Channel Anxiety the Right Way

 

 

 Channel Anxiety the Right Way

 Rambunctious crowds in the cauldron, millions riveted to the idiot box, and a zillion other connected through social media, with a bated breath follow an India- Pakistan cricket match. It seems aeons ago that hockey was our national game and our pride. India were tipped to defeat arch rivals Pakistan in the 1982 Asian Games. But the home team was vanquished by the neighbours from across the border, 7-1. Gloom prevailed in the Indian contingent and the nation was ashen-faced as Pakistanis celebrated with euphoria.

Meanwhile Kapil’s Devils, befuddling all cricketing pundits, forestalled the West Indians’ attempt to triumph in the Prudential Cup for the third consecutive time. Cricket was soon to replace hockey as our national passion and obsession.

However, millions of hearts were broken as India suffered the ignominy of losing by 180 runs in the Champions Trophy. Did Virat Kohli err by opting to field, instead of relying on our famed batting potential? Were Indians petrified to face the breakneck pace of Pakistani fast bowlers? These are secrets which will perhaps forever remain in the closet.

Sameer, was armed with a degree in management from an estimable institute. Having specialised in the field of marketing management, he was well versed with the 4Ps of marketing. The young trainee fantasised at this juncture of his life about joining a FMCG company, earning a Falstaffian salary and over a period acquire an opulent property in the up-market area of the town.

But there was an element of hesitation in his mind about successfully crossing the final hurdle – the interview. As the mind was not in the present moment and fixated on the future it remained anxious and continuously agitated. Thus, it was not in a state of equilibrium, equipoise or equanimity.

Meanwhile, Siddhartha his school mate majored in architecture and apprenticed at celebrated architectural firm in the city.

Siddhartha however, was not content in designing buildings. He possessed a febrile mind which ached to pursue a greenfield area called entertainment design. The stripling self-taught himself and acquired ultra-modern and newfangled skill sets. Fortified with the newly acquired knowledge he launched to prepare a portfolio consisting of visionary and ingenious graphics, sketches and paintings. Yet, mentally he was anxious, tense and strained as to what lay in future.

It is a normal human tendency to be apprehensive prior to anxious situations as it is not in the present moment. Several individuals become splenetic and waspish. Invariably there is a churning in the abdomen region and the mind is subsumed with anxiety.

Arjuna, in possession of a lethal arsenal was benumbed seeing the mammoth army of the Kauravas. This, even though Lord Krishna was his charioteer! At zero hour prior to the showdown at Kurukshetra he lay down his weaponry. The consummate warrior could not distinguish between righteousness and malevolence. The demons in his mind were eventually dispelled through Vishwarupa Darshan of Lord Krishna and the song celestial- The Bhagvad Gita.

It may be pertinent to mention that an element of anxiety is paramount to act as a trigger. It motivates the mind to accomplish the task on hand and excel to produce high octane stuff. However, if the level of fear and anxiety exceeds an optimum level, it acts as an impediment in optimizing performance and achieving the goals envisaged. The nervous system of an overwrought and flurried individual becomes highly stressed resulting in a below par performance.

Psychologists have advanced a two-pronged strategy to combat such inhospitable states, firstly by closely monitoring the piquant state and taking prompt and effective action and second, by avoiding and blunting the situation.

Monitoring involves taking several proactive steps. Advanced and well-rehearsed preparation prior to a significant event; this is tapasya and no one can relax on this ground. The mind should be resolute and robust to incessantly practice like the celebrated archer Arjuna. Another step is continuous rehearsals primarily involve the concept of visualisation. Creating conditions of a mock run of the event within the amphitheatre of the mind is a time-tested strategy.

In the process, the individual de-clutters the mind and gets rid of the baggage of anxiety and fear. The Inoculation technique is another effective strategy. An individual insulates the self against the perils of stress through constant exposure to rehearsals and role playing. This mentally toughens up the candidate to be prepared for the scrutiny and appraisal with utmost confidence and credence. Further, adopting a positive dispensation is invaluable.

It would be sagacious for an individual to make an inventory of possible deficiencies and the ways and means to overcome them through efficacious thoughts. Finally, seeking the help of family members, peer groups, friends, reading motivational literature to suffuse the mind with affirmative and propitious thoughts always help.

In addition, there are blunting tactics and strategies which help to augment the above. It is perspicacious and canny to drown in physical activity. It could be going for long walks, swimming, hitting the gym, taking up a sport or learning yogic techniques to de-stress. These activities release endorphins which assuage the mind. Simultaneously, an individual will appear chiseled and smart.

There are other ways to remain happy. For instance, join the Happiness Programme of the Art of Living to learn the unique rhythmic breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya which calms the body and mind. Learn pranayama and various techniques of meditation to remain in the present moment.

For only when a human being is in the present moment which is inevitable is he insulated from anxiety and manages inexpedient and onerous situations.

 

 

11. Why Organisations Should ‘Understand’ Their Employees

It would be a worthwhile activity to disambiguate the word ‘devotion’ with respect to an organisation as we unravel the dilemma of human resources development in an organisation. An organisation is a structure (either formal or informal), established to achieve the prescribed goals or objectives as laid down by the top management. As such there ought to be no ambiguity in the minds of the employers or the employees about the targets.

Devotion and organisation

Devotion in a human being is the commitment to fulfil the parameters which are outlined. It is here that the skill of the top brass will be tested. The challenge is for them to upgrade and enhance the degree of commitment among the workforce, such that they do not get distracted or confused by perceiving their growth to be distinct from that of the organisation. Exalted devotion amplifies the performance of the individual simultaneously augmenting the capacity of the organisation.

This cycle empowers both the individual and the establishment and in turn, provides a fillip to human resources development.

In this age of rapidly and furiously changing technology, a question that would naturally pique the curiosity of the average person is, “How do huge, monolithic organisations function? What makes them tick?” Let us attempt to answer the questions taking the examples of the Indian Railways and the Indian Defence forces.

The Indian Railways is rightly called the lifeline of the nation; seamlessly connecting all corners of the country. In the last fiscal, 1146 million tonnes of cargo was loaded and carried across the length and breadth of the country by various freight cars. Further, on any given day on an average of around 24 million people travel by various trains, from the suburban trains to the high speed Gatiman Express.

We incessantly face challenges from within and without. Encircled by hostile neighbours, challenging geo political situation, inhospitable terrains, not to mention the numerous terrorist, radical and Naxal organisations which have struck root within the country and outside and espouse the cause of dismemberment of the republic. The Indian Armed Forces maintain vigil and protect our frontiers against the visible and the invisible enemy.

Chain of command and discipline

There is a single directive and chain of command from the General Manager to the gangman patrolling the tracks of the Indian Railways. Similarly, in the armed forces, it is their coherent chain of command which ensures their smooth functioning, their very survival. Inbuilt in the system is a discipline which guarantees that both the organisations work 24*7, 365 days a year.

Without this regimen of discipline and a direct chain of command which dispenses directions, these two organisations will cease to exist as we see them today and would plunge into anarchy.

 Cogent communication

Discipline and devotion get ingrained in any organisation in case the ideas of the leaders are successfully conveyed to the rank and file of the institution; seeping into every nook and cranny of the network in an uncorrupted manner.

Any idea, no matter how great, would be inutile if it is not transmitted effectively and understood by organisational members. The process of uninterrupted communication singularly serves four major functions. It enables control, motivates the employees, ensures emotional expression and transmits information.

Communication can also be perceived as a process or a flow of information. However, misadventures are encountered when there are deviations or when blockages occur in that flow and the derivable lie unaccomplished.

Leadership styles

There are as many definitions of leadership as there are leaders and their philosophies. There are democratic, participative, delegators, dictatorial, compassionate, stubborn, imaginative, think-out-of-the-box and also coercive leaders.

It is indisputable that the leader in order to be effective ought to acquire qualities of empathy with the workforce, effective communication. It is also imperative that he or she possesses greater information and knowledge than the foot soldiers. Lastly, a leader must be an inspirational figure and lead from the front.

Successful leaders hone their skills and learn the craft through various processes and often through trial and error. Some strategies pay immediate dividends. Results are expeditiously visible to members of the organisation and various stakeholders. At other times strategies take time to ripen. However, the leader should be singularly focussed to achieve the milestones, always ensuring devotion to the organisation even if immediate benefits to the individual are not apparent. The ‘patriarch’ of the organisation should empathise with the employees, appreciate their problems and correctly assess their strengths and weaknesses; but with an eagle eye look for recalcitrant employees to crack the whip at an appropriate juncture.

Leadership is ultimately all about the ability to influence the organisation, the stakeholders and various formal and informal groups and mobilise the human resources of the company to achieve the corporate goal.

Understanding organisational culture

An important angle in human resource development in any organisation is to discern the riddle of its organisational culture. Organisational culture primarily means a system of shared meaning held by the employees. This is what distinguishes it from other organisations and establishments. The organisation, its men and material are innovative and risk takers, engage in detail tasking, embrace the philosophy of outcome orientation, appreciate people orientation, the cynosure is on team orientation, over a period of time develop an inbuilt aggression which exudes positive energy to accomplish corporate goals, exult self-confidence and keep at bay antipathetic and gloom-ridden tendencies and maintains stability to scale the summit.

These are tools which harness the underlying principle of human resource development.

“We recruit for attitude and train for skill,” writes Atul Gawande the American surgeon and author of the iconic, Being Mortal. Indeed, words that sum up succinctly the role of human resources development.