Four months into my professional career, I get bewildered by certain thoughts. Openness and transparency – they seem to be such favourite buzzwords in the corporate world. All this talk of the utopian little universe where hierarchies have been flattened, levels reduced, there is free flow of communication and information - both upwards and downwards. But wait, we just flattened the hierarchy right, ok then, so let’s just say there's free flow of communication and ideas.
Of course there is much to do about openness and transparency, if we seek a work culture where resources operate in unison for common goals.
Writing this while I am in Mumbai for some work, and meanwhile I discussed several key aspects of the attitude and behavioural aspects of a profession, with my seniors.
Sometimes, some places seem to make an honest effort –to actually do things transparently. But I wonder, if perhaps it’s a cultural thing, especially in India, to fight against these things. To go out of the way, to close ranks, create hierarchies, use information as power, firmly treat managers as bigger people than others, try to keep people in their "place" so to say. And this trend is more prominent in the conventional family owned businesses, even though they grow up becoming MNCs. The conservatism still prevails.
I'm not saying that other countries/cultures have an inherently open or better culture. Just that here the different strata seem to pay inordinate amounts of importance to different things. The seasoned veterans will still value years of experience at work and traditional mindset over a fresh gush of thoughts. And the newer generation needs more dynamism and radical changes, but instinctively classifies parts of work as lower grade. Becoming an MBA, you consider yourself to be of a different pedigree, and then you have a list of tasks as “touch-me-not”, a list of people you don’t attend to, and what not. An honest attempt at openness is actively discouraged. Very actively, by whatever means necessary.
All very well, maybe with our current kind of work and the mix of people who work, that is the only system that can perform. Maybe assembly line sweatshops can only operate in that environment, and not in one of the utopian concepts.
But the question still remains. Can you actually have creative output in that environment? Can you actually make the much envied "world class product" in such a setting? I don't think so. I might be motivated to keep my head above water, but beyond that? Is a collaborative approach possible?
Who knows...
Of course there is much to do about openness and transparency, if we seek a work culture where resources operate in unison for common goals.
Writing this while I am in Mumbai for some work, and meanwhile I discussed several key aspects of the attitude and behavioural aspects of a profession, with my seniors.
Sometimes, some places seem to make an honest effort –to actually do things transparently. But I wonder, if perhaps it’s a cultural thing, especially in India, to fight against these things. To go out of the way, to close ranks, create hierarchies, use information as power, firmly treat managers as bigger people than others, try to keep people in their "place" so to say. And this trend is more prominent in the conventional family owned businesses, even though they grow up becoming MNCs. The conservatism still prevails.
I'm not saying that other countries/cultures have an inherently open or better culture. Just that here the different strata seem to pay inordinate amounts of importance to different things. The seasoned veterans will still value years of experience at work and traditional mindset over a fresh gush of thoughts. And the newer generation needs more dynamism and radical changes, but instinctively classifies parts of work as lower grade. Becoming an MBA, you consider yourself to be of a different pedigree, and then you have a list of tasks as “touch-me-not”, a list of people you don’t attend to, and what not. An honest attempt at openness is actively discouraged. Very actively, by whatever means necessary.
All very well, maybe with our current kind of work and the mix of people who work, that is the only system that can perform. Maybe assembly line sweatshops can only operate in that environment, and not in one of the utopian concepts.
But the question still remains. Can you actually have creative output in that environment? Can you actually make the much envied "world class product" in such a setting? I don't think so. I might be motivated to keep my head above water, but beyond that? Is a collaborative approach possible?
Who knows...
Openness, Transparency are words that remain in books only. Your Own Colleagues, may be your college-mates, will not share the required information.
ReplyDeleteStill for people information is Power and Everyone wants power and hence expecting transparency from people is a illusion even in informal settings
Openness, Transparency
ReplyDeleteMight not be common and promoted by the people with whom we work for their own insecurities and personal interest, and most important reason being either their incomplete alignment with the organisational goals or else lack of understanding of the power of this force altogeather.
Whatever be the reason,i have noticed that people with a wider vision always practices and promotes these traits but unfortunately very few such people exist.
I you have actually understood the power of it there should be no questions left.