The Hindu Business Line : An initiative to make Govt offices more responsive

FED up with the cold and indifferent response you get in Government offices more often than not? An initiative taken by the Centre for Good Governance (CGG) might change this over a period of time.

The Centre has prepared a manual that attempts to sensitise managers and supervisors on how to motivate and inspire their associates.

It tells the team leaders to know their associates, allow them to talk, listen to them and encourage them to come up with creative ideas. It asks them to be magnanimous enough to admit their mistakes and say `sorry' when they are wrong.

The principles adopted by the corporates too have gone into this manual, currently being circulated to the participants at various governance courses.

"We have taken the principles being practised in corporates. People say those principles do not work in a Government environment. But it is not true," Mr N.T.P. Kiran Kumar, Knowledge Manager of CGG's Policy and Performance Workstream, told Business Line.

The `Handbook on building motivation and positive attitudes in Government organisations' focuses on self-motivation; individual attitudes; interpersonal and team effectiveness; goals roles and recognition and improving work environment.

Advising the team leaders to improve interpersonal skills, the manual says knowledge, respect, concern and responsibility are key for the success of all relationships. "Focus on people's strengths rather than on their weaknesses," it suggests.

"Try to introduce a `Behind the Scenes' Award for those whose actions are not usually in the limelight. Say thanks to your boss, your peers and your associates when they have performed task well," it points out.

It suggests the supervisors to conduct `Staff survey' and `Work climate survey' that help in identifying strengths and weaknesses of their supervisory practices.

The Japanese concept of 5S (Sorting out), Systematic arrangement, Spic and span, Standardising and Self-discipline and goal setting too are important to enhance the motivation levels in the staff.

The CGG team went through the research reports of various Governments in preparing the module. The manual has become so popular that a few publishers have approached the CGG for permission to publish and market for general sale.

"We have started working on the basic premise that it is the system and not the individuals that is responsible for the problem. The approach is to focus on the problem and not on individuals. Motivation can't happen in isolation," Mr Kiran Kumar says.

Encouraged by the response, the Centre is now working on similar books on creativity, innovation and team building. "Drafts of these books are ready," he said.

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