MANAGEMENT -- 1 ::

‘CHANGE MANAGEMENT’ IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR

BY P S SUNDAR

“Before Facebook, we had real-life friends but after Facebook, we also have virtual-life friends.   In many cases, nearly 75 per cent of these virtual-life friends are not known to us personally!   We maintain hypocrisy to retain such virtual-friends in Facebook!   But a sad development is that we have lost some real-life friends because of Facebook!”

I mentioned this in the course of my key-note address on ‘Change Management’ at a programme National Institute of HRD and Advancement (NIHA), New Delhi, had organised for the executives of select Public Sector Units (PSU) from North India just before Republic Day.    And, the executives cheered reflecting their personal experience of this.

Losing real-life friends because of Facebook?  Yes.  Once a person opens Facebook Account and starts posting in it and Facebook Groups etc., his/her expectation to receive many ‘likes’ goes up.  And, when he/she notes his real-life friend not marking ‘like’, displeasure starts, irrespective of the insignificant content of posting.   Relationship drifts to low-ebb if he/she notices that a real-life friend marks ‘like’ for another’s posting and not for his/her posting!  Fortunately, there is no provision to mark ‘hate’!

Very petty issue, no doubt, but we cannot deny the existence of this culture in this ‘Facebook’ era.   In some cases, quarrels bordering slum-area public tap street-fights decimate the quality of Facebook relationship.  “To avoid intolerant reciprocation, I pretend to welcome the posting first and then voice my dissent to the crux!”, a friend told me.  So, if you voice dissent, enmity happens and if you keep ‘quite’, displeasure settles.  Besides, jealousy surfaces in some cases when they see postings of going places!

And, relationship crashes to new low when people notice that a ‘like’ has been withdrawn or a ‘friend’ becomes ‘unfriend’.

Nevertheless, we cannot ignore this time-consuming unproductive Facebook platform these days.  This is not a debate on the merit or demerit, being addict or adjusting to it, but a stress on the reality that admittedly, social medium has come into stay.  We get many communication, including business ones, through Facebook messengers, Twitter, WhatsApp, Telegram etc besides SMS and e-mails.   

I reminded the PSU officers that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi communicates to the country through Twitter forcing media, both print and electronic, quote him from his tweets.   Soon after the cabinet meets, he communicates through Twitter.   This calls for ‘change management’ in communication.

For that matter, since Modi took over in May 2014, there have been visible changes in policies, strategies, institutions and technology usage besides communication.   There is a paradigm shift to establish ‘direct connect’ with the people.   Prime Minister is encouraging people to send e-mails to him and his Ministers on many important issues and during important occasions.  Even police stations in many States have started receiving complaints through WhatsApp.  And, the Prime Minster is directly answering people’s questions through All India Radio.  He did this along with US President Barack Obama during the latter’s visit to India for Republic day.

Changes are also visible in the form of National Institute for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) replacing Planning Commission and becoming a policy think-tank rather than fund-allotter to states.   Prime Minister’s ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ (clean India mission) has become a catch-word and so will ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padao’ (girl child welfare).  Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of LPG subsidy (PAHAL) linking with Aadhar has come into operation.  Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana has entered into Guinness Book of World Records for opening 11.5 crore bank accounts in just five months.  Government has planned to transfer Rs 15,000 crore annually directly to beneficiaries’ accounts for rural employment.   Likewise, over Rs 51,000 crore had already been transferred under various rural job schemes to direct bank accounts.

All these call for ‘change management’.

(article published in March 2015 issue of THE NILGIRI ROTARIAN). 

LIFE ENRICHMENT -- 9 ::

SCOPE  FOR  PERMANENT RESIDENCY WITH ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

BY P S SUNDAR

                      

                Bright scope exists for Indian professionals for employment and permanent residency in countries like Australia and New Zealand but only those with efficiency in English communication can benefit, says an immigration expert.

“Annually, permanent residency is offered to about two lakh persons in USA and Australia, one lakh in Canada and about 50,000 in New Zealand.  The UK offers such facility only to select few these days although migrants can take up employment legally”, Australia-based Immigration Advisor to Australia and New Zealand P K Venkateswaran told me. 

“Majority of such migrants are Indians and there is bright scope, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, for Indian professionals including Accountants, engineers, lawyers, doctors, nurses and scientists.  A qualified fresher can earn ` 30 lakh annually at the starting level and those with five year experience ` 50 lakh.  There is scope to set up private business as well”, he said.

“The biggest challenge, however, to Indian professionals is their limitation to communicate effectively in English.  For permanent residency, tests are conducted in reading, writing, speaking and listening proficiency in English.  This is in addition to skill assessments. So, there is need to strengthen English language skills”, said Venkateswaran who guides candidates through Education Overseas Academy (Chennai office: 044 28203111 (to 3). 

“As an immigrant citizen of Australia and lawyer there, I understand the challenges faced by Indian aspirants and for guidance, they can reach me in: pk_venkateswaran@yahoo.com”, he said.

LIFE ENRICHMENT -- 8 ::

EMPOWERING THE BENEFICIARIES

BY P S SUNDAR

The accent I laid in my Guest of Honour address at the Rotary International Conference in Mangalore the other day on the need for a paradigm shift in the approach to service by service organisations like Rotary was well received.   It was a pleasure receiving messages from two incoming Presidents of Rotary Clubs in that Rotary district that they have adopted the change suggested.

My thrust was to evaluate the success of service not just by counting the number of people who received blankets or specs but to go a step further to count the number of beneficiaries empowered by the service.   Hence, the accent was on graduating towards ‘empowering the beneficiaries’ over and above gifting basics to them. 

This involves taking service to a higher plane and empower the beneficiaries to stand on their own and fend for themselves – a Biblical concept of teaching a needy to fish rather than gift him with fish every noon and night.  A relevant thought in this month of Christmas.

This also entails raising the beneficiary from ’seeking status’ to ‘self sufficiency’ and further to ‘surplus status’.   It adds elegance to service.

Gifting anything makes one seek more and creates mores seekers in the society.   On the other hand, empowering reduces the number of such seekers.  Henceforth, it does not appear wise to direct service activities to the seekers of alms; instead, there is need to empower the downtrodden to learn and earn. 

There is a selfish motive as well attached to this approach.   Because of the freebies extended by the Government, the dependence of workers on their work for a living has reduced.  The result?  We suffer from shortage of hands at field, factory, shop, office and any work-spot.  Time has come to revert to the olden days of working to earn your living rather than living with freebies.

When we get an appeal for a donation, say the education of a son or the marriage of a daughter or medical treatment of an old, in the past, our approach was to see the correctness of the request and evaluate the merit of the case based on the economic factors governing the seeker.  All these are valid even today but we need to scan a further factor.  Just examine how much the seeker spends on cable/dish TV connection and mobile phone product and bill payment besides on alcohol consumption.   In some cases, we will discover that the seeker is not willing to sacrifice these extras but wants our support for the essentials.   It might look as though our donation is to pay for his cable TV and mobile phone charges rather than to support education, marriage or hospitalisation.   Any donation involves a sacrifice and an opportunity cost.

Besides, these days, Government has enormous package of welfare schemes that addresses all basic needs of the seeker – food, clothing, housing, water, education, medical, marriage, matrimonial functions, delivery, maternal and child care, compulsory job, old age pension, drought and flood relief, entertainment, and even funeral rites.   These are operated among others with our tax and hence, our donation has already gone into that.

So, empowering means assisting the needy to get these benefits from the Government rather than our duplicating them.  Empowering means ensuring that the needy gets the right education including vocational training or course at Industrial Training Institute or Polytechnic so that the beneficiary gets a job and the society has the supply of skilled workforce.   Empowering means helping the needy get the right job or set up the correct business or profession and support with clientele and guidance for fiscal assistance.

Empowering creates self-esteem to the seeker and satisfaction beyond description to the giver. It may not be easy to shift the entire service activity towards this immediately but a beginning has to be done now.

(published in January 2015 issue of THE NILGIRI ROTARIAN, a bulletin of the Rotary Club of Nilgiris).  

NOSTALGIA - 10::

COONOOR FAMILY THAT SURVIVED TSUNAMI RE-VISITS VELANAKANNI

LIFE ENRICHMENT 7: ENHANCING COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN CHILDREN

LIFE ENRICHMENT 7: ENHANCING COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN CHILDREN

CHILDREN EXCEL IN COMMUNICATION WHEN YOU LISTEN

by P S Sundar

Coonoor:   Encouraging children to narrate actual happenings from their life will sharpen their communication and observation skills.

This was demonstrated by Think Tank Management Resources Group (MARG-TT) in Coonoor on Sunday.

Eleven year old Rohan Gupta, sixth standard student of Riverside Public School, Kotagiri, kept listeners spellbound with excellent narration of his school tour to Andaman using some photos but without any notes.  The whole exercise was impromptu as he had no clue that he had to brief and the ambience was informal and homely.

Sitting on a sofa, he gave a broad description of Veer Savarkar’s imprisonment and suffering in the cellular jail, the highlight of light and sound show, the exhibits at Samudrika Marine and Anthropological Museum and Jarawa Tribe’s lifestyle, experience of water sports besides features of Havelock Island, Radha Nagar Beach, Neil Island, Elephant Beach, Baratang Island.  And, there was long description about the food -- what was available, what wasn't, what he liked, what he didn't and how it was different to his normal food.

“This arose when he realised that he has good listeners.  Children excel in communication when they are guided on proper words and body language”, MARG-TT co-ordinator Shyamala said.

These photos I had taken of Rohan engrossed in describing his school tour to Andaman...

NOSTALGIA 9:

LINGAN’S 50TH DEATH ANNIVERSARY TODAY

BY P S SUNDAR

Nov 19, 2014

Today marks the 50th demise anniversary of Shri N Lingan.  In this context, I recall my two major articles and photos on him as documented in this blog as under:

1. Lingan's contributions recalled with gratitude::

http://pssundarthinktank.blogspot.in/2013/11/nostalgia-3-lingans-contributions.html

2.  Re-dedication to follow Lingan's great ideals::

http://pssundarthinktank.blogspot.in/2013/11/nostalgia-4-re-dedication-to-follow.html

Today, my article appears in The New Indian Express with Lingan's photo as a tribute on his 50th demise anniversary.   Quite a few summary of earlier tributes as well.

NAME A ROAD AFTER LINGAN

 BY  P S SUNDAR

Today marks the 50th demise anniversary of N Lingan who did Badaga, the predominant community of Nilgiris, proud by holding several firsts to his credit. 

Lingan was born on Nov 13, 1908, and died on Nov 19, 1964.  

“In 1933, our father became the first Badaga Lawyer and also subsequently President of Nilgiris Bar Association.   He had progressive thoughts on women and so, I became the second Badaga woman to go to University”, Lingan’s eldest daughter Leela Raju (79) said.

“Our father was the first Indian Chairman of Udhagamandalam municipal council (Oct 15, 1947 to May 1, 1955) after Independence.  He played key role in establishing Ooty’s new market and many projects but opposed those which injured ecology.  In recognition of his services, we have appealed to Government to name a prominent road in Ooty after him”, Lingan’s son L Kannan, General Manager, Fernhill Palace, said.

“Our father was senate member of Madras University and played significant role in Ooty getting the Government Arts College.  He was Trustee of Lawley Institute and Assembly Rooms and member of Nilgiri Library – all prestigious institutions of Ooty”, recalled another son Dr Sreedharan. 

“Prominent personalities including Lord Mountbatten, Prime Minister Nehru and state Chief Ministers P S Kumarasamy Raja and Kamaraj had visited his office and home which helped him bring significant improvements to Ooty town and our village Thangadu”, said his son Rajaram who lives in Thangadu village. 

Lingan’s eldest son Advocate Narayanan passed away recently.  Besides the above, his daughters Suseela, Indira, Kasthuri and Bhanumathi play significant role in eco-friendly farming activities in rural Nilgiris. 

PS SUNDAR'S ARTICLE ON HIS SON - 7  :::

OCT 21, 2014

NOBEL LAUREATE AND NOBLE SOUL

BY P S SUNDAR

I do not know this year’s Peace Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan any more than most Indians know.   All the information is what media, print and electronic, have given us since a terrorist shot her in her school bus on Oct 9, 2012, when she was 15 years aged.  She survived, thanks to the timely treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, UK, which, perhaps, is the cause for this Nobel Prize for, in the event of, God forbid, the misfortune succumbing to the attack, she would not have had the honour of addressing the UN as she did to a standing ovation in July last year or launching the Malala charity fund or meeting Queen Elizabeth or US President Barak Obama – all major events that helped her enjoy the Nobel honour now.

Despite all these and in unquestionable reverence to her contribution to education of girl child in denied communities, I wonder if the Norwegian Parliamentary Committee which bestowed Nobel Prize on her was right in making the 60 year aged Indian Kailash Satyarthi to share the honour with this 17 years aged girl.   Not only the incomparable age, but even the contribution of Satyarthi is beyond match – he is credited to have freed about 80,000 child labourers across India over 30 years with more than 70,000 individuals and 750 civil society organisations working for his movement.   He had also been hit by anti-social elements.  But, admittedly, most of us did not know of him nor the Government honoured him at the highest level but may be, now that he is a Nobel laureate, he might be honoured with Bharath Ratna soon. 

So, what Satyarthi has done to deserve Nobel Prize is far higher than what Malala has done and for all she has done in this young age, the very honour to address UN and receive standing ovation is the highest recognition.  She can and must do much more in the years to come and, perhaps, Nobel Prize could have been awarded in consideration of all her work in due course.  To some extent, I tend to observe that the Nobel Prize should be for merit rather than mercy. 

Having opined thus, I cannot resist applauding the magnanimity of the Nobel awarding team in selecting Malala for the coveted prize because she has, braving terrorism, taught the elders the need to educate girls.  

That’s where I see heart-moving comparison with our son Vignesh who left us this day forever in 2003, just 16 days after his 16^th birthday.  Like Malala’s, Vignesh’s life was full of teaching for us.  My wife and I learnt a lot from him – 

bravery as he braved even growing physical disorder while confined to wheelchair with day-to-day normalcy, 

positive approach as he encouraged even the terminally-disillusioned parents with smiling countenance to create normal ambiance, 

maturity as he understood and accepted the shortness of his life caused by the consuming gravity of the incurable muscular dystrophy, 

endurance as he made every ailing second an enjoyable moment, 

quest for improvement as he acquired knowledge and talent unmindful of the fast-approaching end to life, 

motivation as he helped everyone possible with this knowledge so-acquired to advance in life, 

humaneness as he proved to us the joy of caring and giving to the world the whole of our body and 

leadership as he proved his importance more in his absence than in his presence. 

Truly, as William Wordsworth said, “The child is the father of Man”. 

Malala is a Nobel Laureate; Vignesh was (is) a Noble Soul.