Form and content

Traditionally, we have believed that virtue has to speak for itself. Till a decade or so ago, most of our products were packaged with minimum thought to aesthetics; we firmly believed that packaging was primarily meant to keep the contents inside fully covered and to help in stacking them for display. This, in fact, was an improvement on earlier decades when packaging in India predominantly meant shoving together the contents in newsprint and securing the package with strands of jute thread. Things have certainly changed. I went out to buy some biscuits the other day and was amazed at the range on offer. The same dazzling spectacle greeted me in the other aisles. I did not know what to buy and returned home confused and defeated.

It was the annual appraisal time and we were discussing the merits and demerits of the senior managers for their progress up the ladder. One of the persons under discussion seemed the brightest and an animated discussion ensued on grooming him for greater responsibilities. We would have gone on in one direction had it not been for the timely intervention of the HR chief who declared that we ought to be looking for proven achievements before jumping to conclusions. We sighed at having our balloon punctured in this manner!

The analysis of the case brought home to us how we can be dazzled by achievements that at first sight seem seem wonderful, but much less so on a detailed examination. It turned out that much of the credit claimed by the person as his singular contribution was the sum total of effort put in by many others. It was just that he had mastered the subtle art of spin doctoring to create an illusion of excellence.

One of the main functions of any manager has to be the ability to help his team members perform to their maximum potential so that both the company's interests and the individual's growth aspirations are well served. It, thus, becomes imperative for managers to be able to assess each individual to bring out the best in that person. While assessing performance, it is also necessary to ensure that fairness is both practised and, equally importantly, is seen to be practised. It is critical to pierce the veil of self-promotion that a few individuals may indulge in, sending clear signals to them that such a trait is not welcome. This will ensure a level playing field where those who work silently are also rewarded. In the real world, it can be argued that we cannot always get this right. True enough, but the fact that an attempt is being made will send a powerful signal that will permeate through the system, creating the ambience for motivated teamwork.

The old adage goes that there is a time and a place for everything. There is a place for content to shine through and there is a clearly a place for form to take precedence. Underpinning both must be the right intent. What will be ideal is for great intent, backed by strong content, to be expressed in an attractive form. This applies as much to individuals as it does to organisations.

The writer is corporate advisor to 3i Infotech and Manipal Education and Medical Group. He can be reached at >mcshekaran@gmail.com

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