Yes Sir!!!

I just finished a very interesting and fulfilling discussion with a colleague of mine. It may specially engross my friends who have been diligently making their way through the every evolving 'corporate' culture in our great nation. Though, I continue to remain and work as an eternal optimist but I thought it would be worth sharing my observations about this "Yes Sir" obsession of ours.

To begin with, one may ask - who does it? I say, everyone. From the lowest levels at the operational level to the top most position at strategic levels, we are all but used to affirming without thinking to whatever is told to us...and those who don't are more often than not kept at a distance - that too i presume by choice!

The next step is - when do we do it? All the time I say!!! After all, bad habits die hard, specially things that have been become such an ingrained part of our blood streams. Enough said on this because we will be re-addressing this part in our next section again.

My favorite question has always been 'Why' because it always lets you explore the situation in depth and lets your imagination run wild. There are several reasons that you can attribute to this characteristic of ours. Some of the ones that i felt were more relevant were our culture, our upbringing and definitely the environment around us. I admit that all these are not necessarily mutually exclusive and are as difficult to un-intertwine as the chicken and egg riddle.

Our culture has always taught us to respect our elders (and I am sure that all cultures preach the same), but I think that we happen to a little overboard with it. Does respect come at the cost of freedom of speech and thought? Should it?
Our upbringing from day one has been quite disciplined, be that at home or at school. However, this discipline has strangely extended to the extent that we lost our inquisitiveness. What I mean to say is that the characteristic of questioning has been systematically drawn out of us. Do you recall the time during your school days when you were shunned out by the teacher for questioning what was being taught? How he/she never realized what seeds were being sown? Unfortunately but expectantly, that ability or rather inability has percolated so deep down that we continue to practice it even today. It is no surprise that everyone would remain mum when someone senior tells you a certain menial task, everyone knows that it would not going benefit anyone, but silence would continue to pervade.

If one adopts a more microscopic look, they are sure to discover that the root cause for the above is the fact that none of us are used to give feedback and/or receive it. Both are equally important and bear an enduring relationship with one another. One does not give feedback fearing that the same may be un-welcomed thereby suppressing the reality and facts to surface. And if someone does muster the courage to get your views across, the other person may not necessarily take it in right spirit. As I read somewhere, the reaction to follow is SARA* (first shock, then anger, rationalization to justify the same and if you are lucky, acceptance). I know everyone has the indispensable feeling of self and ego, but not at the cost of hindrance to openness. It is here that I, on occasions, subscribe to the American culture of frankness - say what you have in mind without fearing for the consequences. To take things forward in our Indian corporate culture, we need leaders and people who not only preach such openness but do practice the same in reality. I am sure that the time is round the corner for this evolution.

Feedback is welcomed!

* I don't recall the source for this but my thanks and acknowledgment to the author of the same