“Ethics in Public Governance” for improved productivity, through focus on “Inner Governance”, is the USP and the theme of all programmes and activities of ICCfG.
We believe that Ethics is not merely following the law; that, in any case is to be adhered to and its violation has its penal implications. Ethics goes beyond the law. It is being sensitive to the problems and needs of the people. It is being courteous and being attentive. And, above all, it means discipline, quality in work and, fulfilment of one’s duties. Ethics and Inner Governance is the ability to think, plan and act for long-term good. Ethics is important for effective decision making and continuous improvement of people, systems & processes.
Inner Governance points out that peace and prosperity are a function of ‘Individual’ and ‘Institutional Ethics’. It follows the law of farm and not of school. Whereas, stress, tension, anxiety, worry, high BP, ulcers, etc. are a function of lack of ethics
Inner Governance awakens our Viveka and gives us strength, fearlessness, courage and ability to take fair, just and long term decisions more and more.
Key Takeaways of Training Programs:
- To raise self-esteem, self-respect, self-confidence, through' self-awareness interventions
- To encourage to deal with life holistically, since homelife affects work life and vice versa
Reflections on Ethics & Inner Governance for Improving Productivity
- Human beings are capable of thinking, planning and executing appropriate responses to developing situations.
- If people are allowed to do the obvious, after being made aware of what is good for the institution then the organization will work on its own in harmony with the rest and integrated with the stakeholders and environment in a mutually beneficial way.
- The signs of a healthy unit is that it adapts, adjusts, and accommodates itself to changing circumstances. This is the key to its survival, evolution and growth.
- A unit where people are bound by inflexible job titles and rigid hierarchy cannot grow for the only reason that people don’t have the autonomy and freedom to think and act freely. Since people act without conviction, unit becomes sick. Interactive Discussions & Self Introspection by Participants on:
- What, if any, ails the present system of working & Governance?
- What steps can I take, within my area of influence, to improve things? Short-
- Personal: Who am I? My Goals?
- Who are ‘we’? Separate or Inter-related, Inter-connected, Inter-dependent; worldview of separateness or oneness?
- What is ‘work’? Why do we work? How should we work?
- Who is Samaja or Society?
- Who are my ‘customers’? Superiors or Citizens?
- How can I satisfy my customers? What are their expectations? Do I have a check-list of their expectations? Do I solve their problems or create them?
- How can I continuously improve? How do I rate my effectiveness?
- How many people do I deal with daily? How will they rate my effectiveness?
- What can I do to improve my rating? What can I do to help my colleagues?
- How many changes have I introduced in my area of work?
- People want to grow; Growth gives happiness! How can I grow in my workplace? What opportunities can I give people for their growth?
- Within my area of control, what can be done to improve productivity?
- Am I trying for continuous improvements in relationships?
- Based on my own knowledge and experience, can I identify some of those areas where inefficiency, unethical behavior, corruption, etc. are more prevalent – where we have ‘Dissatisfaction with the Present’?
- Within my area of influence, where can I make a visible impact in a short time?
- What can be our suggestions for ‘Shared vision for future’ and the ‘Agreed First Step?
- What could be our strategy to continuously think on ‘Improved Systems for Individual and Organizational Effectiveness’?
- Can we create chains of ‘self-managed-small-units’ in supplier-customer relationship, directly responsible and accountable for satisfying the citizen-customers?
- How do Common Indians compare to public servants at work? Most people have a natural urge to expand and grow and will do so, when they have the feelings of ‘ownership’ and ‘freedom’ at work. Given the opportunity they would like to take more and more responsibilities, improve their skills, strive to grow and become better and better.
- Do you agree that a rolling stone gathers no moss and so a person must remain in a post at least for 3-5 years so that his efforts can be for long-term good!
- Recognizing work as an opportunity to offer our service for good of society, ‘work as worship’; yogaha karmasu kaushalam.
- Recognizing ourselves as a partner with the Creator, ‘me’, ‘my family’, ‘my workplace’, ‘my Institution’, ‘my society’, we are all part of a family
- Discovering old wasteful habits.
- Learning new productive habits and skills.
- Working for zero-error, zero-delay, zero-wastage, zero-accidents, zero corruption, zero harm.
- Making workplace sacred: cleanliness, orderliness, regularity; karma-kshetre as dharam-kshetre.
- Are Indian workers lazy and inefficient? Or have we failed to tap their unlimited potential?
- Look at common Indians at work outside the formal sector, or even housewives. Once they are given freedom and have the responsibility, then these same people have the creativity to identify and solve problems without formal education and training.
- Don’t keep a dog and bark yourself! Delegate to the lowest competent level. Seniors waste time and energy in policing, checking, monitoring, etc.
- There is no time for innovation, improvements, long-term plans, etc.
- Systems don’t allow freedom to operate, identify and solve problems
- Creativity, joy, pride and satisfaction in work is missing.
- How do we let workers think, plan and execute quality work with zero defect?
- How do we empower them and give autonomy and freedom to produce desired results?
- Excellence and quality in work is the path to perfection
- Be a master not a slave: Work and do your duties in joy and freedom, don’t work like a slave.
- Doing is very good, but that comes from thinking. Fill the mind with high thoughts, highest ideals and out of that will come great work.
- Nobody has the right to carry on substandard work. Everybody has a right to stop a wrong action.
- Focus on Continuous improvements.
- Explore Ideas of Self-managed Teams?
- Empowering Self and others - helping ordinary people to produce extraordinary results. (If we allow people more freedom, autonomy and help them to be more creative, they will be motivated to give their best. How do we make jobs more challenging, more interesting?)
- Interpersonal Relationship.