The Hindu Business Line : Human relations

GOOD human relations are the cementing bond of families, organisations and governments. That they make for togetherness and harmony in families is obvious enough. But their importance in the achievement of organisational goals and the success of national policies on the international plane is yet to be fully appreciated.

The capacity to get along well with others and speak the honeyed word that turneth away wrath is a quality that can be both inborn and cultivated. At the heart of it are the two essential attributes of sensitivity to the feelings of fellow human beings and reaching out to others in a spirit of understanding and helpfulness. Employees and associates in organisations do not put in their best when they are bossed over purely by exploiting the authority of title or designation. "He that only rules by terror doeth grievous wrong: Deep as hell I count his error" wrote Lord Tennyson in his poem on a ship's captain who was brave but so oppressive that at a critical moment his crew let him down leading to the sinking of the ship. Time and again a human approach has helped the chief of an organisation tide over heavy odds by winning the full cooperation of his associates who put their heart and soul into whatever he wants of them, not because of his position but because he has inspired them as a considerate and accessible human being

One who keeps human relations in constant repair (as Samuel Johnson would say) scores in sorting out problematic issues with his peers across organisations as well. They go out of their way to oblige without standing on formalities or throwing the rulebook at him.

Human relations also matter in building bridges between governments and in the process, promoting the national interest. A study of personalities such as John Foster Dulles and V. K. Krishna Menon on the one hand and John Kenneth Galbraith (as the US Ambassador to India) and Jaswant Singh on the other is all that is necessary to understand the damage that can be done in terms of lost opportunities for governments due to rudeness and the benefits that can accrue from a friendly and constructive attitude towards others.

What if you fail to strike a chord even by going all out to be nice? Do not give up, keep trying till you succeed.

B. S. Raghavan

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