Most companies operate by massively increasing the number of people when there is work and firing the engineers when the work reduces. Loyalty from the engineers to the company is equally matched, not surprisingly. In such environment, investing in the engineers does not make any sense.
An alternate solution is to build a group for the long haul. Investment in the engineer pays dividends over time. Having vision in such a case is impossible; 'the visionary' can set directions, but we can not depend on him/her to plan for the unknown future, especially with the rate of change in our industry. We can however build an institution that incorporates visionaries in each generation that can modify the goals consistent with the surroundings.while meeting the guidelines. They should on accasion be able to modify the guidelines as well. We need to train visionaries and let them exercise their capabilities without being hampered. We should also hope that they are better than you. This would keep the company/concept for ever, young.
Peer Review
During a lifetime, all of us would go through ups and downs. Commitment to an engineer has to be from the people that have to live with its consequence. AT the culmination of KarMic Training period, engineers go through a 'peer review' while transitioning to their design centre. During the process, the engineers have to assess each other and come to the conclusion is each engineer on the average will carry their own weight and the group will support each engineers during good times and bad. Words from a marriage vows are showing up.
The actual process is that engineers from an earlier class organizes this over a couple of evenings for a batch that has completed close to a year. One of the engineers is sent out and remaining engineers evaluate the person on a set of qualities. This is carried on till all the engineers are evaluated.
When I organized it, the number of qualities was about five. Present list, built by engineers over the intervening years is longer;
KarMic Peer Review Points
1 Knowledge and Technical Know-how
2 Creativity
3 Productivity
4 Team Spirit and Co-operation
5 Knowledge Sharing
6 Organizing Capability(execution)
7 Primemovership
8 Professionalism(ownership, presentation and followup) towards work
9 Punctuality
10 Convincing Ability
11 Communication Skills
12 Body Language
13 Integrity ( Calmness and Composition)
14 Positive approach to life (positive attitude)
15 Humility and Ethics
16 Giving Criticism
17 Taking Criticism
18 Eagerness to get involved in company affairs
19 Balancing Family and Work
20 Listening Ability
When an engineer votes his/her points, the senior will ask for justification if it is too far out either way. Comments are also collected.
After all the data is collected, everyone is confronted with their classmate's views of them. I get to hear about it a day or two later.
After living at close quarters, engineers would have had a good time to get comfortable with each other and they now accept that there may be some bad times along with hopefully a lot of good ones.
1 comment:
Learning to learn is the most important lesson one can learn. And the most important part of it is to accept criticism in its spirit and work towards improving, rather than the usual reaction of denying it. The problem is that this art becomes difficult with age. But those who can master it never get old. I mean, if one is constantly striving to improve and ready to change as necessary, how can that person be out of touch of the present.
We always wondered how Prof. Biswas managed to appear so young and energetic even at an age of 67. I got the answer when at his farewell he asked the students if there was anything he could have improved!(That's 35 years of teaching experience at top institutes, open to criticism. And for whom? Students an age of 18-21, almost half his experience.)
I think this is the kind of humility that makes a great person, forever great.
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