The young junior advocate briefed his senior, who returned from another court, on a case which he was to present soon. But he was horror-struck when the senior started on the new case presenting points which were in favour of the adversary, and not his client. The junior then gave him a gentle yet strong nudge to make him realise the mistake. The senior was a seasoned one and stopped for a bare second before he told the judge, "your honour, what I have just stated is what the other party would be trying to convince you about. My client's case is as follows..." He had rescued the situation with his wits about him. Having full knowledge about how to turn the matter around to his advantage (did'nt need preparation-for he could use his experience with ease) it seemed so natural that he won his case.
Yes, these are important life skills needed, whether the person is a businessman, housewife or civil servant. Of course one could ask how to get experience at the beginning of one's career. I remember the first day I was taking charge as under-secretary in the secretariat and walked up the steps to my room. I had no idea of my work and how I was to behave with different categories of people such as very senior people in age and experience but at lower levels of the hierarchy or higher ranking people of middle age who perhaps felt they had conquered the world, though they had a long way to go. And in my case, (it was more than half a century ago) I was the only woman who got to qualify for the post---so not even a role model for me!
The only option I had was to learn as I went along, making mistakes and falling down and getting up and working harder. There were several coaches willing to "teach" me, so one had to be careful not to get ensnared. One learns as one goes along---this is the inalienable truth-and listening and learning have to be lifelong, until one's last breath. Some young officers that many know have made their profession so much their passion that they have forgotten how to live. One should be able to strike the right kind of balance between making work mere worship and putting some joy into it. One person who got the first rank in the civil service list of his year was considered married to his books-yes indeed he was a great scholar but not able to solve many practical problems or be able to anticipate what would be the reaction to a government reply to an Assembly question and be ready with answers.
Being able to be ready for sensible anticipation so as to take on the most difficult situations on behalf of the employer we serve (in this case, the government) is a skill that has to be cultivated by all in top levels of decision-making. It is well said that in addition to being a 'learned' person, one must be a 'learning' person all one's life. And for this some humility is most necessary-one famous and successful professor (Isaac Sequira) said, "I like being a student of my students"---a sort of ask not what you have taught but what you have learnt." Having a good sense of fun and humour at the right time and place would make trials and tribulations seem easy to cross. One such person who comes to mind who handled many jobs with good humour and camaraderie was the late Abid Hussain (who was India's ambassador to the US). He was a much-loved and successful civil servant.
And what finer example do we have than Barack Obama, who approached the high office he held with such grace, optimism, sense of fun and purpose as to be able to overcome several inherited and new difficulties in all those eight years. He could identify his strengths and make full use of that knowledge. Whenever a mistake occurred from his government, he would not hesitate to apologise to the person concerned. He truly was a cut above most of the presidents the US ever had. At a meeting of the secretaries in the 1990s, to tell them that it was imperative for them to become skilled with computers and therefore they should start to obtain the skills for it, one of them hastened to tell the chief secretary, "madam, I'm now too old to start learning new things."
Although some others seemed shocked, there were many who felt like him. I could only tell him that I, as the oldest in the room, had already started learning and that no excuses were acceptable. Clearly, many in our flock are not "I can do" people which is a must for moving forward and making the system top class. "Tomorrow" is an excuse and a way of life for some of our officers. Did you know that the proverb "Never do today what you can do tomorrow" has been changed by many of them? It now reads as "Never do today what you can do the day after tomorrow". In top positions, there are situations where we have to implement orders which may affect the public interest adversely. Have we developed the knowledge and skills to convince the authorities (which include politicians and local groups) about the harmful effects/side effects and make them see reason?
There was indeed one chief secretary in Kerala who understood and handled ministers, the public, sometimes even officers to see how there were better ways of doing the same thing with minimum difficulties and dissatisfaction and maximum advantages. Such a skill is acquired through not only a thorough knowledge of the subject but by constantly updating, by interaction with people and understanding human psychology and a reputation built over years that you can be depended upon. One needs to ask oneself whether one belonged to this wonderful category of civil servants and if not what must one do to get into that magic circle. "The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die is a process of learning" said Jiddu Krishnamurthy. The process of learning is ceaseless and must be utilised for the good of society by those that govern and rule.
(The writer is a former chief secretary to government of Kerala)
