The real purpose of Training and Development
Surely the real purpose of all developmental activity is to ensure the continued evolution of the Human Race. All developmental activities right from education to training to learning has the growth and development and ameliorisation of the human race as a underlying motif. Therefore those among us who have the privilege to access developmental initiatives of any manner should be very conscious of our onerous responsibilities.
To treat developmental opportunities as a way to acquire an additional degree or certificate or add another medal to the breast pocket or worse as just an office routine is a criminal waste of an opportunity given the problems of the world, most of which are man – made and hence can only be unravelled by human kind.
To take the ubiquitious training programmes that are offered across the board by sundry bodies including in – house programmes offered by Organisations; don’t they quickly degenerate into mere powerpoint and paper and populism ? Given the fact that rarely do such programmes result in any tangible benefits to society at large, have we ever pondered at the sheer waste of the initiative ? Unfortunately neither trainer nor trainee sees the subtle meaning underlying the whole excercise !
If you take a training programme to upgrade technical skills for example ...... is it not meant to upgrade technical skills so as to provide as an outcome cheaper, efficient, better, more convenient and so on products, services and ideas to mankind ? The ideal thought process behind such an initiative is surely not banal profit but the benefit of the society and environment, outside the narrow confines of the work space or the classroom ..... because that is the real world where significant impact is expected! Because that is your world and, my world and the world of our succeeding generations ! Reader Comments
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Sunday, July 25, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Power games
Leadership, is perhaps the most defined and perhaps also the most agitated term in the annals of management. Tomes and tomes are written on the subject. Organisations small and big, across the world, spend small fortunes on demystifying the concept to their managers. A near mandatory exercise is to make the audience differentiate between the concepts of ‘Management’ and ‘Leadership’. Everyone is finally made clear as to what ‘Leadership’ entails – one critical requisite being the essentiality of managers to have followers. The true ‘walk on water’ test of a follower being to go through the proverbial ‘hell or high water’ in the footsteps of his leader.
However, most managers are poor leaders because the concept of followers is never really understood. Most managers imagine they become leaders the day they are designated managers. Followership is automatically assumed. But the bane of true leadership is ironically the designation of ‘manager’ and the way it is employed. A designation can therefore become a millstone round the neck of aspiring managers. Designations are misconstrued, misunderstood and misused and managers believe they transcend to the ‘Leadership League’ in the same way and in the same measure as they progress – whether logically or erratically - in their managerial careers. Nothing can be further from the truth. The romance of designations is the greatest barrier to the mindset changes that a Leadership position warrants.
Given that embellishments are a natural part of human nature, newly appointed managers tend to embellish their positions and persona with virtues and auras that are unwarranted. Overnight a managerial designation confers qualities such as superiority, invincibility and infallibility. Nothing can drive away discerning followers more than these three behaviourial additions , acquired virtually overnight.
It might be hove all managers to realise the sad truth – Designations are concocted in the minds of clever men; leadership is bestowed from the hearts of ordinary mortals.
We ought to celebrate our designations by finding ways to add value to the lives of others rather than use our designations to dominate and direct the lives of others. Therein lies the path to attract true ‘Followership’ and the natural route to have ‘Leadership’ conferred on us.
However, most managers are poor leaders because the concept of followers is never really understood. Most managers imagine they become leaders the day they are designated managers. Followership is automatically assumed. But the bane of true leadership is ironically the designation of ‘manager’ and the way it is employed. A designation can therefore become a millstone round the neck of aspiring managers. Designations are misconstrued, misunderstood and misused and managers believe they transcend to the ‘Leadership League’ in the same way and in the same measure as they progress – whether logically or erratically - in their managerial careers. Nothing can be further from the truth. The romance of designations is the greatest barrier to the mindset changes that a Leadership position warrants.
Given that embellishments are a natural part of human nature, newly appointed managers tend to embellish their positions and persona with virtues and auras that are unwarranted. Overnight a managerial designation confers qualities such as superiority, invincibility and infallibility. Nothing can drive away discerning followers more than these three behaviourial additions , acquired virtually overnight.
It might be hove all managers to realise the sad truth – Designations are concocted in the minds of clever men; leadership is bestowed from the hearts of ordinary mortals.
We ought to celebrate our designations by finding ways to add value to the lives of others rather than use our designations to dominate and direct the lives of others. Therein lies the path to attract true ‘Followership’ and the natural route to have ‘Leadership’ conferred on us.
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