(Contd.........Part 2)
Experts have named many factors that have led us to our present predicament. But we would not be far from truth if we said that our present plight is due to some kind of failure in properly managing the human affairs at the international, national, racial, industrial, interpersonal and all other levels. But for our failures in management, things should not have come to such a pass. Let us be a little more clear about this conclusion.
1. What kind of failures have brought us to this
state?
It is acknowledged by all the knowledgeable people that our planet does not have shortage of material or human resources. It has enough of both the kinds of resources so that everyone can lead a comfortable and happy life. Then why is there lot of unemployment, poverty and social strife? If there is lot of economic misery among a very large part of population, then either our planning has been defective, or our goal-setting has been bereft of foresight, or our priorities have been wrong, or our decision-making has been defective or delayed, or execution and implementation of our plans lacked impetus, motivation, co-ordination, direction or communication.
It also shows that either we did not have what are called the Human skills and the Conceptual skills or the abilities of innovation, initiative and integration, or we could not develop appropriate strategies and tactics, or we could not do successful contingency planning. In other words, we had lack of the abilities of diagnosing and adapting to changes. Or, perhaps, we lacked in the abilities of innovation and integration.
And, it is all the fore-mentioned abilities, skills and competencies which are central to all discussions about Management whether it be of an industry or of an institution or even of one’s family which is done intuitively. Our leaders could not, perhaps, communicate with the masses and the administrators in a way that could have inspired them to give their maximum co-operation in the task of nation-building or creating a new society.
What could have been our failures and our pit-falls? Did they not know what motivates people? Could they not predict how people would respond or what obstacles might come? Did they not understand well their people — the Human Resource—? Could they not influence their behaviour in the desired way? In what way was the Management or Leadership of the human affairs lacking?
2. Lack of Values
Actually, there has, perhaps, been no lack of the
abilities or skills of management. Not only have there been qualified
administrative services in most of the countries and there have also been
institutes of management but there has also many quite a large number of
managers who had the ability to do the work intuitively and there have been
others who had grooming under these able managers.
Some small shortcomings in managerial skills is not that much serious as are certain personality-traits or lack of certain moral or human values. An objective analysis of the history of human development would show that most of the failures have been because of the lack of service motive. There have been some subjective considerations at every stage and they have influenced planning, priorities, schedules, strategies and all other management processes.
Selfishness, group-interests, favouritism, injustice, impatience, lack of team work, inability to adjust with others at workplace have vitiated the whole atmosphere. There has been lack of discipline, sincerity, humility, sense of responsibility, loyalty to goals, goodwill for all, etc., etc. So, negative traits have not permitted even good plans to be implemented. Internal wranglings, rifts, dissensions, and lack of concern for the wellbeing of others have not allowed the benefits of developmental work to reach those for whom it was intended.
3.
Transformation in the context of business and industrial management
As has been said about management in general in the
context of world-situation, so also can be said about management in the context
of Business and Industry. What is required is transformation in the human
individual or what is called “Human Resource Development”.
Again, the most important thing, in this context also, is to bring about such trnasformation in the individual as would improve his relations with others, improve his power of judgement and concentration, enable him to understand others better and to have easy communication with them, to adapt himself to the changed situations and to the people with whom he has to work, to have better innovative ability and better intuition.
These abilities
will help the person not only to be himself a better being but also it will
improve the whole working atmosphere. Following are some of the qualities, in
terms of which this transformation can be noticed and measured:
1. Feeling of Brotherhood
2. Love and Goodwil
3. Sincerity
4. Humility
5. Spirit of service and concern for the
good of society.
6. Self-control
7. Spiritual outlook
8. Purity and Cleanliness
9. Sense of responsibility
10. Self-respect
11. Respect for the human individual
12. Honesty and integrity
13. Contentment
14. Trusteeship
4. Social consciousness and soul-consciousness
It has been found that all these qualities or values have their roots in a culture of social-consciousness and soul-consciousness. Soul-consciousness gives the awareness that we are souls and are, therefore, spiritual brothers. It, therefore, gives us a feeling of concern for the wellbeing of others. In other words, it gives social-consciousness.
It is these two kinds of consciousness that promote the values, mentioned above. Social-consciousness without soul-consciousness gets quickly and easily vitiated. Soul-consciousness prevents the rot of, or rust to, Social Consciousness. It protects Social Consciousness from degenerating into selfishness, or lust for name and fame or power and privileges.
5. Transformation beginning with self
But one can promote these values and bring about inner
or spiritual transformation if one starts the process of transformation from
the self. Those who wait for others to change either cannot change or they wait
and wait or change only slowly.
Others who think that their lone acts do not make much
difference they also cannot change. In this connection, the story that is often
told about the Mughal King Akbar and one of his minister's (Birbal’s)
experiment with people who had been asked to put a jug-ful of milk into a tank,
would illustrate the point. If a person acts dishonestly thinking that his lone
act will not influence the world also, will not be able to transform himself.
For the process of transformation to start, a person has first to have the realisation that there are certain negative tendencies in him which need to be eliminated and positive values have to be built up in their place. This realisation, coupled with firm determination alone can start this process.
6. The process based on Spiritual Foundations
The process itself, as pointed out earlier, can proceed on Spiritual grounds. The first transformation has to be at the belief - level. One has to know that his real identity is as of a soul, a point of light and that, in his original nature, he is pure and peaceful and is an immortal child of God, who also is a Point-of-Light and is perfectly pure, peaceful, blissful and loveful.
Based on this consciousness and, having faith
in the law of Karma and reincarnation, one has to make efforts, with
resoluteness of mind, for inner transformation. This effort must be accompanied
with the practice of Raja Yoga Meditation, for that gives the practical
experience of peace and bliss and strengthens the roots of purity. This self-transformation leads to a Better
World.
You are whole heartedly welcome to
Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya
