The Need for Personal Reorganisation

“If non-fulfilment of desires does not bother you, you are on the top of them. If non-fulfilment bothers you, then the desire have got you! They become pressure generators. Bringing the required change to make desiring a privilege is personal reorganization”

When I heard and read about management programmes-in offices and factories, in industries and business houses-I could not help feeling that the role of personal management is not sufficiently recognised. Apart from changing processes, equipment and systems, personal management has become not merely relevant but assumes critical importance to the success of all other conventional management efforts. Old methods have ceased to be effective. In the face of global competition, we find the need to change our management processes, our software and other management tools; we change other things such as production methods, quality and cost. There are expert groups that help us restructure these. However, since people continue to be the prime means for all ends, we, as individuals, have to change. The awareness that we have to change has to come about very quickly, clearly, in all of us.

In the ultimate analysis, the restructured organisation has to be moved and managed by people. While people have remained the same, the whole structure has undergone a drastic change.

How are these people going to manage the renewed organisation? It really boils down to people. The more they are asked to perform, the more is the risk of their nervousness, fear, anxiety, which inhibit performance. The pressure is there; we have to accept that. Each individual whether he or she is a senior executive or lower down the line, has to deal with himself or herself as a person.

We have come from a society where there was no competition at all. Our culture itself is one that is more suited for a non-competitive society. The son of a priest was a priest, the son of a carpenter was a carpenter; the son of a goldsmith was a goldsmith. Today, every son of a priest is not a priest any longer, hut every priest is a son of a priest and he marries the daughter of a priest. In which culture can you find such a practice? It continues even today. I do not say it is right or wrong, but it is the reality. This is how our society was. We had minimum competition. The child knew exactly what he or she was going to be. Career counselling or choice of a career was not a necessity because the career was known.

We did not have the culture to compete. The pressure was not known. Suddenly, we are thrown into a society of competition with all the doors open for global competition. Without the infrastructure, and what is more, without the right attitude, we have to compete in terms of cost and quality. It is just not possible. At the same time, you are an executive and you are paid for it and paid exceedingly well.

Once, I read a brochure introducing a management workshop. It says that an executive is paid for showing results, not for giving excuses. That was the first line. Amazing that an executive is appointed for showing results, not for giving excuses. Is that possible? If this were to be actually enforced, all structures would break down. Human beings would breakdown if they had no escape from showing results all the time.

Are the results in the hands of a given person?

Does a human being call all the shots? If one does not call all the shots how he or she is going to foresee and control the hidden variables? Which is the undertaking that does not have to contend with hidden variables? Whether it is banking or whether it is governing the country, hidden variables are many. Who ever thought of onions affecting Governments?' (Laughter) Just think of that. Even onions can make a difference in the Government; but nobody thought about that. It was a hidden variable. If it were known, they would have imported enough onions. So, you find there are many hidden variables that you cannot really control. If this is so, where is the question of pressurising the executive that he or she should show results? At the same time, remember, nobody works for no results.