Moving towards a clean India

One of the best initiatives of recent times has been the “Swacchh Bharat Abhiyan” for cleanliness is always the precursor to all good things. And my recent visit to Indore, the commercial capital of the heart of incredible India that has recently been declared as the cleanest city in the country was indeed an eye opener. What a makeover this city has undergone in recent times with absolutely no litter and an aura of freshness enveloping it. The impact of this abhiyan was evident, nice and proper in this city known for the holkar dynasty and amazing tourist destinations in its vicinity.

Battling with unkempt offices and territories and trying to make them swanky in an effort to improve efficiency and in the process deliverance has always been the hallmark of all those who really are in love with what they do for they have realized that the behaviour of individuals is to a great extent conditioned by the surrounding environment. Disorganized office spaces tattered with broken furniture and paper strewn all around never inspires confidence in those who inhabit it let alone people who have to visit them for getting their work done. Yet the staid scenario continues almost everywhere with the inhabitants aspiring for a clean environment, without their having to contribute of-course.

And the general disdain for cleaning up things is unfortunately omnipresent and I witnessed the same in the variety of postings I did, be it within railways or the state and central public sector undertakings. The cleaning up drive initiated at the new delhi railway station in the run up to the commonwealth games that started with a dialogue with and an exhortation to the safaiwalas to take pride in their work had such a powerful impact that with minor hiccups the station has generally remained clean since then.

It has been almost the same everywhere, broken furniture, dirty files and computers, stinking curtains, betal stained staircases and discarded things strewn everywhere. Public places, especially tourist sites with exceptions ofcourse generally leave much to be desired. The un-swacchh environment also goes a long way in propagating an unhealthy and worse still an unethical work culture besides being acting as a great demotivating factor.

Besides creating a good environment, what the swacchh bharat abhiyan would also ultimately lead to is an ethical conduct in public and private lives. Gandhi rightly said that cleanliness is akin to godliness for god would never truly reside in a place that smacks of an unkempt environment.

How is it that an average countryman who does not think twice before littering his office and roads, behaves impeccably when travelling beyond the shores of the nation whether for work or pleasure? While a clean environment encourages further cleanliness (I did not witness people littering in Indore) the fear of being hauled up by the agencies or being pulled up by the people around also acts as an able deterrence. This fear in course of time leads to habit forming.

Before this swacchh abhiyan kicked in in true earnest, one never found earnestness in similar drives conducted in the past, drives that actually never went beyond mere lip service. Never before in the past cleanliness was taken up as a mission by the nation as a whole and we ended up stacking garbage in every nook and corner.

We can aspire for excellence only when we keep even our own areas of influence clean and well organized? We all therefore need to be a part of this great national cause and make our own contribution in our areas of influence by keeping them sparkingly clean and proper. 

The scourge of tendering

One word that singularly shares the highest responsibility for not allowing the nation or its constituent organizations to move forward at a fast pace is “tendering”. Least understood yet widely bandied, the curse of tendering has afflicted almost all processes of the governmental sectors leading to widespread inefficiencies and putting brakes on progress.

Unfortunately the origin of the tendering process may have taken root in the mistrust that our erstwhile rulers, the british had for the natives and rightly so, they were the masters and we their minions. But what is really impossible to comprehend are the reasons behind the continuation of this abdominal practice in its crudest form, with a total disregard for the end objective. Under the garb of transparency, the ridiculous continues to rule the roost.

Whether one has to buy potatoes, appoint a consultant, procure aircrafts or acquire a work of art, going through the tendering process is almost sacrosanct, a process that is steeped in mistrust almost as deep as that between our country and its western neighbor. A process that regards the procurer of the goods or services as a proclaimed offender unless proven otherwise, while remaining totally oblivious of the end objective that often conveniently gets sidelined and lost sight of. The process keeps us busy.

And the very fact that the laid down conventional process of tendering that may at best be suitable for procuring potatoes is utilized for acquiring even creativity that is propriety in nature, is leading to ridiculous end results is getting conveniently forgotten.

Before setting out to do anything and often it involves procurement of goods or services, almost always the obvious concern is how to get over or around the tendering system to make things happen for any deviation from the laid down system is viewed as sacrilege enough to condemn the perpetrator to hell for the rest of his life. And there are examples galore of officers known for their integrity having to pay the price for something they never did, but agencies unconcerned with deliverance feel that they did and thoroughly enjoy roasting the innocent.

And that brings us to the fundamental question of whether a vigil by a non-executive over matters he has no clue about can really make an executive or the total system effective? I can never accept a situation in which a non-executive who is less committed, less knowledgeable, less involved and perhaps often less honest than an executive is mandated to keep an eye on the executive and pin him down at the slightest opportunity, not for non-deliverance but for making an inconsequential mistake while doing his job. And if everyone is to be policed, who will police the police.

If I could go back in time, I would like to confront the professor of finance who taught us the canons of financial propriety during the foundation course at staff college, for the first canon was indeed an outrageous statement – use government money as if it is your own. Never in my career spanning almost four decades have I come across a situation in which I would have been allowed to go scot free had I followed the professors advice to the hilt.

A system of procuring goods and services that accepts and even applauds mediocrity in deliverance and regards even a deviation in the procedure as an act of malafide sufficient to consign the perpetrator to the fires of hell needs to change. The nation of today requires the executive to work fearlessly as long as he is on the side of right. And to expect mere mortals not to commit mistakes is foolish to say the least for it is only those who idle shall commit no mistakes.

Amen!

Pinning the executive down

Those who idle shall commit no mistakes!

The news report reg CBI filing an FIR into alleged improprieties in Air India’s purchase of software in 2011 came as a shock. Shock because ostensibly as per the stand taken by the company as well as its parent ministry, while there may be procedural lacunae, there is no apparent malafide in this case. Perhaps there is more to it than meets the eye.

Regardless of the issue, such an investigation is bound to hit the company hard as besides the pain of digging out old papers, questioning of many including the innocent and the honest and its attendant ramifications, it would further strengthen the belief that following processes is important and deliverance can take a back seat. That process overrides deliverance and merely following the laid down systems guarantees personal safety is sadly becoming the norm in almost all governmental organizations. Air India that has been a victim of gross indecision in recent years and only lately had started to come out of its slumber will also take a hit, I am absolutely certain, as an outcome of the unfortunate turn that this case has now taken.

Whether the variety of watchdogs that the nation has have been able to reduce the levels of corruption is a matter of debate, yet the fact remains that they have been successful in stifling deliverance almost everywhere.

Having maintained highest standards of integrity all my life, I am unable to appreciate the basic premise that we require a non-executive to keep an eye on every single aspect of working of the executive and that we should have checks and balances that are highly tilted in favor of the checks.  I also wonder how mere non-adherence to a rule or process, howsoever silly though it may be, is regarded as an act of malafide, sufficient enough to hound the hapless executive for years, if not decades. And what hurts even more is that one single incident of straying from the path, even if done in the overall interest of the organization or the nation is sufficient to wipe out years of proven deliverance. And then we lament that the organization does not perform!

The public sector is indeed the favorite whipping boy of the media, a media that makes or mars public opinion. A single news item like that of today would have made many think and also perhaps believe that the national carrier is neck deep in corruption, even though that is far from reality. The omnipresent shadow of vigilance and other more powerful investigative agencies over the minutest processes undertaken by the executive is one single factor that has caused the maximum damage to the public sector in our nation. Commercial organizations need to be swift in decision making processes, especially the ones that face competition from the private sector, but how the hell and also why the hell would an executive take a decision if he knows that it would be dissected in hindsight, motives would be ascribed even where there are none and he may even face a life of ignominy for a long time later, if the investigative agencies so desire. Is the risk really worth it ask many, and the universal answer is “No” and mediocre performance therefore continues to rule the roost, with many of those on the sidelines continuing to wonder and also treatise on why we are unable to deliver.

At a time when we have a Prime Minister totally committed to pulling the country out of the morass it has found itself in after almost six decades of failed governance, it is sad that we also have a machinery that believes in an overload of checks and generally regards officials as dishonest unless proven otherwise. Mistrust was indeed at the core of the decision making processes that we inherited from the british and rightly so : they were ruling over a nation other than theirs, but why should the same system continue when men are governing a nation of their own elk, is what is often difficult to comprehend. Mistrust has indeed continued for far too long under the garb of “checks and balances” and transparency, with its attendant damages that are visible almost anywhere.

When errors or mistakes are regarded as a malafide, best is not to commit them. And the only way that is possible is by not taking any decisions. This is the learning that has emerged over time and successfully assimilated by a large majority of those who are a part of the system. And surprisingly many still wonder why progress is not commensurate with the effort and also the desire. Continuing to be fooled by a beehive of activity while remaining oblivious to the fact that remaining busy, is by no stretch of imagination akin to deliverance has also emerged as a hallmark of the rotten system.

Yet the silver lining remains that still there are many who would continue to trod along, regardless of the price they may have to pay later. Perhaps the inner peace and satisfaction that deliverance brings in its wake still finds takers.

Amen!

Public Sector Blues

Handling a public sector and that too remaining confined within the cloak of archaic rules and processes is no mean task. And when the corporate in question is in the business of flying planes, a business that can easily be termed as the mother of all businesses, the job assumes the pinnacle of complexity.

The mother term is coined by me, now for the second time, the first being for the lifeline of the nation that also qualifies to fall in a similar category as the mother of all bureaucracies. 

While the essential difference between the public and the private lies in the ownership pattern, one being owned by the public at large and other by a private body, it is not a gospel mandate to have differences in the way they operate. Why the public sector cannot be allowed to operate and also prosper like the private may perhaps always remain unanswered.

Unless and until we all and that includes the mighty government machinery, start believing in the supremacy of deliverance over everything else, such dilemmas would always continue. Why process has started taking overriding precedence over deliverance in a nation like ours that still has miles and miles to go is indeed beyond my comprehension. A system that judges merit based on considerations that are often poles apart from sheer deliverance can never lead a nation to glory shall always remain my firm belief. But yes, the India of today is witnessing change of an order never experienced in the past and that alone is the silver lining in the dark skies.

Often my airline is questioned on its inability to match the private sector on various operating parameters, and this is unfortunately always done without due appreciation of the fundamental reality that there is no level playing field. The decision making processes, the contractual mechanisms, the checks and balances, the focus on process at the cost of deliverance and lack of clarity on the purpose or the objective are all widely different. The complex process oriented world of the public sector is no match in front of the simple output oriented universe of the private. And above all, “hindsight” is much less at work in the private as opposed to the public sector.

Does it imply that the public sector should slowly be allowed to fade away simply because of our inability to change the ground rules and provide an almost level playing field to it? A course correction is the need of the hour for contrary to the general perception, the public sector has still not lost its relevance in entirety. A mixed economy is what a developing nation deserves for it keeps both sectors in check to the advantage of the public.

Life is all about being human

The meaning of life itself puzzles me. Is it about sweating it out and making a difference even though the difference may be inconsequential when one looks at the bigger picture beyond the organization, the nation, the globe, the universe or the humanity itself, or about merely looking after the self and the family? Obviously sacrifices have to be made somewhere for there are no free lunches.

In all my postings I have been privy to tremendous love and affection from my men, yet have been unable to fathom the reason behind the same for what I did was not only normal but also natural and by no stretch of imagination can be regarded as going much beyond the way. It is also true that I have been working hard, harder than conventional norms and have also been paying the price, much more than often along the way, yet merely putting in more hours of work cannot be the lone rationale for more than the fair quota of human affection that one has been receiving.  Perhaps there is something more that one is unable to put his finger upon and the inability to do so finds solace in the reality that if it was really possible to do so, one of the biggest mysteries of life would have stood resolved.

Perhaps it is all about being human, but maybe there is something more to it like destiny or past life “karma”.

My belief in the goodness of men therefore continues unabated, despite the efforts of almost everyone who surround me to believe in the contrary. At all places my experience has been that failures of the management are rubbed upon the staff as their follies and the staff being much lower in the hierarchial ladder have no option other than accepting the blame and silently wondering where he actually went wrong.  It is also unfortunate that aspirational issues of the men are often brushed aside as being of no consequence even though it leads to low staff morale and therefore the outcome, yet the focus invariably remains confined to satisfying the often irrational requirements of the higher echelons.

Such divergent views often have to potential of upsetting the apple cart with collateral damage, yet one is then reminded of what Gandhi once said that a man of purpose would trod his way regardless of what many would otherwise consider not the right path. It is all about belief, believing in what one thinks is right and being prepared to face the consequences of the action that emanates from the belief that many may consider misplaced.

Perhaps life is also about living in an environment with many contradictions. Perhaps grey is the name of the game as it may not be always possible to place issues clearly in white or black compartments. Perhaps the voice of conscience that often knocks but is left unheard is the best course to pursue despite the consequences that a materialistic world may impose.

There are no clear answers yet life is to be lived to its fullest.

Amen!

Bless the subordinate!

“Bless the top guy" is what I once told the railway bosses when asked for advice on how to set on track the railway catering and tourism corporation. And I believed in what I said for that is the only way to set right things, yet rarely followed or practiced.

We from the system always believe in giving advice when support is sought for mistrust and one-upmanship remains at the core of all that we do when dealing with others. That one brain properly utilized is always better that many who just want to make their presence felt is neither felt nor appreciated, perhaps because of the fact that deliverance almost always has taken a back seat in favor of power point presentations and detailed reasoning and explanations that help one to tide over uncomfortable scenarios even at the cost of the future.

The herd mentality has unfortunately clouded the minds of almost all who man the system and this is indeed sad. What the herd believes in becomes the belief of the individual for people do not want to be perceived to be seen as standing up to the belief of the masses howsoever foolish the belief may be. And the conformance to perceptions, howsoever unsubstantiated they may be ensures that the real scenario is never allowed to come to light and decisions get taken on wrong basis.

Unfortunately almost all organizations that I headed had also been a victim of incorrect perceptions that brought them on the verge of collapse. Regular hollow arguments lamenting about excess staff resulted in a scenario wherein staff shortages hugely affected operations, yet the ivory towers rarely reacted.

Another incorrect perception uniformly experienced by me is that the blame was always laid at the altar of the staff whereas like all failures the root cause has been inept management.

It is also unfortunate that in almost all cases of inept performance, the people in leadership positions display traits not of leaders but of one who lacks confidence on himself, is incompetent or short of integrity. When a subordinate seeks support, they dispense advice. When they are fired by their superiors, they pass on the firing to their subordinates. This is the stuff that most of us in leadership positions are made up. And in light of the same, the lament of non-performance, is indeed hilarious.

The best of leaders trust people reporting to them. They are courageous and maintain highest standards of integrity at all times. They do not lose their cool even under intense pressure. And they do not dispense advice when support is warranted. They are indeed people who appreciate that blessing the subordinate is the only key to success. And there are many that the system has, yet we need more of them.   

The Tendering syndrome

My recent visit to New York had me unnerved once again and reinforced in me the belief that there are no rich and poor nations but productive and unproductive nations. Is it not unacceptable that even after having served over three decades and a half in the service of the Sarkar, I am yet unsure about what comes first – delivery or process.

The footpaths, the roads, the lamp posts, the buildings, the bridges, almost every infrastructural item that one witnesses in the developed economies is built to last, if not centuries but definitely a couple of decades and here at home the unending cycle of repairs and rebuilding baffles me. All perhaps because we find it almost impossible to go around the established decision making and tendering processes that are neither efficient nor a deterrent for a guy with a crooked intent.

The extremely high delivery by almost everyone in the developed economies is forged out of trust, integrity, commitment and above all simplicity of processes that we have over-complicated in the garb of transparency. It is indeed sad that for far too long this nonsense has carried on uninterrupted!

Will we forever remain a developing nation one really wonders? When shall deliverance be regarded as supreme and those with an honest intent find the courage regardless of the roadblocks that include a host of people ready to point fingers and jump at the slightest perceived mistake.

Handling an airline is definitely not by any stretch of imagination an easy task and this business is therefore regarded as the mother of all businesses. And the beleaguered Air India with a bundle of legacy issues and an empty cash chest made the job even worse. Quick decision making without fear is a philosophy that should be at the core of all businesses that aspire to do well, yet what I found here when I landed with a thud almost a year back was an exact antithesis of this school of thought. The instant feeling was that this airline is waiting silently to pass away into oblivion, unsung without concern. And the underlying reason was what one expected - overemphasis on processes, reacting to symptoms and jumping to conclusions with absolutely no concern whatsoever for delivery, not because the people were not committed or inefficient but due to the all-pervading fear of being pinned down if any decision went even marginally wrong in hindsight. What an insane manner of handling commercial organizations!

The tendering process that we inherited from the british raj is the culprit. Why should I wonder, the process for purchasing potatoes be the same as for buying paintings or contracting for a hotel room or procuring a latest software or adding aircrafts to the fleet? The first thought therefore that comes to mind whenever something innovative is to be resorted to is how this shall be done through the conventional tendering process without the doer landing in a soup himself and avoidance therefore tends to provide solace. Perhaps this is the single reason behind the overarching presence of sub-standard infrastructure, goods and services that we almost always encounter in this nation. The decision making and contracting processes can be and should be overhauled and made simple if we aspire for progress and the silver lining is that there is no doubt about this aspiration in the India of today.

In simplification of processes, not merely flogging it lies the key to success. And let us begin with the tendering process for it has indeed become the bane of delivery in our nation.

Amen!