I have had the good fortune of knowing and working with several good IAS officers. I respect them, not because of their degree or position, but because they are good human beings, good administrators and intelligent people capable of stimulating conversations.
This post is not about them though. Quite the opposite.
There is a large aura (or is it a halo?) around most IAS officers. Most people are fearfully respectful of them. Awe, fear and sycophancy bordering on worship. Blown so far out of proportion, this has created such a gigantic cultural crater of immensely unproductive attitude and work culture - both within the cadre and in the people working with them (inside and outside governments).
Within the cadre, the emperor's new clothes are at their best, brightest and most intimidating display. So powerful is this fundamentally flawed portrayal that even fellow IAS officers display such blatantly sycophantic treatment to their superiors even if privately despising the person. This is so deeply ingrained now that it is routinely called "protocol"!
Most (non-IAS) people dealing with them do the same. Sadly, this applies to even otherwise intelligent people who work in culturally liberated environments. e.g., management consultants, IT consultants and academicians.
These two groups (insiders and outsiders) feed each others' behaviors quite powerfully - each strengthening the other. I suspect that the course design deliberately takes advantage of this effect and gets them to walk 6" above the ground right from the time they step out of their academy.
Objectively viewed, the Indian Administrative Service (the "course" or the "degree", not the cadre), is largely equivalent to an MBA in Public Administration - targeted for the Indian Governments. That's it. A targeted MBA. The cadre is created and sustained (largely) with these people.
Therefore, let us stop this illogically unproductive behavior. Let us treat them as people. No doubt, they are intelligent people selected through a rigorous process and then trained well to do their jobs.
Respect them as human beings, for sure. Pay attention to their views and ideas, but please don't elevate them to a pedestal so high that it diminishes their value by disconnecting their self image from reality. Do give them an opportunity to be true to themselves and stay human.
This post is not about them though. Quite the opposite.
There is a large aura (or is it a halo?) around most IAS officers. Most people are fearfully respectful of them. Awe, fear and sycophancy bordering on worship. Blown so far out of proportion, this has created such a gigantic cultural crater of immensely unproductive attitude and work culture - both within the cadre and in the people working with them (inside and outside governments).
Within the cadre, the emperor's new clothes are at their best, brightest and most intimidating display. So powerful is this fundamentally flawed portrayal that even fellow IAS officers display such blatantly sycophantic treatment to their superiors even if privately despising the person. This is so deeply ingrained now that it is routinely called "protocol"!
Most (non-IAS) people dealing with them do the same. Sadly, this applies to even otherwise intelligent people who work in culturally liberated environments. e.g., management consultants, IT consultants and academicians.
These two groups (insiders and outsiders) feed each others' behaviors quite powerfully - each strengthening the other. I suspect that the course design deliberately takes advantage of this effect and gets them to walk 6" above the ground right from the time they step out of their academy.
Objectively viewed, the Indian Administrative Service (the "course" or the "degree", not the cadre), is largely equivalent to an MBA in Public Administration - targeted for the Indian Governments. That's it. A targeted MBA. The cadre is created and sustained (largely) with these people.
Therefore, let us stop this illogically unproductive behavior. Let us treat them as people. No doubt, they are intelligent people selected through a rigorous process and then trained well to do their jobs.
Respect them as human beings, for sure. Pay attention to their views and ideas, but please don't elevate them to a pedestal so high that it diminishes their value by disconnecting their self image from reality. Do give them an opportunity to be true to themselves and stay human.
No comments:
Post a Comment