Tricolour with
Pride
On the
Independence Day, our National Flag is hoisted with pride across the country.
Government Institutions, individuals and even commercial organisations hoist
the National Flag. While governmental
institutions are mandated to hoist the Tricolour, private citizens and
commercial entities do it out of pride. Commercial entities however, do not hesitate to
use the event as an exercise in ‘image building’. In fact, I feel, it is good for an organisation
to draw on nationalistic pride, provided they really mean it.
When, I was
approached, by Mr Satish, the manager of one such organisation, to unfurl the National
Flag on the Independence
Day, I readily agreed. I wanted to utilise the occasion
to address the gathering about our duties as citizens and increase awareness
about defence forces.
Having spent most of my life in uniform, punctuality is integral
to my existence. I had made it clear
to Mr Satish. I was elated to see Mr Satish arrive exactly at the appointed time to pick me up and we reached the venue dot on
time, despite the detour forced upon us by flooded roads. I was pleasantly
surprised to see more than 400 people, all employees of the organisation, each
one neatly dressed, standing in orderly manner. It felt like walking into an army unit ready
for inspection.
The function was meticulously organised
and concluded with all of us enthusiastically singing the National Anthem. The flawless
manner in which the event unraveled rivalled an Army function. The
command and control of the organisational hierarchy, the willing and automatic
compliance to instructions already given and unity of purpose was very visibly
evident. There was something more than mere employer- employee relationship
that was at play. It was the sign of healthy organisational climate. I was eager
to identify the cohesive force.
Beyond Footfalls
Discussions with people can become real learning experiences if one has requisite skills and patience. If carried
adequately long, conversations with people reveal the real organisational dynamics
at play, however hard they attempt to mask. If the employee’s trust has been
won, one can get to know the real organisation, in flesh and blood beyond the
glittering facade.
Subsequent to the event, I sat down to an
informal cup of coffee with Mr Roju Mathew, the senior most employee of the
organisation and got him to talk. He was neither the proprietor masquerading
as ‘chief worker’ nor one with any shares in the business. He was just an employee –
a dedicated happy employee who has been with the organisation for 22 years and
has climbed the ladder from the lowest step. He seemed to be in complete control.
In the course of the
discussion I told him
that, I had been to his organisation many times as a customer and felt that
there was tremendous scope of enhancing the footfalls and converting the
existing casual footfalls into benevolent ones. I also told him about my
experience in managing CSR and my personal involvement in rehabilitation of the
flood victims of 2018 in Kerala.
I found myself unprepared to handle the
information I was made privy to.
If what he told me was
true, I was getting to know about a businessman with a heart of
gold. The proprietor I was told, got about 250 houses constructed for the victims
of the flood that devastated Kerala in 2018. I was told that no publicity was
given to any acts of philanthropy by the individual.
With regards to the reluctance
to tap the business potential inherent to casual footfalls, I was informed that
peripheral activities are run not for profit, though they are not in loss. Because
he was making sufficient profits in his core business activity, he continues
with peripheral business activities despite inadequate ROI because a large
number of families depend on it for their sustenance. Even when he could easily maximise profits by
closing down the not so attractive ones, he continues with it
because it provides livelihood for a large number of people.
I think, I stumbled upon the
connect that held the business model in place.
It may be proof that even
good hearts can be engines of sustainable growth.
Kudos to the big heart.
Claims & Disclaimers
1. I
have never ever met the proprietor. I am not even distantly related to him.
2. I
don’t have any stakes or shares in this business.
3. I
have written this article based on my personal observation and purely on the
inputs gathered during the conversation with the staff.
4. I
don't expect and will not accept any remuneration for the article from this
business house.
5.The
details of the philanthropic work done by the businessman have not been verified
by me on ground. However, I did see photographs of the houses said to have been
constructed.
