Yesterday, I was at the office of a non-profit I am involved with here in New York. I noticed something that made me think and compare the working styles and, the so called open door policies.
It so happened that a gentleman whom I recognize by face as the Executive Director, the senior-most person in the organization, walked over to a door in the hallway. Standing outside the room he asked, " Would you like to talk to me about that video shoot/press release (or something similar) right now." The lady inside the room mentioned that she was working on another project/assignment at that time. He responded with the equivalent of - Fine, we will do it at a later then. He later strolled over to my work-space, said hello, and inquired if he could ask a question. I must mention that we have never met formally, till today.
I tried my best to recall anything remotely similar to that in my five years of experience in India but couldn't. I have worked in highly unstructured software setups and fast growing private sector insurers and have had some really great bosses. But the notion of hierarchy, and your boss having the final say on your time is embedded in our work culture. I don't think any Indian could have ever responded in the way the lady or the gentleman did. Our culture where age and position imply authority, is partly to blame. The expectation of deference to your superiors' wishes built into Indian nature, is further strengthened by the fierce competition due to India's huge population. As a result most of us fast realize, consciously or sub-consciously, that "Yes Sir" is the safest and often the fastest, route to career growth.
It is pertinent to mention that the non-profit actually serves Asian clients, including South Asians. The question is, if we can do it here, why not back home?
7 comments:
-This is due to 5k years of vedic cultural values distorted over time.The life was designed to be lived as per the book.There fore the hierarchy culture developed.everybody was supposed to follow DHARMA.Humanism was the core of the society.Today the missing link: experiment with conviction of development through humanism.Mother Teressa is a good example.Mahatma Gandhi:The social engineer of last millennium proved that.Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam and our own teacher PMS Nambudri and Mr.Chittibabu(i do not know whether you were there in YMCAIE,at there times).
I am Sure the time for Indian value system has come now ur expertise will be of great value to this vasudev kutumb.May god bless you
I am not I sure I agree with the idea that Indian values - if you mean hierarchy and age define authority to be Indian values - are best at the workplace. No offense. They definitely hamper productivity and innovation.
We are a society based on hierarchy and not meritocracy.
Yeapp I agree with your view Sonia. In a modern global work environment, cultural values are of as much importance to us as are wetsuits to fish.
Our traditional Indian values only promotes apathy from the workers as they feel that their boss should never be told he is wrong least they get on his bad side. We Indian rule the roost when it comes to hypocracy.
'wetsuits for fish' interesting comparison that.
Though I don't think you can exclude our values and upbringing from who we are, even at workplace. Since all of us come with a baggage, the only way out is if leaders at the workplace proactively realise thsi and take corrective action - consciously
The distortion of having CONSCIOUS not being part of decision making in India was not Indian but an effect of slavery culture perpetuated by the british empire in last 200 years n demolition of vedic culture by jatti pratha.education was a state sponsored subject 5k years back n anybody who studied ved was vedi,dewedi,trivedi n chaturvedi.The job was the surname and was not by birth but by skills acquired.
The history taught 2 us is even distorted n not factual.Lord Mcaulay is the culprit of major changes by creating GHULAM culture.we faced much more than u guys when we joined our carriers.We R fast changing to new management fundas and cultural thoughts responding to the CHANGE ...YES WE CAN!
Great post. I know that story all too well.
I don't think it has any thing to do with our dharma or karma or any thing in our past... It will take a while, but we should get there. After all, we're good at aping the West!
India is one of the fast growing country in the world.There are so many Job opportunities in all the areas of domain.There are so many job openings in the IT sector to establish their firms which has major role in the country by providing more jobs.
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