Taxi Drivers and Soft Power

Hiring a cab is an easy task these days with competing taxi hailing apps and aggregators promoting their services aggressively in major Indian cities. This week I hired a cab from one of the major taxi aggregator companies. Though late by a few minutes I got into this taxi driven by a youngster in his mid-twenties.  As soon as I sat in the car the driver gave his smart phone to me and asked me to type the destination details on the GPS page. This, in fact, impressed me and I thought it was a good idea so that the communication gap can be avoided and the rest of the things will be handled by the device and the driver.

I sat back and started reading the day’s business newspaper. In a few minutes, I realise that the driver has taken a slightly unusual turn at a traffic junction. Some drivers do such detours to avoid a busy junction and take the next available turn to get back to the main line. Hence, I did not want to interfere with the navigation. Soon I realised that the driver drove past the next flyover and didn’t bother to take a turn under the bridge. Instead, he drove straight into one of the notorious traffic junctions beating all logic. The route was longer by five KMs and slower by at least 25 minutes at around 10.20 a.m. This is when I thought I must ask him if he really knew the route. He could not talk to me in any language familiar to me. However, on my repeated request he told me in broken English that he came from Mysore only about a month ago to Bangalore and not familiar with the city.

Though I was significantly inconvenienced by the inexperience of the driver, I appreciate the positive spirit of the youngster in moving to a larger city to build a career. Possibly, he had to take this decision to get away from a much better and liveable small town to a terribly crowded, highly polluted and more expensive city because he could not have a gainful occupation in his beautiful town. Our vision of smart cities is still a dream. Too many smart people leave their better towns and villages to add to the chaos of the bigger and dirtier cities.

Now, let me cite another taxi experience I had in 2002. On my first trip to China I landed in the Beijing airport late in the evening.  Obviously I had no knowledge of Mandarin and language seemed a bigger barrier than the Great Wall. I came out of the airport with a slip of paper in my pocket having the name and address of the hotel I was to stay. Here comes the taxi driven by a lady who was fully protected by iron grills around the driver seat. However, the lady was confident and took the destination address from me and without asking any question drove me straight to the hotel lobby (it was not nearby the airport) showed me the bill, took the cash in Yuan and drove away. Unlike my Bangalore trip, this one started with anxiety (due to my complete unfamiliarity) but ended in a pleasant experience in a totally unfamiliar place. Possibly this lady driver was an experienced professional. Despite not knowing English, her knowledge of the roads and destinations in the city helped her do her core job well- to reach her customers safely and quickly to the destination. She had the maps (printed on paper) but no smart phone, no GPS. But she knew her job.

I would not like to blame the youngster from Mysore. He has the ambition to strive and achieve his goals in life. It is just that he may have to struggle hard in an environment that is pushing people without sufficient support systems. For instance, it would have been easier for him had his company took some time to familiarise him with the city roads and ways to better navigate the traffic at different times of the day. It would have been easier for him if he had detailed printed maps of different localities of the cities with pictures of key destinations and key routes. We see these things in most of the world cities even in the days of Google maps and GPS. Giving a cheap smart phone loaded with a company App is not everything for a semi- educated migrant from a small town. In a hurry to sign up as many drivers as possible these aggregators make life miserable for these youngsters and many customers. Skilling India is not only about creating some factory technicians and software engineers. It is also about equipping millions of aspiring youth entering millions of organised and unorganised service jobs. This too is the soft power we need to develop besides Yoga, Ayurveda and Bharatanatyam. 

Feudalism in the Digital Age

Modern banking is highly digital in nature and all of us are beneficiaries of the many digitized services through ATMs, net banking or mobile banking to accomplish many banking transactions, e-commerce transactions and whole lot of money management. This surely, is a good thing compared to spending time in long queues in a bank branch or filling out physical forms or worse facing an irate or tired bank clerk (private banks call them officers or Vice Presidents).

In the midst of such a positive and uplifting story of banking services, one still finds streaks of irrational process rigidity in Indian banking. I wish to narrate couple of my recent experiences.

I pay tuition fee every month to a University in Europe where my son is doing his Masters. I have the university’s account details and fund transfer in the normal situation would have been an effortless minor transaction. However, that is not the case. Maybe because I have to pay the fee in Euros and forex is still a holy cow in India though the limits have been enhanced over these years.

I have to go the bank branch every time I have to remit the fee carrying my passport, a copy of the passport and the cheque book. I need to fill out a seven page physical form. OK, that is the process. A little bit about this intriguing form. I have to write my name six times, my address four times and signature at seven places! My bank account number has to be written five times (14 digits)I have to write the beneficiary name and address three times and beneficiary name four times. Of course, the name and address of the foreign bank and the account number (20 digits) three times!

Well, banking is a highly regulated industry and much diligence is required to avoid fraudulent transactions and money laundering activities. So, some of these painful processes may have originated from that aspect and in an era where physical forms and documents were to be kept in different offices and the information was not linked. But is that the case in the era of so called core banking software and centralized data mining and data warehousing? And everyone talks about analytics, big data and other clouded technologies!

Why all these data once collected cannot be harvested from the bank’s system every month, instead of making the hapless customer do the full rituals every month? Why is it that the data written on one page cannot be shared with all stakeholders including the RBI, if that is required? Why can’t I fill these details online and do a recheck or declaration every time instead of the seven page ordeal? That would have saved much time and I could have done 40 minutes of jogging or yoga!

Here is the second experience. I am not a fan of fixed deposits in banks. I think that is for lazy folks who do not have any other means of saving or investing money. But, my wife says cash is queen and we always need some liquid cash. In the digital era an FD is the most liquid of assets. One can book an FD online anytime from any device and liquidate online anytime from any device. So, I too became lazy and one fine morning while net-banking I pulled some money from my savings account to book an FD all in flash and I was happy. Couple of occasions, I did liquidate my FD online. It was easy and quick though I lost some part of the interest as penalty. Yet, for convenience sake and on a rainy day this is great service from my bank. Story so far looks hunky dory.

Couple of weeks ago I was in need of some cash and I counted on my FD and committed someone of a payout. This time, when I tried to liquidate the FD online the system did not allow me. I called up the relationship manager and he told me that I have to fill out a physical form and both I and my wife should sign the form.

Why is it that to book an FD online is fine but to liquidate the customer has to go offline on the road to the bank branch? Why is it that to book the FD any one of the joint account holders is enough and to liquidate both are required?

These are traces of feudalism still existing in banks. But why blame only the banks? Look into the everyday processes of many organizations-private or public. You will find such feudalistic processes. When I say feudalistic, I mean the following aspects. First, rules are made from the perspective of the more powerful party and often not considering the voice of the other party. Second, there is an element of mistrust anticipated in every process and everyone is treated as a potential cheat. And third, the master always takes decisions for you and he is always right. No questions, please!

Do you have such experiences? Stay lucky if you don’t; stay foolish if you do!

Who Cares About Care?

Corporate hospitals have become more hospitable. Hospitals too are star rated just like the hotels. There are five star hospitals that provide almost all what you can expect in a five star hotel besides oxygen from the ventilator and sundry other life-support services. Hospitals ‘treat’ patients while hotels are a place to ‘treat’ friends or family! Healthcare is what the industry is called, while most hospitals remain disease cure centres.  

In a recent blog written by Prof. Henry Mintzberg (McGill University, Montreal) he discusses the question on who should manage a hospital. In a quick analysis he says that a typical doctor is focussed on cure, the nurse is focussed on patient care and the administrator is focussed on controlling the operations. Therefore, individually none of these fit the bill to be the best CEO of a hospital, barring exceptions. However, he suggests that someone with fair knowledge and experience of the hospital operations should manage the hospital.

A large multi-speciality hospital catering to different kinds of patients is a fairly complex organization to run than a typical industrial organization focussed on one industry segment. Every moment can be critical to the life of many customers going through the hospital system. However, like other organizations, a hospital too employs a number of people of varying skill endowments performing different roles in different departments. They too deal with external vendors who provide medical, surgical and general supplies and allied services. Like other organizations a hospital tries to satisfy its customers and in the process some of them also get dissatisfied and go to other hospitals and worse, some of them are carted out as dead bodies.

In a hospital cure has limitations, care is always felt not enough and control is in many hands and at times goes out of hand! So the challenge is in maximising all the three aspects- cure, care and control. Advancement in technology and medicines tend to improve cure for increasingly large number of diseases. ERP software and management expertise tend to improve control and efficiency of hospital administration. However, care remains largely in the hands of relatively underpaid and usually less than motivated nursing staff.

While reflecting on these, I felt these three aspects in the running of a hospital probably apply equally to most other organizations. Any business has to deal with the immediate problems that need cure or corrective actions. The employees and other stake holders need care-a certain level of comfort, facilities, regular communication and recognition. A number of internal and external processes and exceptional behaviours need to be controlled.

Where does most of the management time get expended? Bulk of the management time is spent on problem solving and planning and controlling resources, processes and people. These are, no doubt, priority areas for any organization to focus. But who cares about care? Customer care has become priority for many businesses either because it is a business survival issue or it is a very profitable thing to do. In competitive industries clients can switch vendors if the service is poor. Many product businesses make most of their profits from after sale services which they control either directly or through designated channels of partners leaving very limited choice to the customers. Employee care is less so and caring for the society and environment is even far less so. Here lies the imbalance in the practice of business management. 

‘The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.’ – Voltaire

Sparkling Joy

With Christmas and New Year around the corner most people are in a season of happiness and good cheer, like in other festive seasons. Who doesn’t need a break from the drudgery of daily life with an occasional uplifting experience or at least a perception of happiness? So I thought I will write something that will go with the positive mood in the misty air.

One of my friends recently sent me his latest article largely influenced by the Buddhist philosophy, his experience and wisdom. The underlying thought is that for lasting peace one needs to get into a state of still mind. This can be achieved by the practice of meditation and purposeful or passionate involvement in any activity that takes you into a ‘flow state’. This thought is very appealing, logical and probably experiential for many. In fact, most religions teach this principle in some way or other. The ultimate attainment of ‘salvation’ or ‘moksha’ is the absence of friction, conflict, duality etc., Such a blissful state of mind is like the quiet flow of a river or the still waters of a lotus pond.

We find fine and glittering sand particles on the sea shore and smooth and shiny pebbles on the riverside. Both are serene sights. The flows and ebbs of sea waves break rocks into fine sand and the continuous flow of river water makes rough stones into smooth pebbles. Possibly water is the smoothing agent. We also know that water doesn’t do this architect’s job intentionally, nor does the rock purposefully go for a swim in the river or the ocean. They happen to be there and the motion is influenced by other factors such as wind, gravity and air pressure etc.,

A recent video shared on Facebook showed a swift and amazing flow of broken stones and pebbles in a desert of the Middle East without a drop of water seen anywhere. So, to be in the flow, it is not necessary to be in the form of a liquid. A billion galaxies are moving in a near perfect flow state with occasional mis-alignments creating major and minor cosmic tremors.

Some years back during my first visit to the USA I had a small experience with ‘still water’ in a Dallas restaurant. While having dinner the waiter asked me if I would prefer ‘still water’ or ‘sparkling water’ to drink. That was the first time I was hearing the term ‘sparkling water’. I was more used to soda water, club soda, carbonated drinks etc., in India. So it did not instantly ring a bell in my mind that it is just another term for the humble soda water. Yet, the word sparkling ignited a spark and therefore, I opted for sparkling water without knowing what it was. Possibly my sub conscious mind would have processed the decision thinking that anything sparkling must be better than something still and dull. No doubt the dinner was a sparkling experience with lots of youngsters cheering their favorite players while watching an interesting baseball match on the large screens.

Fresh lime added with sparkling water and a few mint leaves provides a refreshing experience, just as the sparkling water when added to certain other liquids uplifts the spirits. Where does the water gain the sparkling quality from? Interestingly it is the air that is making the sparks. It is common belief that life forms evolved from water. Yet, we also know that life is just a matter of a breath (of fresh or polluted air). So we have breath taking ecstasies in life when we experience wonderful surprises and heart-stopping near death or real death when the wind refuses to travel back and forth the pipe!  

What is your preference? A still mind of ‘nothingness’ or a sparkling mind of ‘something-ness’? Either way you are blessed. Let life be a journey of alternating experiences between still joy and sparkling joy. Enjoy the season!

‘Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.’ – Abraham Lincoln 

‘Like’-Minded People

We all have many likes in life and many things and people we do not like. The way we express our likes and dislikes (or should I say ‘unlikes’?) vary from person to person and situation to situation.

Before the advent of social media people expressed their likes and dislikes with fairly the same mental ease though the proportion of likes and dislikes expressed in public varied from person to person. Broadly we can place people into three categories on the like-dislike scale. There are some people who are miserly in expressing what they like but too eager to express what they don’t like forcefully. On the other side of the scale is the kind of people who are expressive about their likes and possibly hide what they don’t like. And there is the third type of people who are on balance expressing their likes and dislikes in more or less equal measure.

However, in recent times I see a broad change in the pattern of expressing ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ on the social media. People who post anything or share somebody else’s post want other people to like their post. That’s natural. Everyone wants positive affirmation, if not appreciation. The general trend on social media is that people who like a particular post, an opinion, a picture or a video clip quickly click the ‘like’ button. However, a vast majority of those who do not like a post do not click the ‘unlike’ button. People seriously hesitate to express their dislike for a view on social network. Not that all such people are incapable of disagreement with a view posted by a friend or colleague.

Do you experience this in your social media behaviour or at least noticed others behaving this way? I do experience this in my own social media behaviour and I notice several others doing the same way.

Why do people behave this way? There could be many reasons. Here is a sample few.

1. Most people do not want to disagree in public, that too on an indelible medium. There is a record of who liked what and who ‘unliked’ what and you have no chance of editing or correcting.  Unlike a personal conversation the social media is overly public for a meaningful conversation.
2. The fleeting nature of the social media message doesn’t often allow people to think through an issue and express a considered opinion. Everyone is expressing the top of mind views rather than what is deep in the mind. Liking someone’s view is much less risky than ‘unliking’ someone’s view. You don’t need to explain why you like something; but often you need to explain why you don’t like something or someone. That is the unfair and unwritten expectation on the social media. So, if you don’t like or agree on something the safest thing is to keep quiet and stay away from trouble.
3. Most people place harmony above truth. If by saying the truth you are likely to alienate your friend you are likely to choose to be nice and agreeable rather than truthful. Most people seem to be always on a congeniality contest! Friendship is valued higher than honesty on the social media. Maybe because most of those who you have ‘friended’ on Facebook are in fact ‘friended’ friends than real friends. The friendship band here is tied on very fragile threads. With real friends you have the freedom to disagree and dislike.

Are you a ‘like’-minded person?  

‘There are two freedoms- the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought.’- Charles Kingsley