The Hindu Business Line : Why information shared is power

First came a lone pigeon on a scouting mission to our balcony. On the second day, it laid an egg. By the third day, we had a pigeon hatchery in our balcony. The mother pigeon spent the next three weeks mostly hatching the young one and it was inspiring to see her sitting patiently for hours on end. Another pigeon, presumably the father, came by from time to time, bringing in food. One day, the little one emerged — a dirty looking ball of fur.

Our son, who was fascinated by all this, decided it was time to name the little one and for some reason he named it Shaktiman. His reasoning was that he wanted it to grow up big and strong. The next few days passed by in a whirl with Shaktiman growing very quickly and becoming recognisable as a pigeon in the making. To all of us in the house this was a reality show unfolding in our own balcony.

Taking flight

The next few days were full of activity, with the mother pigeon accompanied by the father pigeon trying their very best to get Shaktiman to flap his wings. They tried to get him onto the balcony ledge to teach him to fly. The poor young one refused to leave the safety of the balcony and it was only on the fifth day that he took courage and flew a few yards to a ledge outside the balcony. The parents first encouraged and then harried him to fly farther. He did so triumphantly and wheeled about proudly for our benefit and then, he was gone. We spent the next few days looking out for Shaktiman — he did come by once or twice. When we now see pigeons, we think of him fondly and remember his struggles to be airborne.

In every human relationship, one person is the giver and the other the receiver. In official relationships, this is intrinsically mandated as part of the interpersonal dynamics. This is best done with a spirit that approaches that of a coach and his disciple. They say that vidhya dhaan or the sharing of knowledge is the best of all dhaans. This means that anyone who manages some others in a system must share knowledge with the others in the system. The old adage that “information is power” must now become “information shared is power”. Especially today, when companies are engaged in a fierce competition to attract and retain talent, enabling people is vital for productivity.

It is but natural that many managers may feel concerned that empowering the growth of those who work with them will diminish their own power. Counter-intuitively, the opposite is likely to happen: The manager will have a team which will make him look good; even as he teaches the team many things, the team will teach him many other things. A truly symbiotic relationship.

Mandate for growth

Every manager’s mandate clearly has to include helping the growth of people who work with him. This will ensure that those who work with him will feel the effects of personal and professional growth on a continuing basis. Equally important, this will encourage them to go beyond the brief and start contributing their own ideas. Ultimately, the manager will have a team that is not just motivated, but one that also contributes positively in terms of ideas and so on. Lastly, it will serve to build trust in empowered relationships which can be a powerful attrition fighter. This mandate can be incorporated as a part of every manager’s performance review process so that there is a focus on this important issue at all times.

Managers must be like gardeners. They must nurture people entrusted to their care so that even as they benefit, the manager himself can take pride and joy in his garden; in time he gets to tend bigger gardens Give them roots and then give them wings, is an adage that is as much applicable to raising children as it is to helping people grow to realise their full potential.

(The writer is advisor to 3i Infotech, Blue River Capital and IDFC Pvt Equity.)

More Stories on : Management | Human Resources

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
No news after the interview?

Why information shared is power

Understanding what time means

A word to the wise, from the wise!

IIM alumni unveil initiative for graduates back home

Focus on Indian biz practices

Adaptive capacity essential for leaders