Janaagraha
Janaagraha
Turning Sixty. Needed - A National Campaign for Excellence
Turning Sixty. Needed - A National Campaign for Excellence
By Ramesh Ramanathan
A few months ago, I was with an international delegation to China, to explore various dimensions of that country’s economic story. Our trip took us to the beautiful city of Hanghzhou. One stop was a break-of-dawn visit to a Chinese garden, to witness the surreal morning dance ritual practised by thousands of Chinese. Walking up the long and wide pavement that led to the garden, I was struck by the aesthetic stone patterns, and the quality of the work. I remarked to my Swiss colleague, "See the perfect way the stones have been laid, with the joints continuing in a straight line?" My Swiss friend sat on his haunches, inspected the tiles carefully, and said, "You might think this is a job well done, but frankly, no Swiss contractor would have his name attached to this work.
I was surprised. "Why not?" I asked.
"The levels of the tiles are uneven. Also, notice where the pavement ends, the tiles haven’t been cut in a straight line?" He continued pointing out other areas when I stated, "Yes, I see, but let me be honest - if we had even this quality in India’s public places, I would be delighted."
India is a nation awash in mediocrity. This isn’t limited to government, it is spread across all aspects of our society: private hospitals, architects, factories, dhobis, schools, banks, masons… the list is endless. We are a nation of average expectations, and even poorer delivery. There are exceptions, islands of excellence in the swamp of ordinariness. But these are too few and far between to add up to anything. Clearly, our expectations of quality are below that of Switzerland. There are no easy explanations for this difference. The desire to excel has little to do with poverty – changing attitudes doesn’t cost anything.
This is not some romantic quest that we cannot afford at this stage of our national development. In fact, it has a direct bearing on the strength and sustainability of our economic success. As our engines of growth are revving up, a sense of confidence and pride is emerging in our youth. But this is being expressed through misplaced displays of nationalist jingoism, or other collective emotions of aggressive pride. The search for excellence is rooted in a different kind of pride: a quiet, personal pride in one's own work. If we are not able to instil a relentless sense of quality into our work ethic, we risk getting stuck in a muddled economic equilibrium. Mediocrity feeds upon itself.
As we turn sixty and look ahead, the striving for excellence should become a national mantra. We need a national campaign that urges individuals to take pride in their work. Other countries have done this. After World War II, Japan stood for mediocrity and "Made in Japan" meant products of substandard quality. There were many who contributed to a resurgent national identity built around the principle of excellence. Akio Morita, the founder of Sony was one. Edward Deming, the father of quality, was another. Slowly, over the years, this approach spread and Japan became the world’s undisputed quality champion.
Michael Finley of the American Society for Quality writes, “No free society can ignore the issue of quality. Healthy societies are societies in which the entire population is trained and motivated to do good work -- services, manufacturing, the arts, in every sector. Extraordinary civilizations -- "golden ages" -- occur when every sector is aware of and working toward excellence.”
India needs to take inspiration from this. No doubt, excellence is about processes and institutions and a number of other factors. But it must begin with a change of attitude, with individuals taking pride in their work. We need a national campaign for excellence in all fields - industry, government, services, small-scale entrepreneurs, schoolteachers, healthworkers, essentially everyone. We need a national campaign that gets to every movie theatre and television channel, autorickshaw and truck, teashop and paanwala, a campaign that exhorts individuals to think differently about how they approach their work. We need our advertising gurus and marketing mavens to wear their creative hats and come up with catchy slogans. I would like to offer one here - "Take pride in your work! Don't let the country down!”
Moving an entire nation into a new orbit takes enormous energy. Changes won’t be visible for years. But eventually, the signs will begin to show. One day, we will not just settle for perfectly-aligned joints between the pavement stones, but also demand that the levels of the slabs be even.
Re: Turning Sixty. Needed - A National Campaign for Excellence
Thanks for the view point.
Not to waste your time I will capsulate my reply.
1. You have presented some excellent viewpoint FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
I understand that these are from your heart with great anguish. I share the
same angush.
2. For a person of your mangement skills who CAN look at SO MANY
PROBLEMS in a system to find solutions, keeping in view the the basic
charecter and the strengths of the people who will work to solve the
problems, - you should have at some point of time come to think- where do I start to find the ideal solutions (All along we try to address the problem which is ONE OF THE MANY FAULTS IN THE WHOLE SYSTEM).
Which is the starting point from which if WE start the whole gamut of
problems can be logically and systematically addressed.
3. To state a point (without adequate explanations), it is evident that in India there is no point at which ( the constitution has
identified and fixed) the BUCK STOPS HERE, (be it at the city administration level or state or the Union). Everywhere the
there is NO FINAL AUTHORITY but a faceless CHAIR. ANY good for the people is spewed out ACCIDENTALLY during the
the fights the politiecians regularly engage DURING THEIR FIGHT FOR THE ULTIMATE CHAIR in THOSE
HOUSES ( the parliament/assembly/city corporation).
4. Hence we stumble on THE solution which calls for the constitutional change where PERSONS are directly elected have to be to TAKE
responsibility. Though we have a pathological dislike for anything American, there exists a mechanism where A PERSON is
elected to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.
Warm regards,
K.N.VENUGOPAL
GANDHIGIRI
Re: Turning Sixty. Needed - A National Campaign for Excellence
Dear Mr. Ramanathan,
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH YOUR THOUGHTS ON IMPROVING OUR AWARENESS ABOUT OUR NATION, A SENSE OF PRIDE BEING INDIAN.
HOPEFULLY IN THE COMING DAYS, WE WILL ACHIEVE IT.
MY REGARDS TO YOUR WHOLE TEAM.
LAKSHMI
Re: Turning Sixty. Needed - A National Campaign for Excellence
Great article - and about time too.
Regards,
Mrs. Marla
Re: Turning Sixty. Needed - A National Campaign for Excellence
Dear sir,
Thanks for that wonderful article. Without doubt India is way behind. However there has to be a start and some has to start a movement for excellence.
I feel the first step to accelerate the sense of excellence is to involve the general population by creating an awareness. For eg. a slogan contest. I would start by offering one: "India first, strive for best."
Can we begin a "Slogan campaign for Excellence". I would offer my self as a volunteer.
Harsha
Re: Turning Sixty. Needed - A National Campaign for Excellence
Thanks for an inspiring article.I was pondering that our compromise on quality/excellence started with our democrtatic journey!When kings like SamudraGupta,Asoka,Akbar & even regional Rulers like Pallavas,Satavahanas,Cholas Hoysalas et al ruled they were guded by welfare of Community/excellent pieces of architecture.Look at Big Temple at Tanjore/Meenakshi temple at Madurai,Mahabalipuram,Hoysala architecture,Nalanda/Taxila Universities & even Taj Mahal.It looks that Harmony,excellence,tolerance etc were sacrificed by our new leaders.I agree that a National campaign for excellence is called for .Along with we need a campaign for cleanliness in public places.Best wishes:T.S.Krishna Murthy.
Re: Turning Sixty. Needed - A National Campaign for Excellence
Dear Ramesh,
Thanks again. I sometimes start sessions in Indian institutions, IIMs and other temples of mediocrity, by asking the students to suggest what can be done to improve quality. They talk of ISO 9000, things that others can do.
Then I ask them to look around the lecture room, to comment on what they see. I get them to recognise crooked ill fitting switches, rusty window frames, loose arms on the chairs they are sitting on, curling floor tiles, half hung blinds, for what they are. Then some light begins to dawn.
Malcolm
Re: Turning Sixty. Needed - A National Campaign for Excellence
Congrats, Ramesh, on yet another brilliant yet simple idea!
All the best, Manohar Row
Re: Turning Sixty. Needed - A National Campaign for Excellence
Dear Mr Ramesh,
As we celebrate the Independence Day it reminds me that though we were freed from the English Rulers but why we got the independence -- to be trapped into the corruption. To me definitely those days must not be as bad as post independence days. Atleast we had a solace that the outsiders are ruling us and we should not expect much from them but now we feel cheated when we saw our own corrupt leaders and bureaucrats looting us. This also led me to disbelieve the God sometimes- what the corrective action God is taking?
Regards
Ampi Chatter
Re: Turning Sixty. Needed - A National Campaign for Excellence
Indeed a powerful and inspiring message on the eve of Independence Day. Thank you very much, Ramesh.
What we need but owefully lack in, is a high level of commitment and consistency, passion to achieve, fire in the belly to work for a cause continously and relentlessly, not in fits and starts. Whether the task is big or small or the stake is high or not, unless we change ourselves, the country will be compelled to go thru difficult times.
I am not a pessimist at the same time one should remember Harold Laski who warned that anarchy will set in unless the wide disparities between the haves and have nots, not just in the economic and social sense but generally in all walks of life us, is narrowed down. That was in the early forties when he was branded a communist but it still holds good.
Warm regards,
Anand Rao