Let me quote a small story from one of Mulla Nasruddin’s experiences.
The issues plaguing the media world are like the story of Mullah Nasruddin who one night went around crawling on hands and knees searching for something under a lamp-post. When asked, he replied that he was searching for his keys. All his friends joined him and when one of them asked him as to spot where he lost his keys, Nasruddin answered: In the house. “Then why are you searching here? Nasruddin replied: Because there is more light here.
We have all been watching how the role of media has changed over time. From being a watchdog in the good grandfather’s era to touching the ambitious vibrant youthful 90’s chord, they have now taken upon themselves to be the so called society’s saviors. But, the fact of the matter is we don’t like the way they project themselves. The rise of exclusivity, pompous celebrations, dramatic presentations, emotional touches to speeches and well forcible creation of fake identities have marred its popularity and interest among the viewers.
The only reason I follow them is that I have no other alternative. Not speaking too much into it as I am no expert, I would like to provide a link to a very interesting articles which may raise serious questions. Given that, I think these articles may play Devil’s Advocate for some, but will mainly bring forth an untouched and uncovered discussion.
We’ve heard the saying, ” Two’s a company, but three’s a crowd”. Well, I believe that’s not always so. Recently, in our HBO(Human Behavior in Organizations) class we had a group activity. People feel group activities are eye openers to their inner capabilities! They bring out the best or the worst in men( or women for that matter). But the fact is, group tasks are no different when it comes to a stage of performing. They just bring out the real self in you.
ACTIVITY So, coming to our activity, we had 4 different groups with 5 members to be selected in each. Each of the groups were given 5 envelops containing random shapes. Each of us given the same time and just told that we need to come up with 5 coherent shapes within the team, without talking or gesticulating. We had observers in each group for that. At the end of the activity, each group had different results. Surprisingly enough! (Or is it?)
Shapes
Group A had tried making a big common House with it, with part of it still left. Group B, tried making 5 different squares, with 3 of them complete and 2 left. Group C made 4 squares with the last person trying to fight over his incomplete square. And Group D, made 5 similar squares. It was really interesting analyzing each of the group’s approaches, problems and dynamics. I will leave that part as of now, for you to imagine/ think.
OBSERVATIONS
People tend to focus on individual goals a lot more than anything the larger goals, because of which they tend to get protective and tend not to risk their own achievements.
Some kind of people are inherently group oriented and members from the start assume that they should be benevolent. They may be attention/ inclusion deprived. They tend not to have any sense of competitiveness.
Some people in a group have no or little sensitivity. Here is where Ego’s hurt larger objectives.
RELEVANCE
POLITICS: Individual achievements, Individual glory. Work for the next elections. Praise/ condemn to keep public image intact. Help/ fight keeping self interest in mind.
ARMY: A place where work is objectively defined, but group activities as treated as a culture. Larger goal comes first, rest of your groups second, you come the last. Internal satisfaction more important than recognition or media coverage.
PSU’s:Hierarchical structures. Let the boss decide! Work for the sake of it. Go home as soon as its 5pm. Make use of holidays, resources because you get them. Take no risk, follow no new policy. If work doesn’t happen in time, in a required order, sling the blame to your junior.
INDIAN TEAM:Difference between Indian team now and before. Between, players who played for themselves and for the team.
According to Maslow’s needs model, our needs are different, both individualistic as well as collective. But, what has always driven humans, from the onset of time, is individual recognition. It is not something wrong. But,
Group Results
many a times, the difference between the examples I stated above and those who stand apart is that, the latter realize the difference between recognition for self and self recognition. These who stand apart are change makers, those who bring revolutions, those who actually shape the course of time. But, we tend to move along in life. We tend to run a RAT RACE. We believe, if we are better than our next door neighbor, we progress. But, its like, being happy when you overtake someone on a road, when we should know that there someone else ahead of us now.We should realize that following the rules in a traffic jam helps more than finding that small gap between the rickshaw and the scooter. But, we are humans, still. Whether we except it or not, we do believe that
1 = COMPANY & More than 1 = CROWD
( My appreciation to my HBO lecturer for some wonderful exercise and insight)
Since the time I came to know about this Television series that used to run in the 80’s in Britain, I have become a fan of it. I thought to myself, “How can someone put today’s issues so wittily and rightly? How can someone present such pertinent issues, theories and perhaps situations in such a satirical and paradoxical manner?”
YES, Prime Minister did it!! Office Office did it!!
But, what is it that they contributed if not just making us laugh or think for a couple of seconds about how bad is the situation of our respective countries, bureaucracy and politics? Actually, they made us laugh on ourselves! They made us realize how inapt and immoral sometimes … no most of the times we are.
Sir Arnold: So, will our next Prime Minister be our eminent Chancellor or our distinguished Foreign Secretary? Sir Humphrey: That’s what I wanted to ask you, which do you think it should be? Sir Arnold: Hmm… Difficult, like asking which lunatic should run the asylum.
Well, speaking in general terms, we are all opportunists. What we do in our daily lives, from perhaps a multinational CEO to a beggar or from Prime minister to the watchman in our society, is negotiating! In one of our excellent communications lectures recently in MDI, we had a role play and a lecture from an imminent management trainee where we learnt about negotiating skills. I wondered eventually after the refreshing exercise that, Well! We do this from morning to-night. Whether at job, or marriage, whether talking to friends or professors, whether allocating ministries or setting aside funds for welfare schemes or whether getting elected and taking up the top post. We negotiate! We trade! We act as dalals! And, that is a fact! The only question is whether you are man( or woman) enough to accept it!
Well, negotiation per se isn’t wrong. In fact, we need it at every step in our lives. I am not an idealist!
But, it’s when it’s about our morals, when we hold a responsibility towards another stakeholder, and we compromise over that responsibility for any reason that we are wrong!
There are innumerable quotes and sayings to make us feel inspired and good, for that’s what they do. They are lame sometimes, when frustration and desperation have reached our doors. They sound shallow, and so do bleak – lone examples of great people who shone through their dark days. But, isn’t it the way it has always been ?
What I want to ask is that, didn’t someone stand up sometime or the other right from the inception of the society against the wrong? Yes, someone did! And then there was always a tide of change.
We, Indians are standing in midst of another such tide. We need a leader, a change to bring us that hope. We need someone to make us retrospect. We need someone to tell us that ‘bhai sirf sirjee, ya 3G, chalo jee nahi chalega’ !!