1. Meaning - find why and how you are doing a given or a chosen task..discuss threadbare with critiques and with those who praise your work
2. Engaging - buy in with all stakeholders
3. Connecting - work with a sound commitment on all 3 pillars of value systems - respect, honor and dignity
4.Positive frame - you can and will achieve provided you work with determination and perseverance to see the culmination of your work
5.Managing energy - negativity dissipates and positivity energizes....leave behind the past - easy to say but there is a distinct difficulty in doing it.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
What ails the public health systems
The eminent management guru, Gareth Morgan, used metaphors in a very imaginative and creative way to describe organizational structure and functioning. Machine, brain, culture, domination, psychic prison, organism, political system and flux and transformation metaphors were used emphatically to associate certain features with each one of them. Planning, protection and prestige were the topics covered in the mechanistic way of interpretation of organizations. Complex judgements and survival were incorporated into the adaptive organism model. Psychic prison dealt with resources and survival; whereas protection, autonomy, prestige, resources and survival seen in the political system were explained by using that metaphor. The drawback of using these metaphors to explain organization is that all these are mutually inclusive. One should not see them as distinct and separate from one another and it would be fallacious to solely depend on one metaphor as seeing through one metaphor distorts the view and doesn’t allow other metaphors strengths to be analyzed.
Organization as machine:
The sub units of a machine function well within their limits and perform in perfect synchrony to achieve the desired result. Their predictability and precision are their main strengths. Drawing an analogy from these perfect systems, Morgan proposed this metaphor to describe the functioning of an organization. The core value of this model lies in the rigid hierarchy that takes precedence even above that of the organization’s goals. Drawing strength from historically and time tested military techniques, the sociologist Taylor set out manpower training, monitoring of staff, right person in the right place, and shift of planning responsibilities to managers as principles that governed and even shaped some of the most successful business principles of our modern times. Sadly, though very effective, the human element was neglected and never looked upon seriously. The compartmentalization of job skills, delegation of implementation to ground staff, non involvement of staff in day to day planning has all but removed the pride and prestige associated with the work. The irony is that this model is very effective in situations that require a simple straightforward task to be performed especially when one wishes to produce exactly the same product time and again from batch to batch, when precision is required at all times, and when the human "machine" parts are compliant and behave as they have been instructed to do. Applying robotic models works even better when environment is all the more conducive. Precision, speed, clarity, regularity, reliability, and efficiency achieved through the creation of a fixed division of labour, are the key strengths of mechanistic model.
What is lost in the bargain is the creativity, individual sense of responsibility, pride in the job, resourcefulness to overcome problems that might arise during task completion, innovative spark, adaptability, flexibility and a host of the all important functions that humans capably do when presented with obstacles or stress. In short, adaptive response is absolutely and irrefutably corrupted by mechanization in work place. Telling someone to do a job is one thing, but giving him a list of things he can do and can’t do ebbs away the “feel good” factor that he associates with his place in his organization. Doing the same thing over and over again drains away the joy of his/her livelihood. Carelessness, apathy passivity, negative recidivism do not take long to creep in. “Fitting in” people as slot coins only worsens the situation as you do not allow them to blend and grow within the system. Mindless pursuits, inter/intra departmental lack of cooperation then take center stage to distort and contort the information in/outflow. The system is then trapped and takes a long time to regain it’s foothold when confronted with a new situation. The mechanistic approach to organizations tends to limit rather than mobilize the development of human capacities and changes the perception of the work force of the environment as hostile and unsupportive/uncooperative. It is difficult to achieve effective responses when there is a high degree of specialization. This may create the kind of powerlessness where each element's actions ends up working against the interests of everybody. Hierarchical supervision, and detailed rules and regulations may make an efficient unit, but, never a harmonious one.
Suitable metaphor for public health:
Public health in recent times has blended itself into political, scientific, policy, health and management issues so much so that it is now a major field by itself. Active inputs come into it’s system from all the aforementioned fields. For such a mammoth scale organization a mechanistic model will simply not do. The human element is what makes public health an endearing subject. We deal with communities and application of preventive measures for the betterment of health among people. In a polarizing world ruled by ” haves”, the have - nots will suffer the most if we apply the mechanization concept. If the right to plan and implement is solely vested in the powers that be with a rigid set of hierarchical domination, public health will be in doldrums. It needs constant feedback from the community as it is a ever evolving field. Disasters and emergencies need effective and quick responses that adapt themselves to the situation at hand. Public health professionals need to learn from complex and challenging situation and respond with a better measure when confronted with the same in future. It is a learning experience that needs planning, implementation and pain staking work at grass root levels all done at the same time by the same people. Bureaucratic methods such as planning by the men in ivory towers, implementation by middlemen and work by community is simply not the way public health works. The pulse of the public –at- large has to be felt by health care professionals. Staff care and morale in the public health sector have to be on a very high scale to improve the commitment levels. A blend of organism, flex and transformation models will suit public health much better than mechanization.
In conclusion, Public health has to balance equity and resources on one hand, and, at the same time has to plan, perform complex judgmental decisions that require a fresh mind set bereft of old hegemonies. Conducive environment has to be established for it’s work force to outdo their past successes and learn from their past mistakes. Flexibility and creativity are it’s main pillars, and if we are to respond effectively in emergencies, a model that incorporates and emphasizes cooperation, open communication channels and smooth coordination needs to be applied. Mechanistic dehumanized model will make it a very inefficient organization that stumbles at the very beginning of a task.
Organization as machine:
The sub units of a machine function well within their limits and perform in perfect synchrony to achieve the desired result. Their predictability and precision are their main strengths. Drawing an analogy from these perfect systems, Morgan proposed this metaphor to describe the functioning of an organization. The core value of this model lies in the rigid hierarchy that takes precedence even above that of the organization’s goals. Drawing strength from historically and time tested military techniques, the sociologist Taylor set out manpower training, monitoring of staff, right person in the right place, and shift of planning responsibilities to managers as principles that governed and even shaped some of the most successful business principles of our modern times. Sadly, though very effective, the human element was neglected and never looked upon seriously. The compartmentalization of job skills, delegation of implementation to ground staff, non involvement of staff in day to day planning has all but removed the pride and prestige associated with the work. The irony is that this model is very effective in situations that require a simple straightforward task to be performed especially when one wishes to produce exactly the same product time and again from batch to batch, when precision is required at all times, and when the human "machine" parts are compliant and behave as they have been instructed to do. Applying robotic models works even better when environment is all the more conducive. Precision, speed, clarity, regularity, reliability, and efficiency achieved through the creation of a fixed division of labour, are the key strengths of mechanistic model.
What is lost in the bargain is the creativity, individual sense of responsibility, pride in the job, resourcefulness to overcome problems that might arise during task completion, innovative spark, adaptability, flexibility and a host of the all important functions that humans capably do when presented with obstacles or stress. In short, adaptive response is absolutely and irrefutably corrupted by mechanization in work place. Telling someone to do a job is one thing, but giving him a list of things he can do and can’t do ebbs away the “feel good” factor that he associates with his place in his organization. Doing the same thing over and over again drains away the joy of his/her livelihood. Carelessness, apathy passivity, negative recidivism do not take long to creep in. “Fitting in” people as slot coins only worsens the situation as you do not allow them to blend and grow within the system. Mindless pursuits, inter/intra departmental lack of cooperation then take center stage to distort and contort the information in/outflow. The system is then trapped and takes a long time to regain it’s foothold when confronted with a new situation. The mechanistic approach to organizations tends to limit rather than mobilize the development of human capacities and changes the perception of the work force of the environment as hostile and unsupportive/uncooperative. It is difficult to achieve effective responses when there is a high degree of specialization. This may create the kind of powerlessness where each element's actions ends up working against the interests of everybody. Hierarchical supervision, and detailed rules and regulations may make an efficient unit, but, never a harmonious one.
Suitable metaphor for public health:
Public health in recent times has blended itself into political, scientific, policy, health and management issues so much so that it is now a major field by itself. Active inputs come into it’s system from all the aforementioned fields. For such a mammoth scale organization a mechanistic model will simply not do. The human element is what makes public health an endearing subject. We deal with communities and application of preventive measures for the betterment of health among people. In a polarizing world ruled by ” haves”, the have - nots will suffer the most if we apply the mechanization concept. If the right to plan and implement is solely vested in the powers that be with a rigid set of hierarchical domination, public health will be in doldrums. It needs constant feedback from the community as it is a ever evolving field. Disasters and emergencies need effective and quick responses that adapt themselves to the situation at hand. Public health professionals need to learn from complex and challenging situation and respond with a better measure when confronted with the same in future. It is a learning experience that needs planning, implementation and pain staking work at grass root levels all done at the same time by the same people. Bureaucratic methods such as planning by the men in ivory towers, implementation by middlemen and work by community is simply not the way public health works. The pulse of the public –at- large has to be felt by health care professionals. Staff care and morale in the public health sector have to be on a very high scale to improve the commitment levels. A blend of organism, flex and transformation models will suit public health much better than mechanization.
In conclusion, Public health has to balance equity and resources on one hand, and, at the same time has to plan, perform complex judgmental decisions that require a fresh mind set bereft of old hegemonies. Conducive environment has to be established for it’s work force to outdo their past successes and learn from their past mistakes. Flexibility and creativity are it’s main pillars, and if we are to respond effectively in emergencies, a model that incorporates and emphasizes cooperation, open communication channels and smooth coordination needs to be applied. Mechanistic dehumanized model will make it a very inefficient organization that stumbles at the very beginning of a task.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Salutations to the spirit of the Forces
Staying cocooned in the comfort of a lab and schooling atmosphere, thousands of miles apart from my homeland, I did feel the rush of Kargil fever bursting again in my head, when I saw the visuals of Mumbai mayhem captured on live TV.
I am proud of my many batch mates ( Armed Forces Medical College) who have selflessly joined the forces and continue to serve under difficult, and sometimes, almost inhospitable conditions. I salute the spirit that burns brightly within each of them, and feel that my success here is miniscule compared to the sacrifice and service that each one of them is doing to the country.
Let us apply these same principles of selfless dedication and service and believe that an equitable society wherein access to health care is given to each child and adult in India, through our public health education efforts ( very much acheivable...though the odds are stacked against it).
With Best Regards
Raghupathy Anchala
I am proud of my many batch mates ( Armed Forces Medical College) who have selflessly joined the forces and continue to serve under difficult, and sometimes, almost inhospitable conditions. I salute the spirit that burns brightly within each of them, and feel that my success here is miniscule compared to the sacrifice and service that each one of them is doing to the country.
Let us apply these same principles of selfless dedication and service and believe that an equitable society wherein access to health care is given to each child and adult in India, through our public health education efforts ( very much acheivable...though the odds are stacked against it).
With Best Regards
Raghupathy Anchala
Friday, November 7, 2008
Why we crave love
One of the reasons we crave love, and seek it so desperately, is that love is the only cure for loneliness, and shame, and sorrow. But some feelings sink so deep into the heart that loneliness can help you find them again. Some truths about yourself are so painful that only shame can help you live with them. And some things are just so sad that only your soul can do the crying for you.(Shantaram…By Gregory David Roberts)
The reason love does apart is that it fluctuates vacuously within our self exiled self inflicted wounds that never tend to heal. Sore wounds need a meticulous way of manicuring which comfort and succor rarely provide…
The beauty of imagination lies not in accumulating dreams that are unfulfilled but dreams that will always remain as dreams…achievable, tangible yet always distant (Raghupathy)
The reason love does apart is that it fluctuates vacuously within our self exiled self inflicted wounds that never tend to heal. Sore wounds need a meticulous way of manicuring which comfort and succor rarely provide…
The beauty of imagination lies not in accumulating dreams that are unfulfilled but dreams that will always remain as dreams…achievable, tangible yet always distant (Raghupathy)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Third eye's perspective on a mind with two views
Resting brain signals are seldom understood. The unconscious brain's thoughts drive the conscious mind's actions. We register many a thing in the awake state, only to blissfully forget them when we need them the most. What compounds the issue is that the brain consumes energy during sleep, which, almost equals that consumed by the awake brain. This dual aspect and functioning of the brain was scientifically explained by Prof. Marcus E. Raicle in the Hoffman lecture given during the annual Science conference, 2008 at the University of Pittsburgh. His laboratory has done pioneering work on the functional MRI scanning ( glucose uptake by particular aspects of brain during sleep and active states) and found that the frontal ( that which regulates frontal and abstract thinking) and occipital( that portion of the brain that regulates vision) areas of the brain consume energy even during sleep states. The pioneering work to explain as to why the brain has to subsume so much energy is still in a nascent stage....Philosophically, this gives rise to two questions....does the sleeping visual brain consume so much to erase out the day's viewings to keep the soul unaffected by all that negativity that floats around? Does the thinking portion of the brain imbibe positivity from thought processing frontal brain in a sleeping state?
Monday, October 6, 2008
Analysis of the dream by my Father
Dear Son,
Your dream and the length of it are interesting.
The ball of fire is nothing but the fire that burns out the impurities and shows us in true and unadulterated from.
The choice between wife and father is not of much significance as the choice is between the new road of life and the old beaten road that is familiar. One gets into the new road after traversing the old road for a distance.
You have chosen for once to see the old familiar road to reassure yourself that the road still exists and saw that it really is still there.
As to the old school and the class room episode, yes, it is true that you were not speaking much for the fear of stammering but you knew all the answers and so were scoring well.Your father guiding you in such situations is quite normal and you were seeing the invisible because your daddy was and is always in your thought process but not visible to others.
Returning to Daddy is only a feel or reliving of the old times when the son looks to Daddy for support and assurance.When the son enters adolescence he tends to estimate himself more and starts disassociating with the middle aged parents, goes about finding a partner to match his energies and satisfy his inner urge.But after a decade or so when he settles into a married life and begets children he starts the father's role and starts realising the importance of the father in his life.Then he wants to tread the old path and relive the old days just to cross check if he is really doing his role well like his father. The ball of fire is an awakening in you to tell you that the new road you have chosen is nothing but an extension of the old one that has taught you the rough and smooth and to remind you that the new road also will be rough and smooth.
It is just preparing you for the parental life ahead.
All the best.
Daddy.
Your dream and the length of it are interesting.
The ball of fire is nothing but the fire that burns out the impurities and shows us in true and unadulterated from.
The choice between wife and father is not of much significance as the choice is between the new road of life and the old beaten road that is familiar. One gets into the new road after traversing the old road for a distance.
You have chosen for once to see the old familiar road to reassure yourself that the road still exists and saw that it really is still there.
As to the old school and the class room episode, yes, it is true that you were not speaking much for the fear of stammering but you knew all the answers and so were scoring well.Your father guiding you in such situations is quite normal and you were seeing the invisible because your daddy was and is always in your thought process but not visible to others.
Returning to Daddy is only a feel or reliving of the old times when the son looks to Daddy for support and assurance.When the son enters adolescence he tends to estimate himself more and starts disassociating with the middle aged parents, goes about finding a partner to match his energies and satisfy his inner urge.But after a decade or so when he settles into a married life and begets children he starts the father's role and starts realising the importance of the father in his life.Then he wants to tread the old path and relive the old days just to cross check if he is really doing his role well like his father. The ball of fire is an awakening in you to tell you that the new road you have chosen is nothing but an extension of the old one that has taught you the rough and smooth and to remind you that the new road also will be rough and smooth.
It is just preparing you for the parental life ahead.
All the best.
Daddy.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Quest for the meaning of a dream
Last night was very restive one...for once I remembered my dream...may be it was the exhaustion of staying caffeneited and uptight in the Falk library reading mundane books on Infectious diseases...or maybe the effect of the walk in the Highland park area in the chilly October air ...or for once, let me be straight forward...Yes, it could have been the effect of the tired legs not accustomed to the strain of thinking out aloud!
I was tranported to the realms of Douglas' Hitchhiker's ride to the galaxy and was placed on a ball of fire asking to choose between hitching a ride with my wife or my father. Strangely I chose to ride with my father..and after a bumpy ride, we landed somewhere in the midst of my adolescence on an known territory ( where else, but my almamater, St. Paul's High School, Hyderabad). We were again asked by the ball of fire to choose the roles we each had to play...I chose to be myself for a change and Daddy had to follow suit to be an observer. He was invisible to others and seen only by that eternal flame which guided our journey from 2008 to somewhere in 1988.
Time machines have seldom the habit of staying for us to catch up with them, but, in this case, we could choose to stay on in 1988 or fly back to our current destinations. Dad wanted to see me in his new role of observership and rightfully, I wanted to end this shoddy operation as soon as possible.
Along came the teacher who always used to harass me for being a laid back back bencher etc..( who seldom answers in the class, but who scores well in the examinations). He started to prod me to read me the verse on Panchatantra (the jackal and the drum story, which in a nut shell, talks about fear and the conquer of it by people who investigate and find out the source of fear). The stammering was about to start again, but seeing my Dad stand there in the classroom, I somehow lost my fear and recited the whole verse without any more hurdles. Dad listened to my recitation and immediatley summoned his power to quit when wanted ( remember that the ball of fire gave us those powers)...
Strangely , it took me the whole of 20 waking years ( 1998-2008)to find him waiting just where we took off...he was waiting for me to come to him. The moment I reached him, the ball of flame left and we were left standing and facing the current turmoils. After a moment's hesitation, I asked him as to why he orphaned me and left me alone in that school setting. His benevolent eyes had the answer and the response was just the same. This time he handed me a paper and walked slowly away into the setting sun with the instructions to open the paper just as the sun came out alive the next day...
Well I must have been very sleepy for these 20 years to find the waking sun already up the next day. Bright sunshine, unheard of in Pittsburgh in October was staring at me...I missed the bus again...What must have been in that paper??
I have ask my Dad for the answer...
I was tranported to the realms of Douglas' Hitchhiker's ride to the galaxy and was placed on a ball of fire asking to choose between hitching a ride with my wife or my father. Strangely I chose to ride with my father..and after a bumpy ride, we landed somewhere in the midst of my adolescence on an known territory ( where else, but my almamater, St. Paul's High School, Hyderabad). We were again asked by the ball of fire to choose the roles we each had to play...I chose to be myself for a change and Daddy had to follow suit to be an observer. He was invisible to others and seen only by that eternal flame which guided our journey from 2008 to somewhere in 1988.
Time machines have seldom the habit of staying for us to catch up with them, but, in this case, we could choose to stay on in 1988 or fly back to our current destinations. Dad wanted to see me in his new role of observership and rightfully, I wanted to end this shoddy operation as soon as possible.
Along came the teacher who always used to harass me for being a laid back back bencher etc..( who seldom answers in the class, but who scores well in the examinations). He started to prod me to read me the verse on Panchatantra (the jackal and the drum story, which in a nut shell, talks about fear and the conquer of it by people who investigate and find out the source of fear). The stammering was about to start again, but seeing my Dad stand there in the classroom, I somehow lost my fear and recited the whole verse without any more hurdles. Dad listened to my recitation and immediatley summoned his power to quit when wanted ( remember that the ball of fire gave us those powers)...
Strangely , it took me the whole of 20 waking years ( 1998-2008)to find him waiting just where we took off...he was waiting for me to come to him. The moment I reached him, the ball of flame left and we were left standing and facing the current turmoils. After a moment's hesitation, I asked him as to why he orphaned me and left me alone in that school setting. His benevolent eyes had the answer and the response was just the same. This time he handed me a paper and walked slowly away into the setting sun with the instructions to open the paper just as the sun came out alive the next day...
Well I must have been very sleepy for these 20 years to find the waking sun already up the next day. Bright sunshine, unheard of in Pittsburgh in October was staring at me...I missed the bus again...What must have been in that paper??
I have ask my Dad for the answer...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
