Being a champion of change – The fight on...

I came across this article at the First Post (http://www.firstpost.com/politics/mr-nilekani-can-you-now-feel-team-anna%e2%80%99s-frustration-151494.html?utm_source=MC_TOP_WIDGE) and my thoughts wandered through this specific issue as well as things we see in corporate life. The First Post article is written in the form of a letter to Nandan Nilekani and is against the background of the parliamentary committee rejecting the UID bill. If you have been following the Indian media in the recent past, there have been many news items which have been floating around saying how different interest groups and people inside the government like Chidambaram and other departments have been trying to find faults with the process of the Aadhar initiative. Come to think of it, here is a man who quit a charming corporate life to take on a job which has never been done before. He is supposed to have had the backing of some of the most powerful people including the PM and the Madam. Inspite of all this support and fanfare, this initiative seems to have got stuck in the age-old issue of bureaucracy and political connivances.  At the same time, as the First Post article points out, Nandan Nilekani was one of the most vocal proponents of this very government ridiculing Anna Hazare for the methodology followed in the fight against corruption. That indeed is a different matter and needs to be seen with respect to the job he is in.

As I see it, either in the example quoted above or in corporate decision making, there are many who come with positive energy wanting to make a change. Or go into areas where none has ventured before. Mostly these are people with a positive thought and with utmost integrity trying to make things work despite numerous failed examples. Let us call this person the “believer”. The typical way it works is as follows – The believer does all the ground work and puts together a proposal after immense efforts. This is presented amongst a group of stake holders, some directly responsible and others with no perceptible or non-perceptible interest in the initiative. Yet while the presentation goes on, it is the latter group which raises the doubts citing some third hand information. Finally it is decided that the believer needs to do some more detailing and then come back with a new proposal. This becomes a circular task and finally the believer gives up saying “Mera Baap ka kya jaata hai”. Has anyone gained? This could be very familiar in the corporate world as well when anyone tries to initiate new things. You can always count on the trusted few to come up with “meaningful” suggestions which in reality gives the believer umpteen opportunities to climb new peaks of difficulties. One of my previous bosses, used to tell me that we should still try to work towards the change even if it is going to be a long haul with many difficulties. What matters is “what is best for the company.”

Coming back to the Nandan story, given his Infosys experience, he will take it as a challenge and put in his best till there comes a time when he will just walk out! To conclude, I find this is a little sad, since in any situation it is the people or the company at large which misses out on the benefits of these initiatives and not to mention the services of the people behind it. But who cares?