatory criterion for all those who are poised to move up in the conventional sense in this organization that had a "great" affixed to its name till very recently. 

Treading a different line requires courage and the brass neck deep in acts of self aggrandizement is obviously found lacking and therefore prefers to tread the oft beaten track.  The acts of the brass are adoringly emulated by those below thus perpetuating the rule of the conformists.

The most visible aspect of the conformist is his almost violent inability in being able to listen to a point of view that is not in conformity to his way of thinking. And therefore one witnesses either a heated or a subdued environment in almost all discussion forums at almost all levels. And that leads me to wonder as to the type of organization are we rearing for the future generations.

I am not sure whether my time shall come or not, but if and when that comes, either the organization shall change or I would  get the boot in the first few days itself. But I would definitely avoid like plague  the path that all my predecessors had tread upon.

Insha Alllah!

Manesar hurts

The Manesar incident has left most of us shell shocked.  That it is an offshoot of managerial indifference and the great disconnect that generally exists between the senior management and the workers in almost all environments that have a concentration of workforce is not in doubt, yet what is surprising is that it has happened in an organization ranked amongst the finest in the country.

Sarkari setups are generally marked by an ivory tower approach, the inhabitants of which display total disdain for those below and therefore productivity generally suffers. On the other hand the private sector that thrives only on deliverance is generally constrained to follow the good tenets of successful managerial practices, at the core of which lies genuine concern for HR. And therefore the incident of lynching of a senior manager by their very own men is surprising as well as shocking. And what is more shocking is the dismal failure of the management to respond timely to symptoms that start surfacing much in advance of such catastrophies.

The sheer brutality of the incident and the grief of the affected families is saddening and brings tears, yet the failure of the management that leads to a chasm conducive for such incidents, topped by its lack of sensitivity to signals that invariably emanate much before the cup spills is neither understandable nor pardonable.  A life has been extinguished and many more scarred, by an incident that should not have occurred in the first place. 

There is definitely something wrong in the cultural fabric of the nation that leads to a wide chasm between what we regard as the upper crust and the hoi polloi. Why the hell do we create such differences between human beings in a nation that needs to exploit the full potential of its populace is what I am unable to fathom.  Is “greatness’ a function merely of the seat one rests his backside upon?  Is a senior bloke who merely deals in paper greater than one who earns his daily bread by manual labor? And why a guy sitting on a stool facing the elements is always regarded a lesser mortal than the bloke cocooned in comfort? After all the greatest of the greats of this planet “Gandhi” was devoid of rank and attired in a loincloth almost all his life.  Yes it is true that life is much more than what mere rank, wealth and attire profess it to be.

The developed world is different. Peripheral differences triggered merely by differences in rank are generally non-existent. In developed societies even a worker on the shop floor is rendered the basic dignity that a human being deserves, by even the topmost layers of managerial hierarchy and this stark reality is easily visible across the society. I vividly recollect my first visit to the land of the “gori chamdi” in the early nineties when while walking on the shop floor of the mega diesel locomotive manufacturer “Krauss Maffie” I was pleasantly surprised to witness the bon-homie between the managing director and the machine operators. Quite a contrast with the prevalent scenario in our motherland where the top guy generally regards himself as a gift of god.  

An unfortunate scenario no doubt and look where it has led us to, almost at the bottom of the list of nations in almost all indices including the human happiness index. 

The higher a bloke rises in a hierarchial scenario, the better his vision is supposed to be. Moreover he is also expected to provide unstinted leadership to the organization and men under his command, yet the general scenario in almost all our organizations is in sharp contrast to what it should be. Yet the failure at manesar in an organization that has so far been regarded as the epitome of corporate governance  in the nation is neither desirable nor acceptable. If only a lesson aimed at a better future is learnt from this unfortunate incident, it perhaps may be the only redeeming feature of this extremely sad incident.

Amen!