Srilanka has voted in former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa (credited with eliminating terror outfit LTTE, amidst charges too of Human Rights violations) as its new President. Srilankans have been perturbed by the Easter terror attacks a few months ago and the current government’s perceived ‘inaction’.
The current administration (for various reasons) has not been able to ride on the wave that brought it to power. We need to be judicious in ‘what, when,why, where and how’ we Communicate – and also to ‘which’ of the stakeholders in the S.P.I.C.E.(TM) framework.
Not all voyages may end with sighting the Promised Land. But Leveraging professional guidance helps navigate troublesome waters and ensures the ship is back safely to shore. Also very importantly the Captain doesn’t return empty-handed.
The Evolving Human, The Evolving Organisation – Beyond Emotional Intelligence
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) giving way to Emotional Intelligence
Intelligence Quotient is universally recognised as a definitive indicator of a person’s intellectual abilities. But it is also accepted that the IQ tests administered need to be neutral enough with respect to context/ culture/ language. Else they may not really help adjudge. For the better part of the last century, IQ test frameworks have been evolving to be more comprehensive and accommodative.
Over the last few decades, we have had some softer/ lesser quantitative frameworks to better understand indicators for longer term success. Emotional Intelligence (E.I.) and the slightly lesser known Five Factor Model framework try to understand how a person with an average/ slightly above-average IQ could still be (significantly so) more successful in personal and professional lives than a person whose only claim to fame could be a great IQ. It is now almost common knowledge at least in Academia/ HR Circles that ability to work with people, willingness to accept mistakes/ learn afresh (to name a few) are better indicators of success than merely an high IQ.
Limitation/s of Emotional Intelligence
EI as an indicator and as a concomitant of success is not surprising. It is a good framework to instil many desirable qualities. But it is common these days to see white collar crimes without any ‘underlying basic need‘ for it. For eg. burglary is fairly common with the motive to buy food/ medicines.
Whether abroad or closer home in India, white collar criminals commit their offences to pursue objectives which are far less acceptable (in comparison to the small time thief). Surely the Mehul Chokshi/ Nirav Modi s and the Vijay Mallyas were not struggling to make ends meet. Obviously the level of manoeuvering required, to do what they did, does not come easy. IQ alone cannot make it possible. With IQ alone, we may be able to blackmail/ threaten vulnerable/ helpless bank officials. But getting these plans so elaborately made with officials’ connivance needs some amount of EQ ‘flair’.
Enter Ethical Emoting
The inference that stares us in the face in light of the above is that Acting in a Responsible/ Spiritual manner is an absolute must. If workers at the lowest echelons of power and prosperity are expected to be clean, how much more, the onus on those far above them. Unless leaders and managers are able to dovetail this critical parameter into their actions, their flair for EQ or their IQ ability comes to naught…..or to put it slightly differently, behaviours built solely on IQ or EI cannot guarantee Sustainable Success. As Abraham Lincoln said “…..we cannot fool all the people all the time…” There can be no compromise on Emoting ( in the sense of working/ behaving/ acting) Ethically/ Spiritually.
IQ to EI (EQ) to EE (SQ)
Spiritual Quotient ensures All-round and Lasting Success
In an ideal world, all of us would lead our lives, both personal and professional in an ideal manner. So ideal that it would not be much of a world (as we know it and delight in) in the first place. There would no ego/ sorrow/ deceit/ violence/ mindless competition surely. Ironically, we may also be deprived of the context where satire/ humour/ laughter/ pursuit of excellence/ etc also thrive.
Thus the Journey towards the Ideal is more interesting surely than the destination. Poetically Robert Browning put it in his inimitable style….” ….Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp …Or what’s a Heaven for.” 🙂
We are used to the idiom ‘Work is Worship’. But unless one is a very fervidly religious kind of person, even the imagery of worship may not really enthuse. Yes, Worship is a good example to instil a sense of duty/ discipline. It also held true for centuries and maybe continued till a few decades ago. The old age economies till some time back, by their very nature, offered little scope for variation/ innovation. For the vast majority, an idiom like Work is Worship was needed to numb their ‘doubting intellect’ and get them to work. Just as one did not question God or the various rituals the Clergy-led Establishment followed in God’s name, one could not question Work however soul-sapping its mundanity could be.
Of course, there would always be a small percentage of creative and innovative individuals who had/ have made progress possible, technologically or process-wise. They rise above their circumstances/ situation etc due to their internal drive and with a little luck, perhaps.
Creativity, the Differentiator in the Work place
There is an urgent need to look beyond Work as Worship or duty (barring certain necessary/ critical functions like medical/ social services). There is also increasing realisation about the importance of Creativity in the work place…… and the need to infuse more of it. Creativity whenever possible, wherever possible, however possible, by whomsoever possible.
The more evolved/ innovative enterprises are continuously working on mechanisms to facilitate the above. Even broad-minded Hospitals/ Healthcare organisations increasingly embrace new concepts in typically age-old services/ practices.
Work As Art – the New Paradigm
Imagine a Corporate Culture where Work (of any kind) is seen as Art. Imagine the way any worker/ employee/ manager/ consultant/ CXO is expected to work. Besides other human/ humane attributes, imagine, these contributors being encouraged to look at his/ her work contributions as (a form of) Art. Imagine the decision makers creating the Ambience necessary to reinforce this belief. Imagine each element of the Work force vying with the other in good spirit to showcase more creativity in the most (seemingly) mundane of tasks or processes. Would not that be Utopia at Work?
