Tarbiyat 2.0

On the pages of this esteemed newspaper, last week, I dwelt upon how to focus on personality development. In doing so, I covered the importance of upbringing (tarbiyat) starting from mother’s lap to school, to college, to university. I also briefly touched upon the role books and company of good people helps tremendously in developing one’s own personality. I would, now in this piece, like to extend the ‘upbringing’ element from the standpoint of the influence(s) the workplace and its environment has upon us, as professionals and also upon us in developing unique personal traits.

The sum total of people’s character associated with an organisation or a team goes towards creating the face of the entity. The senior management amongst the entire workforce takes or must necessarily take full responsibility for the building and maintenance of the entity’s reputation. If a manager is the face of the organisation, so also will each constituent of the workforce become representative of the quality of the manager. By deduction, the manager/supervisor is responsible for the quality of human resources that report to them. Hence a good deal of time and focus must remain on “Corporate Tarbiyat”. The organisation must take up responsibility for professional upbringing. Companies that do this last longer on the horizon of business.

To develop and build a solid and formidable team, managers are expected to put their best foot forward to develop their (team members) unique and different characteristics. Employees, workforce or team members, by whatever nomen they are referred to need to receive continuous tarbiyat too. The manager/supervisor has to pick up the ‘thread of upbringing’ from where the university’s responsibility ceases, and the responsibility gets transferred to the various institutions that absorb these young graduates (Turks).

It is my unshakable view and an unflinching trust in the thought that it is the immediate supervisor who plays a significant role in the development of his/her team members. I write these lines with confidence because I am a beneficiary of such an attitude by the many managers who influenced me extremely positively upon my career and personality.

It is rightly said, people rarely leave organisations, they merely leave their managers and supervisors. Management members are expected to be seen as role models for the workers to follow them. The managers must have characteristics that are housed in the fundamentals of universally accepted moral and social values.

In their everyday behaviour they ought to create trust, show fairness in their dealings; demonstrate consistency of principles; and above all be recognised as honest individuals. By taking interest in colleagues, and showing care to see them develop. Managers dedicated to this vein of thought are always keen to help youngsters in discovering their unique talents, abilities and skills.

Managers are emulated when the team sees them being kind at work, dealing justly all issues of sensitive nature with natural ease; team members when engaged in the development of vision for the organisation learn the most. They get trained to think ahead. They become tools for future growth of the organisation.

Managers must ensure a free communication environment. Officers must be given freehand to discuss issues of criticality that can either help the organisation move forward or impair and stunt its success. I learnt decision making from the very decisive bosses I worked with; they showed resilience of their faith and confidence in their strategies. Managers must teach by action how to make bold decisions; they must help create in the minds of coworkers the difference between being courageous and being adventurous. Courage and adventurism are not two sides of the same coin. Faith and confidence must shine out in their decision making and that serves as the best teacher to the reports.

Communication as a managerial tool, must be made to be understood, that it is as much or nay may be more of listening than of speaking. Teams must be taught that listening must remain the primary response to every situation; by practice, members must be made to appreciate and realise that speech is silver and silence is gold. (A proverb learnt in the second standard).

Tarbiyat must be offered to make the younger generation realise the importance of learning and experience; why it must take precedence over monetary gains. Enough encouragement should be put on the platter to embrace technological developments; the adoption of Artificial Intelligence. The discernment must be given between using technology for growth instead of being a slave to technology. Addiction to use of social media platforms; spending long hours on the cell phone, iPads, tablets, etc must be discouraged by managers.

Training and development of team members, who could be raw talent or experienced, is something that demands most attention of the CEO. The thought that one remains a learner must take deep roots inside the culture of the organisation.

Myself and several of my fellow mates were extremely fortunate to have supervisors who took keen interest not merely in the development of professional skills and proficiency, but also equally they focused on drawing our attention to being poised in demeanour, have finesse in conversation, pay attention to simple grooming, the sense of dress, the choice of colours for business suits, dining etiquettes (improving those imparted by family), how to address each other, both in formal, and informal conversations, tonality of voice and its modulation for creating impact upon listeners; all of this was beefed up by developing an attitude that represented humility, kindness, empathy and many such traits, that were laced with firmness of conviction and action.

Managers must hand hold their colleagues not when the going is good but in situations where they are faced with difficulties and challenges. Team members must be asked to learn to stay with some degree of idealism. The aim has to be for the best, even though it may appear as a deceptive mirage. A sleepy, drowsy or at worst, an intoxicated conscience is not representative of idealism. It is rightly said, that the ideal man bears the accidents of life; working with dignity and grace … behaving the best in turbulent circumstances and times will reflect the quality of training or tarbiyat provided by the managers. Enlightenment demands that managers must become canopy to protect and not to stunt the growth of their coworkers; instead the canopy must have enough holes, so that, the scorching sunlight and heavy downpour, doesn’t dilute their grit and resolve.

Managers must lead their teams to inspire them to understand that abandonment of ideals, objectives and principles is the principal cause of the downfall of both, the timid and the haughty; the meek and the arrogant. I am reminded of an apt quote on being idealistic, with realism, in full attendance: “We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. A man of personality can formulate ideals,but only a man of character can achieve them.”

Colleagues should be inspired to think critically sans cynicism. Managers/supervisors can become the compass of success; they can help and take them where they want to go. But to have such an environment of motivation and encouragement, the presence of enlightenment as an all pervading quality of all Human Resources is a prerequisite. This brings home the question, can we choose our managers, supervisors and leaders? .

The possibly shocking answer to readers is, a resounding, ‘Yes’. If an individual finds being confronted with a nasty manager, who takes no interest in his/her growth, then the best thing is to seek for a transfer from that unit ... be bold to converse and convince why the change is needed. It goes without saying that such conversations must remain within the ambit of corporate decency; it is important not to forget that impolite conversations yield no positive outcomes. To stand up to a bullying supervisor may be a tough call in some institutions but if there is a free environment of communication, managers usually encourage such challenges and attitudes.

It is no crime to speak up for career growth with anyone in the institution. This scribe doesn’t know whom to credit, personal fortune or the good people/organisations that allowed me to manoeuvre and get assignments of my choice. To try and fail is a better option than not to have attempted to draw the supervisors attention to personal growth and development. To illustrate an enlightened manager, let me cite a personal experience. I wrote to my CEO, Mr. Saleem Akhtar, that I wish to attend, a management development program at INSEAD; it was a twelve week program; the tuition fee was a princely amount. He first approved it without a whimper and only later asked how it would help me and the institution. Another matter that I chickened out due to compulsions of assignments. The point to note is that corporations do tarbiyat.

Mentors must not become tormentors. Mentees must find people who will challenge them to think, to hear their inner voice and who would allow them to speak loudly of their aspirations. A good manager will never fail to point out weaknesses to those whom they wish to be successful in life. Good intentions and behaviour must be evidently obvious and masking of Ill behaviour is best avoided.

My young readers please learn to expose yourself to the best people and there is no reason why you will not emerge as the best amongst the best. Mediocrity in today’s challenging environment has no place. Seek to work for institutions and managers who are interested in your growth and development.

The writer is a senior banker & freelance columnist.