Deep-rooted malaise

The analysis beans are back in action. So I picked myself up from a temporary bout of despair and angst and went about doing some root cause analysis - of the current state of affairs in the government.

I had already written about the negative impact of certain work-culture issues - starting with "The many management maladies". It is relevant here - as a huge first-part of the analysis.

1. Process and Protocol: established leaders in causing non-performance

1.1 Process: Process (nay, procedure... if you want to be anal-ytical), is the first and last refuge to every government-servant. Anything can be road-blocked using this. Oddly enough, "process" is only very rarely used to accelerate results - though we'll find any number of self-congratulatory PPTs to the contrary - especially if we don't want to look deep.

1.2 Protocol-and-ego cocktail: This is worse than the worst Molotov Cocktail. Most often, ego is very closely linked to and confused with "protocol".

My first experience of protocol was with a Japanese delegation; in any meeting only the senior-most person present would speak. I wasn't impressed then. I am not now. No doubt, that the senior-most person most often has the best judgement (okay, there are exceptions, but they are only exceptions) and the best broad-field perception of all issues involved. However, lack of in-depth knowledge of the matter at hand; combined with an ego that prevents openly consulting juniors / specialists in front of others - makes an excellent recipe for decision-making disasters.

This feeds quite effectively to the vicious cycle:

• subordinates routinely push matters upwards for consideration, decision, approval, you-name-it; while actively diminishing their own contribution (often taking perverse pleasure in it)
• bosses routinely micromanage; encouraging the subordinates along the downward spiral of non-performance, even while cribbing non-stop about how they can't get good help these days

2. Micromanagement: a most compelling solution for most result-oriented Managers!

Yes, we touched upon it already - but it is such a huge factor that it deserves separate attention. It both feeds-into and feeds-off the eco-system. The effects are so well known, that no more needs saying. The irony is that it is managers who want to achieve something who adopt this most!

3. Effective weeding out of any initiative and performance

Quick and decisive punishments are a hallmark of all *good* officers. It puts the subordinates in place, elevates the self-image of the officers concerned and results in all-round approving nods. 

It is an effective cure to anyone who dares put a toe out of line -- either violating a protocol (nay, ego) or making an honest mistake while performing one's duty. No wonder, one IT Manager told me not so long ago 

"Sir, we don't want the responsibility of taking backups because if we fail to restore even a single backup, we will be suspended from duty". So the eco-system effectively ensured that no backups were taken. Ever!! 

Joseph, a friend of mine, said recently: "In the workplace, I should have the right to be wrong; if I am going to be [punished] for [making a mistake], then ... ". I fully agree with him.

But then, even this honest-to-goodness recipe can be poisoned by the next and the most vicious factor.

4. Generations of finely-tuned culture of apathy

The value system has eroded so significantly that in the last two decades I've heard ONLY ONCE, that "Public Service is an honor and a privilege".

So this is "culture"? Nay, it is a disease. 

"Get a government job. Life will be good". I've heard variations of this theme uncountable times. It is so shockingly and routinely doled out by our elders - no less. With all due respect for well-meaning elders and their concern for our well-being, we must accord this particular contribution (to the malaise) its due "credit". 

No, let us not pretend that their advice is given with good intent and it is we who misinterpret it. I am old enough to know that the good intent has been wiped out over the generations of repeating this advice. Today, it is dispensed openly to promote "don't work; take pay; do side-business while being a government employee" and such ideas. Not even to glibly disguise it as "work-life balance". 

This is one malaise that I will keep working against, all my life.

Fortunately, unlike some other problems (e.g., The legacy of Brahmin), there is still some hope in this particular case. 

The many management maladies

Today I spent a lot of time thinking about why there is so much apathy and incapability built into (and breeding in) the government system? We can all analyze it to death and perhaps not agree at all.. but one perspective is perhaps worth considering. So here goes.

I have been working with senior Government officers for over 10 years now. I often hear (and see) that it is very difficult for IAS officers to delegate and get quality work done satisfactorily. True. In most cases, they are indeed the most competent people in their departments - with the next level people lagging miles behind. This has led to, among other things,

• Many IAS officers bulldoze their staff, treating them with scant respect; either by words or by actions - often both. 
• Most staff get used to it (attributing it to the "bhav" of the officers) and quickly iron out any initiative or risk-taking elements from their blood.
• Sincere IAS officers (who want to get work done) are always overworked and frustrated with the system.
• Over a period of time, they sincerely believe that indeed the (IAS) cadre is so good, that no one else is worthy of even polishing their shoes.
• More subtle is the tendency of even good officers falling into the trap of not listening even when they should; because they lost the habit of listening and because people around them are always happy to take orders and not contradict them.

Well, this problem exists not only in the Government - but also in the private sector. Egos are less exaggerated, so it is just a bit more understated - but it does exist and not in an insignificant way. If you are in the private sector, think.  Have you often been dissatisfied with the juniors' work? Have you often found that your manager overrides you with hardly any consideration to your views? Have you found it hard to fill positions because "good people are hard to get!"? Then there is something for you to think about.

In the IT consulting area, I have often heard how the top (senior) consultants work their back sides off to meet deadlines because their juniors' work is simply not up to scratch. It may be true, but the remedy is not to centralize work / authority. Pyramidal work flows rarely scale... they introduce bottle necks (yea, in a bottle the neck is always at the top).

Whenever a mistake is made, authority/delegation is take off, the person is given a good dressing down, review mechanisms (preventing the poor person from ever taking a deep breath without someone looking over his shoulder) are put in place, policies and approval procedures are fine-tuned, etc... In short, the manager, formally or informally takes more power towards the top, alters processes to reduce capacity, kills initiative and enters a vicious cycle that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy ("it is so hard to get good help these days").

I think it is time to pause and think. It is not easy, but there are ways to get out of this rut.

Give your team a chance to commit their own mistakes. Support them, correct them, coach them, guide them. In time you will find that you don't have to carry all the load yourself. It takes time to do this. Initial output will probably suffer and you may need to compensate in some ways to avoid losing clients - but the pains are worth it.

I give below, three of the many wise things said to me over many years - that have helped me do the right things. One by an adversary in a bitter fight, to hurt me; one by a friend, in jest; and the last, by a vendor counterpart.


"Do you think you are the only one who wants to work, Sastry? "

Hard hitting, but a truly good point. While it doesn't mean I tolerate willful negligence or incompetence or downright apathy, the increased understanding does offer some insights on how the situation might be remedied; in about 20% of the cases, in my case.

Definitely, there are a lot of people who also want to work; want to do good work, in fact. Of course, there are a good many who don't care. Therefore before screaming (erm... I don't mean literally) at people for lack of results, it helps me to figure out which category of people are causing the problems, and deal with them accordingly.

"Nobody is perfect. Not even you, Sastry! "

Delivered with a touch of sarcasm by a close friend, this helps me in two ways. One, when I mess up it helps me overcome my ego/diffidence - so that I can admit my mistake and offer to correct it. Two, when others mess up, it helps me see things in the proper perspective.

"Take the emotions out of any argument / conflict. It helps focus on the issue and find resolution quicker"

Most people, especially successful people have enough ego to often blind them to the issue at hand. I have come across situations where the reaction is something like "who the hell is he to tell me how I should do my work?"Well, if we can take the ego out, we might find that in the same situation, "Is that right? Could I have done it better?" leads to self-improvement - as opposed to a fight with whoever told us how to improve (albeit in a tactless way). 

It also helps guide juniors better when they mess up. Instead of taking the "Who gave you the authority?" or "You should've taken my approval first!!" approach (which only kills all initiative henceforth), we could take the "What was wrong with that decision?" and "What should you have considered before making that mistake?" approach to coaching them and keeping up the initiative levels.

I hope this helps others like it helped me.