Subject approach

It is semester closing time in Indian institutes. We faculties keep pondering over the subjects and topics for the next semester. We try to be dynamic to keep in phase with the changing business demands. There may not be a change in the subject by itself but only the contents of it. The key questions are:

1. Do we adopt “inch wide-miles deep” approach for each subject or the opposite of it?
2. How technical we should be in treating the subject?

No business looks for a technical expert to solve all their technical problems, but only a smart employee who can think logically (in common sense) and work as a team to face the challenges. Organizations don’t conduct closed book exams for their employees for them to remember every formula of the subject. All that they need to know is the resource to which they should refer to when encountering a technical problem. In fact with the information explosion there is no starvation for technical solutions and support. They are available almost with no major cost. Added to this, like the pharmaceutical industry only tested and proven technology reach the industry hence majority of the problems they could encounter had already been tested and solutions found in labs before they were adapted in the industry. Such being the situation there can hardly be a case where an organization is struck with a technical problem which they plan to resolve by recruiting a fresh graduate from the university. On the other hand their challenges are the group dynamics and managerial capabilities

Hence my plan for my students is:

1. Adapt a “miles wide-inch deep” approach, which will give an overall exposure of the subject to the student. But without fail provide a reference guide for future use. What I mean to say is, provide the references to every topic we plan to discuss which the student can refer to in future when requirement arises
2. Make the classes as group learning sessions, which will teach them group dynamics in addition to the technical knowledge. One may ask, why not both? It is a little stretch as the GL sessions are time consuming and an involved exercise to be used for a high tech class
If anyone has a difference of opinion to my approach, I welcome the same

Who has to learn from who?

It was a Sunday evening; the outside temperature was just over 15 degrees. I was coming out of my chamber after musing over my research paper on knowledge transfer. What captivated my sight was a group of students together as a team trying to complete a huge wallpaper painting. I was told by the team leader (apparently) that it was for a cultural event that was to take place in the next month. I stood to understand the way she was giving instructions to the fellow members, for it directly related to my area of research that is how a tacit knowledge is articulated. To my surprise, she explained me that none or any of them were professional painters, but the piece they had made didn’t really support it, it looked professional. More than finding the answer for my question in knowledge transfer, I started looking for answers to the following questions

What extent a technical expertise contributes to a professional job vis-a- vis teamwork?

What motivates them to spend a Sunday evening in an activity like this which otherwise would be blissfully passed with a cup of hot coffee in front of ones favorite TV program?

In an industrial situation, we face more non-technical problems than the technical. And even for technical challenges we don’t look for perfect answers but only practical solutions. Such being the case, going by the example above, the solution to the problems remain in teamwork rather than technical expertise. This also supports the belief that all of us have untapped potential within us and all that is required to bring it out is the right environment and stimulation. Can we not create a college environment in an Industry? This question reminds me the weeklong OBL (Out Bound Learning) program I underwent in my previous company. Our team comprising of all functional heads were taken to a remote village in Bangalore, which contained all but training halls. All we had to do was to play games. There were rafts, rappelling, ropewalk and everything that an army man would do in his practicals. Every game had a set of rules and a set of lessons to learn of course. The lessons were not about rappelling or ropewalking, but were about teamwork. While such opportunities exist even in an industrial or office environment, we hardly recognize them, which makes the OBL trainers to recreate them in a playground. Having learnt all those lessons we returned home wiser only to be lost in the next day chaos. If an organization only succeeds in creating the OBL or college environment in its shop or office, I think most of the problems including the technical ones are solved. In fact there are no problems but only happy challenges to head as a team.

The second question I raised reminded me one more incident that happened during the Ayudha Puja day. This time we wanted to celebrate it in its truest sense that is by really cleaning the machines in and out. Teams were formed, assistants were attached to each team and all cleaning gadgets were given. I as the head of the plant went for a round to see if things were all right. To my surprise, none of the operators were cleaning their machines. Their demand was that a minimum incentive should be paid to them although they were not producing anything that day. This was not withstanding the regular salary they would be earning. Their argument was that they were present to produce but it was the Puja that prevented them from proceeding. It was sickening to listen to such arguments and we had to use our ultimate weapon of charge sheet to bring peace. It again and again rings in my mind as what was so different between the college environment we saw and the one in the industry I mentioned? Can we not replicate the former in the latter?

How do we create an environment that makes the industry look like a college? It looks we need to learn that from the colleges. The irony was that the students I was mentioning were planning to go to industries for an orientation during their forthcoming semester holidays to learn how to adapt to the industrial environment

Herd Mentality

When a decision / interest (or disinterest) is influenced solely by the mass or society (or, not influenced by any other information), then it is considered to be ‘Herd Mentality’.

‘Herd Mentality’ is used always in a negative connotation. But it is not so negative. There are many occasions in personal and professional life in which we are expected to exhibit the herd mentality. When it comes to ethics and morals, we are not expected to be a rebel or even an original thinker, for it unsettles the system. But when it comes to education, career and spirituality one is expected to resort to original thinking. With this prelude I substitute the negative connotation with ‘traditionality’ and the opposite of it with ‘originality’. I limit this discussion to the causes, effects and remedies of ‘traditional mentality in education and career’.

The traditionality stems from two forces, one the personality and the second the society. The personality within us can be divided into four groups, namely ‘Dominant’, ‘Influencive’, ‘Steady’ and ‘Cautious’. While we exhibit all four traits at different occasions, one of them forms the natural trait of ours. These traits are almost fixed in the early part of our life thus becoming difficult to alter later. All that we can do is to moderate or aggravate a particular trait depending upon the situation. The traditionality is associated with ‘Steady’ trait and originality with ‘Dominant’ trait. A ‘Steady’ person will find it uncomfortable to be original and a ‘Dominant’ person just can’t be traditional. It is not all that difficult to identify the natural personality within us – we have instruments for it.

The society also influences the traditionality or originality. A stable society with minimum interference from outside is expected to be traditional, as it doesn’t find the need to invent. The Indian continent of yore was such a society, which was self contained and self-contented. The invasions from west brought the disturbance, to urge this society to look at newer means. The long heritage of India still has an influence on its people to be ‘traditional’ in thinking compared to the westerners, however the recent generation is showing an evolution.

Being original doesn’t guarantee success always. The path is rough and adventurous, in fact, there is no path, and we need to make one. Our ability to endure the journey plays a major role in our decision to be original or traditional. This approach is not all that irrational.

As mentioned earlier, trait’s suitability depends upon its need, such being the case it is wrong to expect one to be traditional or original irrespective of the demand. Since this forms an essential part of ones personality, experimenting the opposite will only generate stress and not energy. With these limitations in hand let me analyze the influence on education and career.

The first instance at which the traditionality influences the student is at the time of selecting one’s specialization. Parents who are still in the grips of tradition wants to be safe thus directing their wards to follow the mass. First it was B.Com then engineering then EEE and now it is IT. Students being dependents and ill-informed succumb to the pressure. In addition to this, in countries like ours, we hardly have choices. Education system is regimental with limited scope to study contrasting subjects of ones like. Topics in each subject are again fixed and focused for scoring and boring than for applying. Engineering is still taught on blackboard not on the field. Everything looks to be conventional and stereotypic.

The profession demands both kind of personalities, the traditional and original. The functions such as quality inspection, administration, accounts, legal etc., demand a traditional approach. An army soldier is not expected to be original but to just follow the instructions. On the other hand functions like operations, HR, marketing etc., look for highly original thinking. The demand for this trait is multifold in a highly competitive environment.

With this kind of a multivariate environment, what is the way forward? The ideal approach is to start the exercise right at 16 with the help of parents and guide. But this luxury is not available to most of the students. We are already halfway through the life – can we not do something now? Yes, we can. We being individuals, always have certain amount of freedom to experience. Exploiting it fully generates more of it. When we reach the boundaries, we realize it is still farther. Such is the nature of our individual freedom. It is boundaryless. Following are some suggestions for each contributor:

The role of student:Having landed in an institute and a group, all that one can do is to look for something that is near to ones interest. With the network of subjects, this is not very difficult. There is an art in engineering and science in drawing. Finding the unobvious by itself is enterprising and stimulating. After all in a social educational system one can’t demand a curriculum that will fit just one’s needs and interest, the compulsory subjects are a necessary evil and should be tackled at least in an unproductive way.

Select one compulsory subject that is close to your heart. If you can’t find one, look at the electives. Exploit the flexibility given to you to your advantage. Apply the ‘inch-wide; miles-deep’ approach on this subject. You need not publish a research paper; an innovative idea that can find an application in real life is great enough. In a diversified informative-rich industrial world, it is not difficult to find one, who will adapt your idea. Demand the support of the institution and alumnus

For one to be creative, a stress-free, independent timeless environment is essential. All this is found in the institution. Such an environment is very difficult to get in a workplace. If you can’t develop your ideas in the institution, you will hardly do so in a workplace

The role of faculty:Help the students in finding their personality and the subject of interest. Encourage the student’s activity in this subject. Attach higher evaluation component to this. A compromise on the other subjects will bring no harm. Trust their capability. They don’t need advise but just a stimulant. Expose the student to the smart brains who will provide the necessary ingredients.

The role of the institution:Create an environment that will enable creative and original thinking. Create a knowledge bank to collect all those creative ideas. Encourage the account holders. Invest in building on this knowledge. Create a forum, which can market the ideas. This forum can comprise of students, faculties and industrial representatives. Industries have problem banks and students have knowledge bank, they will just fit like a jigsaw. All that we need is to connect them.

The role of parents:Understand the personality of the ward. It is not immature as you think. Don’t think for your wards sake instead make them think. They have the capability to think and decide. All that they need is information; provide it in abundance, not in books but in practice. Take them to various industrial and work places to make them understand what is what. Create an environment wherein they will have independence.

Retaining knowledge

Organizations have three challenges in the subject matter:

1. Encouraging employees to continue with the organization
2. If they decide to leave, ensuring that the knowledge doesn’t leave with them
3. If the knowledge still leaves, ensuring that it doesn’t land up in the competitors’ basket

I will narrate the initiatives taken in the organizations known to me to meet each of these challenges

Encouragement for a knowledge worker primarily comes from the job satisfaction. Both positive and not so positive means are adapted by organizations. The positive means are:
• Employee opinion survey and actions based on the results
• Daily monitoring of employee’s mental health by asking each employee to drop a token to indicate as to how he felt today, ‘smiley?’ or ‘frownie?’
• Other conventional methods such as value based pay, challenging job assignments, supporting the employees family and social needs

The negative means are policing the job seeker, making bar club agreements with potential destination companies etc. These means don’t work to ensure results but only develops distrust

Organizations which have been attempting to retain knowledge through job transfers and formal training sessions have started realizing the futility of such means and have embarked upon socialization. The popular techniques are; office hour games, informal meetings, OBLs (out-bound learning sessions) etc.

The third challenge that the organizations’ knowledge doesn’t land up in competitors’ basket is normally managed through a legal agreement. But it has hardly any validity in the judicial court for knowledge is still considered to be a personal possession. One of the organization’s CEO attempted a novel method. Any employee who leaves the organization if proves that he is not accepting an offer from the competitor will get 3 years pay, on the contrary if he does accept the offer from the competitor the employee has to pay three year pay to the his organization upfront. This two way agreement brought fairness and just to the whole process

The introduction of paper publication as a part of the annual KRA is suggested recently. The idea emerges from the academics, wherein an expert gains credit for the number of papers he publishes or the number of knowledge he shares with others. Contrary to this in profession, an expert feels discredited when he shares his knowledge. The reason for this is fear of loss of identity. If adequate recognition can be given to the employee to preserve his identity, then the academic situation can be replicated in business environments. I have come across organizations which name the theory or process devised by the employee by his name and the same is patented. Obviously the employee is compensated for this appropriately. This patenting process also prevents the employee from selling the same process to outsiders after resignation / retirement. The whole process ensures reward, recognition and protection of knowledge