TO STRIKE OR NOT TO

THE Writing on the Wall
“ Learning through others’ experience is desirable;
Learning through one’s own experience is avoidable;
Non learning is deplorable
Learning is excellent”
When the Big Cat struck, the entire country had its nerve centre affected and the numbness started spreading all over the system. That was the strike dispensation of SBI’s to its dependent Clientele and the state-its owners.

Whether justified? Whether the method was right? Could this have been averted? Why there was a hurried settlement? Why the expectation of the public that the Government would go in for breaking the strike’ was not given a try? Who is to be fixed the accountability for the financial disaster that took place? (No one dares to quantify these losses) There are several such debatable substances. At last, one should draw the lessons arising out of the entire episode. The lessons learnt are not only for the Government- the direct owners of the State Bank of India, unlike the other Public Sector Banks; but also for the other Banks be it public sector or private sector and the Users irrespective of Bank tags attached to their accounts and their extent of attachment.

The emerging points:

The aftereffects of the strike, though tolerated by the majority, have left scars in the minds of the Bank users-including the Government departments and also the huge army of dedicated customers-consisting of PENSIONES of the lesser Gods!

A Logical derivation of the net

1. Putting too many eggs in one basket leads to a level of enhanced risk perception.
2. The emerging facets of difference between the ONE LEADER and the remaining potential leaders(other Banks)
3. The total helplessness and also spectatorship response displayed by its owners-coupled with a poor display of the Management Timber.
4. The preparedness of the rest of the Banking System in countering/continuing such an event, especially when all Banks are claiming their technological supremacy!
5. The empathy of the other Bankers during the strike. Perhaps the reasons well known are not the real discussion points. Haplessness, as you would describe, could have been due to their allegiance to the Unions/Organizations, or their overdependence on the State Bank.
6. Poor response and apathy displayed by other Banks when their customers started feeling the "real-time" pinch of the event.
7. Uncertainty due to Political clouts/lobbying
8. The real meaning and power of collective bargaining system
9. The extent of the damage to the system affecting every link
10. The future demands and the future trend, to adopt, "time-tested" means, by the rest of the Banking Industry

Through SBI strike, a variety of implications/discussion points are to be noticed/noted by the Controllers who have the concern for the Nation’s economy and its people.

• Governmental operation or accounts should be at the pleasure of more than a Single Bank, largest or smallest or weakest.
• In this electronic age, ATM’s should be interlinked and all the ATMs should go in for a Common Gate way. Common ATMs would prove to be a substitute to the Customer for 8 to 8 Banking and also 24/7/365 Banking
• If the client is within one’s own financial limits, and within Indian Network, he should not be charged and taxed for his ATM operation-if he is using his DEBIT CARD.
• Like Rural Branches, the Authorities should insist Rural ATMs- purely to carry technology to rural areas. In ATM dispensation, HITS should not be the only criteria for assessing the success or failure.
• Per ATM data should be made compulsory and the ATM sharing should emerge and to be encouraged by the Government and other Managements of the Banks. In other words, there should not be duplication of ATM efforts by various Banking Companies.
• Currency Chest options should be spread to all the Banks or more Banks based on their share of business in a particular place or state.
• Clearing Operations beyond certain Sum of Money should be put only through the RTGS and slowly even smaller transactions should go through the RTGS as envisaged by the scheme.
• In the meantime, the monopoly role of any single Bank in clearing operations in a State, District should be curtailed and replaced with an alternative Bank.
• Like Disaster Management, there should be Financial Disaster Management as vigorous as that of Relief operations, as the damage is much more than natural disasters.
• BIG CATS tribe should increase such that they could handle volumes, while breaking the monopoly.
• ATM replenishment and ATM handling should not be centralized with one Banking Institution.
• Like sending the Security Forces, Financial Services Restoration Actions should reach the desired destinations with least efforts by the Government /RBI
• It is also high time; that many uncommon/uneven/ areas of the INDIAN BANKING SYSTEM are to be addressed, pertaining to the TECHNOLOGY BUILD UP.

The writing on the Wall is very clear: It is no longer Mass Banking where the masses never went against their Bankers. To day, when the Class Banking system is reemerging, it is an important task to safeguard the system from major players.*

VIJAY TIMES: BUSINESS PAGE ARTICLE

The Signing machine!:

"Decide to sign and sign to decide" is a part of Decision Making process of the Management. Technology or No Technology, the Management expression is crystallized into signing! One signature rolls back the happenings into history and history into happenings!

Signing is an ambition that is inversely proportional to the experience/age. The more you want to sign with fewer opportunities to sign and the less you want to sign with more opportunities to sign.

Signing is the last word in the decision. Sign when your acumen testifies/justifies your signature. Once signed, the speculation concludes and clarity prevails. Though signing is a small initiative physically and figuratively, it is a testimony to trust and the fabric of faith.

Your signature need not be historic, but forms the part of your Corporate/Business history.

Let's see the varieties of signatures that we come across during the day:

It is common in all the Decision making processes that varieties of signatures are made on a daily basis by the Business/Corporate/Bureaucratic representatives. Independent of the field, a common ground forms the eye of the signature!

RULE OF THE THUMB!

Though no elaborate codification is expected to be available on this subject, empirical evidence has brought in a few minimum common rules/strategies.

THE ELEPHANT:
See and Sign: Look before you leap. In most of the critical situations, this policy will be valid to all those who wish to end the imbroglio. This signature, should bring about a well tailored happening/change of event/a timely decision to cause well being or otherwise. This underlines the fact that Signing does not bring about good events only! Like an elephant, the signature should be with foresight! Powerful and firm. Epoch-making is always a big happening. Elephant represents not BIG, but something HUGE.

THE EAGLE:
Sign and See: Look back eventful decisions, with confidence and courage. Rescan before you let the cat out of the bag! This policy holds good for unanimous expectations and reactions where the consensus is under public knowledge. Signature is only an attestation! Like an eagle, spotting the prey from at a distance, attack your decision with an eagle's dare, determination and focus.

THE BAT:
Never See: In the age of supersonics, the Never See situation should be under an emergency. Your signature is just awaited and all the other happenings (preceding and succeeding) are of a formality! But like a bat, the ESP (Extra Sensory Perception) should be activated and the event is sensed before the actual signing process. The bat is upside down and its moves are related to sound waves. The Bat never sees but it takes a feel!


THE OWL:
Never Sign: The owl never winks! Take an owl's stand and never sign. In this event, more than your desire to sign, your determination not to sign gives you the courage to say NO. But a word of caution: Never go back on this decision, once expressed or conveyed.


Whatever be the strategy for signing the decisions, as a routine signatory, you need to look for some safeguards in strategies:


1. Sign after your mind decides
2. Sign clearly, with date
3. Keep a constant signature & style (as it is unique to an individual)
4. Never Sign in a situation of pressure/coercion
5. Do not sign blank paper or stamped agreement/document
6. Do not sign for past
7. Do not sign for future date(except perhaps your Post dated cheques)
8. Do not sign on the basis of emotions
9. Once signed, no looking back!
10. Do not delay your signing as it leads to delalyed/miscarried justice

As you sign, you own your decision. Be professional and pioneering in signing. Where you have to sign : Sign or else : Resign!*

Article for THE WEEK sent on 23/01/2006

ARE YOU IN YOUR BOSS'S TEAM?

"ENTER ONE'S HEART THROUGH HIS STOMACH" Is a saying where the significance of one's desire to eat is brought about. To this theory, the Boss is not an exception!

Every Staff, be it a sub ordinate or a supervisory staff, would dream to be in their boss's team(COURT) and their boss's blue eyed boys! Not to speak of he Deputy of the Boss whose main task is to keep his boss and subordinates happy following the theory of Welfare State!

It is always a struggle to find out whether one is in the boss's court or not.

There are no theories for locating this. But there could be a self-test that could lead you to the boss's doorsteps and thereby his heart.

Please try to answer the following questions that could lead you to an inferential conclusion whether you are in your boss's court or not. If you desire to be try to improve upon with your boss in your dealings with him. If you are already in the Court, (and the most leading) then nothing to worry. You could as well keep maintaining the same until another competitor emerges!

NOW THE TEST:

SITUATIONS FOR REACTION A B C D
1. You are the only soul to get the boss's direct assignments
2. You know the priorities of the Boss in a Day's work
3. The boss's decisions are having a base on your opinions
4. In the absence of the Boss, decisions taken by you does get accepted as a normal decision
5. Boss takes you along when important meetings are to be chaired by him.
6. Boss's family members respect you and your words
7. You were indispensable to your previous boss
8. You are indispensable to the present boss
9. The Boss plays dirty games with me
10. Irrespective of the boss, my fundamental systems are strong
11. The layer below you await your commands as your boss's
12. The boss encourages comments by others on you
13. The boss questions you on your canards\excuses.
14. The boss discusses your personal matters with concern
15. Your boss speaks out on his personal predicaments to you
16. You know your boss's family members intimately
17. Your boss knows your family members intimately
18. Your Leave and your permissions are refused by the boss due to your important role
19. Boss knows his weaknesses and he has discussed with you them.
20. Boss has identified your weaknesses and he has brought them to your notice.


THE SCORE:

If you have answered A for the following situations you get a Mark each
1, 2 & 10
If you have answered B for the following situations, you get a Mark each
3, 4. 5, 7, 8, & 11
If you have answered C for the following situations you get a Mark each
6,9,13,14,15,18, & 20
If you have answered D for the following situations, you get a Mark each
12, 16, 17, &19

RATINGS:

0-5 Your Boss has not appointed you in his court! constant efforts of confidence building and capability building has to be made.
6-10 Your Boss has kept you in his court: But your role is limited. You may have to redraw your strategies and deal anew with your boss.
11-15 Here comes the Closed User Group(CUG) console of your Boss. The boss is fond of you and your work.
16-20 Great! You are your Boss's Man Friday! But beware! You run the risk of getting branded as your boss's chela. This may not be desirable for the next boss. Assess and Corrective steps need to be initiated.*

Art_sent21jan

Article for VIJAY TIMES – BUSINESS PAGES

ARE YOU SPOTTED?

"IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE NICE AND IT IS NICE TO BE IMPORTANT" is an oft quoted phrase in the Management Theory. The sum and substance of the statement is that nicety and importance do not go hand in hand always!

How do you gauge your importance?

TASK FORCE:

If you are in your Manager's Work Team(TASK FORCE) you are one of the important persons of the Organisation: Any work that comes into the Manager's Hands always is measured and determined by the Manager's Team. In other words, the Manager's architecture of the work disposal depends on certain of the capable employees/members of the team. The speed, the quality and the cost are calculated by the Manager based on the assumed employees of the teams. Any small aberration in the team composition, the Manager's mental calculations go for a toss!

How do you get spotted by the Manager? Here comes being 'Nice'.

If you are nice personally and at the same time a novice in the task and execution, then you do not get spotted. At the same time, if you are not nice and yet your quality of work and your capability is established, the lack of nicety is ignored or forgiven!

What is true with a small organisation is true with a Corporate Entity also. The spotlights belong to those who achieve and get spotted!


How your task gets spotted?

CHOOSE THE RED HERING!

If you get spotted by the Manager, from that time onwards, the exercise of getting spotted is completed! The Second Stage of spotting is of the Task. In a particular situation of a task, what is your contribution to the task and how you handle the task is the yardstick for achievement.

Here again, when a task is handed over, with what ease and confidence that you have handled the task matters and counts a lot for the Manager and the Corporate.

IT IS THE ORDINARY PEOPLE WHO COMPLETE EXTRAORDINARY TASKS!

A SPOTLIGHT person of the team does display his acumen when the task is handed over to him/her. Sometimes, the team gets elated by the team member and sometimes, the team member gets elated to be a part of the team. In a team, the learning is mutual and the idea and goals are held common.


SEARCH YOUR ROLE: Reaching the Task spot is as important as being a role-model in the task group. Once you reach the Task spot and get familiar with the Task and the Team, understand your role and your method to complete the task along with the others. The speciality of your role earns you the special spot in the Manager's Chart.
SPOT YOUR TOOLS: As quickly as you have got into the role, you should also spot the tools that you are going to deploy in the Task. Familiarity of the tools increase the speed and task prominence. Using the available tools is a part of the activity of spotting the tools. In odd situations, all the tools that you expect to handle for the particular task, may not be available on the spot;.

SPOT YOUR HELPERS: In a team, it is division of labor. One spearheads and the others act as the fins and body of the team. Segmented work design leads to the completion of the whole task, with finesse. The help that you spot act as your eyes, ears, hands and legs. The leading brain is that of yours! Commands are given and the co coordinated process keeps going; only to stop when the task is completed.


SPOT YOUR PEERS: Spotting the peers during the task enables one to make small fine tunings then and there before the completion of the task. The credibility goes up when the fine-tunings are made on the spot. The task also gets completed creditably.


Whether spotted or not, be a team-member of the Task Group and be in the Manager's Task Force. Your accomplishments of such nature enhance your self-confidence and value or esteem, in the eyes of the others!

Don’t's in a Team work:

o Don't seek recognition
o Don't underestimate the team members
o Don't underestimate the Task
o Don't Underestimate the Managerial skills
o Don't get hijacked by the task force
o Don't leave the task incomplete
o Be in sync with your team always
o Don't blame the tools/team for faulty implementation of task.*

ARTICLE FOR THE vijay times BUSINESS PAGES (art_sent 10jan)

MANAGING: an act of MULTIPLEXING!

"CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME" is an old saying and Management Culture too begins at home. The qualities of a good manager starts from his minute to minute activity at home with himself vis-à-vis his family and its members; neighbours , extending to the office and the Organisation.

In the Wonderful characteristics of Indian Managers we do explore a lion's share of his Management Theory and concepts underpinning his Management Style at Home which has a definite reflection at his Office/Organisation functioning.

Here, we cannot talk only about successful Managers as there are many unsuccessful Managers having better Managerial Traits than those who are successful and vice-versa. Success is only a dimension of Managerial Trait. There are many Good Managers who are unsuccessful but yet managing efficiently, without popping up into the limelight!

Like me, you too could have come across a variety of Managers from their `Home angle':

THE HERO: It is always pleasant to watch this hero. Hero worship at Home as well as at Office! The Hero is at the right place at the right time and all his call-sheets are on schedule! Though all find the Hero's availability as scarce, no one regrets when he is present at the scene. The Hero is all powerful in every respect and takes a proper care of the situations before they bud and blossom. He not only concentrates on his floor, but on his home, and neighbourhood too!
As the Hero's yardstick is call-sheet based with a shooting schedule, he is a quick at decision making and good at organizing and implementation. The Hero is no doubt a parallel processor.
His attire, his style of approach and speech create an impact on his audience at home and at office. As the natural law goes, what he accepts, he never disowns. Small situational imbalances are overcome by our Hero with a deep skill of tackling. Certain great tasks get completed by the Hero's fans, with great speed and LEAST EFFORTS!

But Hero's performance stops once the Hero worship ends! It is like a flash or a trailor.

THE VILLAIN: The villain never accepts the defeat and he is always right! Though the villain layer runs throughout the story, his availability behind the screen is more, than on the screen. In the villain 's domain, he makes all others think more and perform better. His own thinking and performance leaves only a MORAL and not a complete SENTIMENT. In this case, people at home, neighbourhood and office like his absence than his presence. The villain arrives at the scene of the home or office, at the time most unexpected by anyone. He gives a twist to the story but he is considered always a negative factor.
The villain is a non-conformist and his discipline is to be indisciplined in any thing concerning him and whatever that matters with him.
If you evaluate the performance of the Villain in an office or home situation, others move the things fearing the involvement of the `villain of the piece'.

But this style can not be accepted or advocated.

THE JOKER: The joker in the pack' makes all the difference! Light-hearted, people loving, the casualty remains to be the Task at the hands of a Joker. Be it home related or Office related, the handling is same and the approach is the same. The joker always considers that he is an integral part of others' lives! But he loses sight of his own strengths and weaknesses and sometimes lives others' lives too!

The Joker does not cause any major moves in the activity except the sentiments and fun. Work is at the lowest ebb and the enthusiasm to enjoy at the highest! The Joker carries on the ordinary work with extraordinary people and also the ordinary results with an extraordinarily casual environment.

The Director: It is a real world of the 'one who makes things happen' A Director's Home and Office profiles are equally the same and he spares nothing to chances! As the Director drags his dreams through his ideas, the truth could be felt and the director's touch is admired! The Director Co ordinates; orders; abuses; begs; cries; acts; cheats; as the act is in progress. The ultimate maksad (goal) is to realize the dream and the plans!

The director's presence and also the absence are felt by his admirers and co workers. The Director develops talents and skills and above all he chooses the right person for the right role and expression! At the same time, he keeps a cute watch on the main theme, continuity, photography, results from the artists.

Good or bad, the Director owns the responsibility-be it home or office or business. His skills and acumen ward off disasters and saves the investments. But one negative quality of the Director is that he is always fascinated by his past success and growth. In Business, to day, past success is only a yard of rope and not a life-boat!

Who will fit in the best? Is a million dollar question. Though ideally it is very difficult to find the complete qualities of a director in a Manager, it will be interesting to grade these Four types of Business makers.

The Director **** The Hero *** The Joker ** The Villain *

ARTICLE FOR OPINION PAGE VIJAY TIMES
WE THE PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT
Those people


"If you don't get what you like, you like what you get!" is perhaps the expectation graph of an ordinary Indian Citizen. Be it in daily life; be it in Politics!

Though on one side, the Nation is moving its bandwidth into the gateway of prominence, on the other side, the political chemistry does not get figured out in any microbalance or litmus tests!

Witnessing haplessly the surmounting events, in regularity, shake the roots of our faith in the fabric of democracy and the political processes that we have given to ourselves.

In the Words of Abraham Maslow, the motivational psychologist,

"If the only thing you have is a hammer you tend to treat everything as a nail".

It is an easy guess to portray what most of our political gurus think of what they hold and treat the rest of the lots as! Exceptions to this are few.

There could be a realization, in the minds of the lesser fortunates, that politics is the ultimate blanket policy to cover all the prevailing ills in the systems and hierarchy of the Country.

An initiative to bring in the element of "Societal Accountability" is one immediate step that the country could look forward to!

The Political pundits though get accustomed to the Note-pads, are yet glued to the erstwhile systems of vestiges and verbiages.

It will not be out of place to think whether our present political pundits could carry us through the Virtual Realities benefiting the common man, which happen all around the world.


What could be the possible loopholes that need to be plugged in the political journey?

WHY NOT THINK OF ALTERNATIVE REMEDIES?

Resignation of an Elected Office by the politicians should disqualify them from contesting any election in the country for at least 2 Political Terms (10 years)
Politician's appointment is to be construed as that of Full-Time and his erstwhile occupation should close down/change hands.
A Politician's tenure should have a retirement age, as others have.
Multiple-contests by the same person from more than one constituency should be banned, as it is a cost on the exchequer.
If any Politician relinquishes the Office on grounds other than one's own health, or moral responsibility over a disaster, the amount spent from the exchequer for the conduct of fresh elections should be borne by him to a certain extent.
Politician's spouse or close relative should not hold any office under the same Administration.
Politician's spouse should not continue holding any office of profit or a Government Assignment, once the politician is declared as people's representative.
Separate Module to accommodate 'the high profile think-tanks' could be considered, without vesting them with any office of power or profit.
Politician with a record of Economic Default in the society should be disqualified from contesting any election.
Politician's Track record should carry INDEPENDENT RATING by recognized rating Agency –that is verifiable
RISK PROFILE of Politicians should be drawn by Risk Rating Agencies
Any Filing of Income is to be construed as an employment or Office of Profit
Politicians with a HIGH RISK PROFILE should be disqualified as THEY ARE A COST TO THE EXCHEQUER
Political mishaps and derailing of the Rule Tenure should be penalized with disqualification and penalties.
Nexus in any form by the politician should be dealt with firmly.
Part-time Politics could be permissible, project specific and problem specific.
A minimum of 15 Years' Domicile should be insisted on the contestant in that particular constituency.

REVIEW SYSTEM:

Citizens are the shareholders in the welfare of the Country. The Dividends that they get are the Developmental Activities and the economic comforts arising out of such projects.

Corporate Governance is not for Corporates alone! Just think of Extending this to the Political systems; The Audited Constituency Balance Sheet should speak of the societal accountability factor-Quantified and Quality (fied)! In the Age of Right to Information, one should consider the following models:

Like the Annual Balance Sheets of the Corporates and the individuals, the Politicians should publish Annual Balance Sheets of Self on the Website.
Income and Expenditure statements of the concerned Constituency & Audited Balance Sheet should be published every Financial Year, signed by the elected representative, who is accountable for use or misuse.
Development Rating Agencies should award Ratings to the Constituencies Annually.
National level Politician Rating should emerge (apolitical) by leading Rating Agencies.
Like the concept of Cost to the Company, a Politician's (whether in cabinet or not) Cost to the Exchequer should be fixed and any excess should be recovered.
Cost to the Exchequer should be applied to all the political outfits, irrespective of the Ruling Party.

Think of such moves and the percolation of the effects of such moves into the democratic system and its roots!

Is it not the right time to start a "MOVEMENT TO RESTORE DIGNITY in DEMOCRACY?" *

PEOPLE SHOULD DEAL WITH POLICE & NOT POLICE STATION

WHAT GOA NEEDS IS NOT ADDITIONAL POLICE STATIONS: GOA NEEDS MODERN POLICING!

POLICING as a concept is undergoing a tremendous change around the globe. In India, some States have overtaken International Standards in Policing Methods, while rest of the other places are yet to realize the need.

Though Goa is considered a small state, yet we have failed to project the vastness and variance in the terrains and also the intra distances and the percentage of unreachable remote areas as compared to majority of the other States except the Hill States and North East Areas. Goa deserves a mightier Police force; but not to fill the Police Stations!

The geography and contours have not changed much; but crimes and investigation patterns have certainly undergone a change to unbelievable levels. Though the fundamentals of policing remain intact, the edifice built upon needs a new look to match and support the requirements of the current century and to bridge the future.

Modern Policing is concerned more on Crime Management than on vigilance. Policing, Today, could be segmented into localized and centralized activities. Presently, many of the police activities reflect inherent outsourcing qualities. Integration of various activities such as Intelligence, Investigation, Traffic, General Education aims to co ordinate with various local agencies including NGO’s directly or indirectly involved in community policing. Law and Order & Traffic is a localized activity with a Central monitoring.

This is an indication that we need to branch off from the Police Station Model of Policing. What we need is a Police Force Model. Public should no more be concerned to deal with the Local Police. They should deal with the Police Administration and not the Police Station.

Crime Management involves Centralised activities and a Central Command to deploy or activate remote forces spread all over, without the jurisdictional discomforts. This will not only reduce interference in the Law enforcement and related matters by the local ‘forces’, but also promote a Responsive Administration.

In some parts of the Country, there is no need for a complainant to go to the Police Station. Police will reach a person once SMS/ Net Complaint reaches the Police. In the age of PIL (Public Interest Litigation) being filed across the net with PAN identification, FIR could also be filed across the net or SMS.

How would you like if you have to call the Police Call Centre (Not a Control Room!) and come to know of the progress in the case where you have lodged a complaint? An inbuilt response system would also lead to a very reliable Policing and Crime Management.

More and more technology is being improvised to reduce the human intervention in the cumbersome activities of filing complaints and maintaining the registers all through! This does not mean diluting the legal requirements. Legal pundits could ponder over the issues if any!

Goa being a Model State, could aim at establishing a Modern Police Force, compatible to technology developments and technology requirements.

What we need is a VISION for a BETTER TOMORROW*

By N.CHANDRASEKHARAN

A writer, Banker, a Police Traffic Warden, Road Safety Practitioner, former Transport Advisory Committee Member and a Broadcaster.