One of the problems in India today is our disinclination towards drastic change. We often choose to take the path more travelled and thereby bereft of risk. While this evolutionary methodology give us the stability we expound with so much pride, I believe that we should also chance the odd revolutionary change.
This brings about the question, why should we support change. It could be risky. We could lose all that we have cherished and protected. Is it worth the risk? I think the answer to this question is unlocked by determining the value in change. Value in itself could be short term or long term.
As an illustration, for decades India struggled with what was termed as a Hindu rate of growth resulting in a languishing economy, while the Asian tigers were roaring. Given a young population, this was shocking, but not unexplainable. Manmohan Singh's opening of the till then protectionist economy has shown spectacular results over the past decade and a half. But at the time of implementing this change, there were enough vocal nay-sayers that even the most ardent lobbyists of the free economy would have crumbled into self doubt. But the result of this change is well known.
Let's study another example. India is facing crumbling infrastructure. Our inheritance from the colonialists is all but dying and has neither been improved nor sustained. Yes, we hear about new airports and highways. But take it down to the streets and you notice two things.
1. Lack of proper well designed and laid out pavements.
2. Lack of well laid out roads and systems that allow free vehicular traffic
The resulting situation is that the pedestrian is watching every step he takes to ensure that he does not inadvertently visit an open manhole or drain and the motorist is weaving across the road to avoid a pothole or another unplanned urban obstacle. This is of course on streets that have some semblance of pavements and roads. Many have neither.
The outcome is that, the citizen is busy looking down at the pavement/road rather than looking ahead. I believe that this act of self preservation is what prevents us from looking ahead and walking tall. Our psyche has been damaged to an extent that we tend to look down and inward rather than up and outward and therefore tend to defer change rather than embrace it, withdraw from aggressors rather than meet the challenge and shift blame rather than accept responsibility. Good infrastructure can inspire and challenge people to raise the bar and to achieve objectives they may not have envisioned before.
If we extend the same concept to the work place, we will notice many similar situations. Have you ever wondered why this particular team member is low on motivation or why that particular project is languishing? The reason sometimes may be due to an inward view instead of outward and therefore there may be change opportunities that are being ignored!
Do they have the right tools, the right skills, the right manager, the right assistance. Are factors at the workplace, may be lighting or could be the coffee machine hampering people from asking the right questions, the questions that drive change?
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