When all seems lost

There is an all-pervasive air of despair ..

at the Himalayan scale of corruption that is being unearthed on a daily basis in our country

at the palpable lack of accountability from those to whom we have entrusted the governance of our country

at the way in which our value systems are getting eroded

I can go on but the above sample is enough. According to the Hindu Puranas , when the Ocean of Milk was being churned by the Devas and Asuras, many good things came out — Goddess Lakshmi, the Apsaras, Kamadhenu, Dhanvantari and Amrit (nectar), just to name a few. Of course, to preserve the balance, Kalakuta, a deadly poison, also came out.

Today, the churn happening in our country seems to be bringing up increasing quantities of poison alone; it would appear that the nectar of probity and value-based living is yet to emerge again.

In such a milieu, anguished parents are naturally questioning the wisdom of inculcating values in children and young adults. Such values could make their wards incapable of dealing with the real world which seems to operate on a different moral code.

A similar question also haunts the corporate world. The nexus between business, the bureaucracy and politics is an old one. So is the existence of power-brokers who form the bridge between the three worlds.

In many ways, if carried out in an above-board manner, it is a useful mechanism that should normally work to the benefit of the public that they are all supposed to serve. However, today, the regular revelations where business success in many cases is shown to be a combustible mixture of power, greed and sleazy manoeuvrings, many people are most likely asking the question: Why should I follow the straight and narrow path of probity and value-based work ethics? They are also probably asking, isn't it foolish not to get onto the gravy train when it is chugging along so well?

The answer to this vexed issue may very well lie in the old adage: lies will out. Essentially, a lie can only yield tansitory gains; the truth will eventually come out. Much like the rise and fall of athletes who power themselves to medals using steroids! If we keep sweeping things under the carpet long enough, one day the carpet will rise above the ground exposing the muck below!

We can see this playing out in the stock market where valuations of some fundamentally weak companies soar spectacularly for some time and then fall with a thud when the truth about their performance emerges. Stock price manipulation is a game for wolves; bulls and bears have to work on a narrower canvas where the rules of engagement operate on different parameters.

The senior management of a company must be able to enunciate and show in action that there is a strong connect between values and valuation when it comes to recognition for individuals. The rules of how value will be judged and how it will be converted into valuation must be made clear. Professionals who are experts at office politics and power brokering must not be allowed a free rein in corporate settings.

They will introduce an infection into the system which will ultimately vitiate performance and merit-based reward systems. In the real world, there will certainly be exceptions from time to time, but these exceptions cannot become the rule. If they do, we can be sure that organisational gangrene will set in.

Playing by the rules and adhering to organisational values is quite clearly a long-term play. It is most likely that there will be many occasions when expediency and short-termism seem to win the day. It becomes important to look beyond transient glory and focus on the long-term. And we should do it not because it is an organisational imperative but because it is critical for our own development as persons and professionals. At the end of the day, it is important to be able to turn the mirror inwards and see if we are happy with who we are in the deepest recesses of our hearts.

It is said that Vishnu will come riding on a horse in his Kalki avatar and destroy the world, so that out of the wreckage a new world will be born where goodness and virtue can blossom forth again.

Where organisations are concerned, that may not be a viable option! Constant vigilance and weeding out of undesirable practices and individuals will be more helpful in creating a self-sustaining and strong system. Nature shows us the way in which it nurtures trees — as the weather changes, they grow, blossom, shed leaves and then grow again. And the cycle continues.

When confronted with a situation like today's where anchor values are under attack and the future looks gloomy, it is good to remember that this too shall pass. In this case, Mother Nature cannot make this happen for us; we need to make it happen. It will help if individuals, especially at senior levels, believe in the outcome and act to make it happen.

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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