The Hindu Business Line : The glue that binds

Recently, I had gone to the post office to mail a letter; yes, there are Neanderthals like me who still write letters! I purchased a stamp and with supreme confidence wetted the glued side and pasted it on the envelope. The stamp fell off. I tried again and again with similar results. I then made my way to the glue pot provided by our Government and used the brown goo to stick the stamp on the envelope.

On my way home I wondered why we use such bad glue on stamps. I reached home to find my wife having the opposite problem. She was trying to use a new stainless steel utensil and the manufacturer’s stamp affixed to it simply would not come off. We tried several ways to do it and finally it yielded to the application of heat to the utensil. I knew then that I was wrong to assume that India does not produce very strong glue!

Organisational adhesives

Organisations are held together by many types of glue — iconic leaders, historical legacies, people policies, value systems and shared vision just to name a few. The health of the system is largely determined by the strength of the types of glue that hold together each layer and the way in which many of the different layers interact and reinforce one another.

It is blithely assumed that the more fundamental types of glue are maintenance-free and as such will continue to hold things together on their own. Many a time, the glue is long gone and only the memory of it remains, much like a container that stores asafoetida continues to carry its strong smell long after the asafoetida itself has been used up.

The problem with glue is that it is virtually invisible and since it is so, we do not notice it and tend to take it for granted. Much the same thing happens with organisational glue — it is assumed to be present and doing its job well. Since the normal human tendency is to go in for breakdown maintenance rather than preventive maintenance, we never check to see if the glue is still in working condition. Very often, we find that when faced with changing and challenging circumstances, things fall apart much like an old book which is fine as long as it is not opened; the moment it is, the pages flutter away as the glue has weakened to the point of being useless. Many a time, even a crisis is not needed for this to happen; the passage of time may cause enormous damage.

Types of organisational glue

In order that an organisation thrives in good times and is able to weather stormy waters, it becomes imperative to keep a keen eye on the types of organisational glue that are needed and in what proportion they need to be present. It is also important to make sure that we check their effectiveness from time to time.

As we embark on a journey which is likely to be far choppier than what we have witnessed so far due to the disruptive influences of the marketplace, technology, globalisation, work practices and so on, it also becomes critical to add or remove certain kinds of glue as the circumstances warrant.

There are core attributes that animate the heart and soul of the company and those which are relatively more transient in nature. In many cases, those that anchor an organisation and also form the foundation on which the future is built are also the ones that are least visible and the least amenable to rational elucidation.

These factors, like the company’s vision, value systems and so on, are in some ways immutable, but that is not to say that they cannot be under challenge as time passes by. The trick is to make sure that they are kept intact, but also to make sure they are elucidated in a manner that is contemporary and understood by all the people in the system. The core cannot be diluted, but can withstand some explanatory positioning from time to time purely for establishing its criticality and relevance at all times.

The other types of organisational glue that are more visible — like leadership and people policies — may need to change from time to time to address proximate and longer term challenges. Even here, too many abrupt changes should be avoided as that can lead to disbelief and distress in the system

The glue that binds is probably best brought out by the senior folk in the system explaining and elaborating to all their purpose and efficacy; they can be assured of longevity through the power of leadership by example on a daily basis.

The time has come for each organisation’s Chairman and/or CEO to be also its ‘Chief Glue Officer’. This way, each person in the organisation has the opportunity to savour the book rather than having to make do with a loose-leaf binder.

(The writer is a Director of Manipal Education and Medical Group P Ltd and 3i Infotech Ltd and advisor to IDFC PE.)