Stay Quite ! Stay Hungry
It is becoming evident that Indians by nature do not speak out much. We probably see ourselves great in executing orders, but questioning someone is a real tough deal. Probably, in India, the best questioning is done only by investigative agencies.
As a society, our upbringing is based on the fact that every child is supposed only to obey orders. Right from his parents, elders and teachers, when it comes to the child there is nothing left for the poor soul. This makes children less curious and wary of asking questions. By nature the development of such children results to less risk-taking adults who find limited success inspite of high level of intelligence.
It is never late to improve. Being inquisitive and open to questions helps individuals and organizations are more open to fresh ideas and will certainly be better than the rest of the bunch.
A lot of people argue with me on the subject that Indian companies should be better then their Western counterparts as our education system is highly taxing and helps students become more learned. My answer to this argument is simple. India does not produce employees who are open to question and be questioned. Till such time, this habit of one way communication is broken, Indian companies will find it difficult to be successful and grow in a sustainable manner. This habit however cannot be broken unless we have our social setup which supports this change and an education system which encourages open questioning. While this is happening in pockets, a large portion remains untouched.
In my view, if an organization has to be a great place to work, every employee must be encouraged to ask questions and be ready to be questioned with a view to break hierarchy and flatten the structures and get things done faster and better. Every employee must be trained to be open to ideas and questions and reward people for being open and frank.
I am sure, a transparent communication and at times over communication will help companies be a great place to work.
Fully agreed to the notion, Entire education value chain, starting from schools to colleges should take proactive measures to imbibe this habit in children right from foundation days
Alok, I agree with you. We should also encourage kids to speak out their mind at home. We don’t allow them to even stand when elders are talking.