The Hindu Business Line : The warm afterglow

When the CEO of Infosys passed the mantle to his fellow founder and Managing Director, it was a case of a king willingly giving up his crown; and he chose to be available to the young and old alike as a uniquely designated "chief mentor". Although N.R. Narayana Murthy's situation may appear far removed from that of ordinary salaried people, the broader issue of retiring gracefully and finding a role for oneself after 60 should interest many of us.

For, despite punishing executive schedules today, many people live much longer after retirement. And this sudden jump in life expectancy has occurred in one generation. One faces the prospect of living a good 15 years more, without the comforting routine of a nine-to-five job.

Many of us are probably too busy and preoccupied to see this during the most productive part of our lives. Alas, we pay the price in the end. For many, a job is not merely a schedule to keep, but also a place to head for in the morning, and give the day a sense of purpose. Though the security of a monthly salary also counts, it is this purpose that most elderly people, unfortunately, miss in their lives, especially beyond their 70s.

Being able to retire happily and be at peace with oneself starts with an awareness of one's strengths and weaknesses, and developing special talents ahead of time. One wonders how well prepared today's professionals are, apart from savings portfolios, equity-linked pension plans or putting aside money for the daughter's wedding? What do they see themselves doing constructively, to preserve their interest in life, in good health and spirits? This calls for a slight shift in priorities, and deliberately cultivating non-work related interests.

This has not just a selfish element but a broader one too, as one of my mentors pointed out 25 years ago: "Think of what you'd like to do when you are 50," he said, "And prepare yourself from now, because at 50 it would be too late. Develop all your talents. You must see yourself as a national asset — and then you can ask yourself what you can do for the country". This remains an unforgettable and unique piece of advice for me.

Pre-retirement anxiety is often most telling on the top brass, for whom the big crisis lies in coping with the fading halo and the vanished trappings of office. The shift in gear in personal life is, nevertheless, a universal source of individual crisis. The seeds of self-preparation should, perhaps, be sown early with the recognition that it is not so much a monetary as a psychological issue.

One must put work itself in its proper place right from school days. Giving too much importance to the main task at the office or factory produces single-dimensional individuals who can seldom relax, except in escapes like drinking or movies.

This also has origins in the driving ambition ingrained into schoolchildren, much compounded by parental ambition. The balancing emphasis on reading, team games, excursions, playing a musical instrument, collecting something unique, camping and so on, were once a feature of traditional schooling.

Lack of time and money (or energy) are the popular excuses that middle-class Indians, especially the urban, white-collar community, offers for the unrelieved monotony. Yet, there are many hobbies that require little effort or money to enjoy.

A significant element missing in the school and college curriculum is the contact with nature. For a country rich in heritage, we certainly do not have a matching eagerness to preserve either history or nature. Ask around and you will likely find that most people are indifferent to the attractions of a day spent in the countryside, or at a museum or a heritage site. These things at least do not require tons of money or influence to access them.

In today's world, the opportunity for pursuing everything — from bird watching to hiking and mountaineering — does exist somewhere in the neighbourhood, if one but looked for it. Or if you have the energy, it is even more fun to start something that is one's own and collect a few like-minded persons. A friend, a highly qualified engineer, has spent several years (and a good deal of her money) on conservation, and fighting the bane of solid waste dumping. For several years she chased the legislative process, all the way up to the Supreme Court, before the current laws on segregation of wastes took effect. For her, it was simply a labour of love — and one that brooked no cynicism or defeatism.

My experience has been that the person who takes part in community actions, is voluntarily involved with some society, movement or club, is invariably an easier colleague to have than the bookish or reclusive type because, by definition, they have wider sympathies and a general awareness of diversity in life and society.

Alas, the not-so-well-rounded person is far more the rule in managerial life. At every introductory session in management courses, we ask participants to say something about themselves and it is interesting to watch what aspect they give priority, which tells you a lot more about them than what they actually say. You invariably hear the majority say something like this: "Basically I am an engineer. I joined this company as a graduate engineer in 1982... I am married, with two children... My hobbies are watching cricket or TV serials if I get the time — and going to the beach on Sundays".

Reading list, did you say? This comprises, at best, assorted magazines, occasionally a glance at a business newspaper. Games played: none; some might include chess or cricket in schooldays, but little since. Travel on vacation is unheard of except to visit `native place' or some nephew or uncle, and usually timed to coincide with a wedding in the family, or a visit to temples or other pilgrimage centres.

As a friend who runs a software business says, even young managers given a much sought-after posting in London spend their free time getting together with friends over an Indian meal or watching Tamil movies on video. Some have lived three months in an apartment, a short walk from Madame Tussauds and never ventured inside!

As our young people in all walks of life seem headed for the IT way of life, this is a warning to them to find the right "escapes".

Picture by K. Murali Kumar

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