Author: S Ramesh Shankar

Born in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India, I have been brought up in different parts of India. Graduate in chemistry and post graduate in personnel management and industrial relations. Have been a HR practitioner for 38 years in the industry and have experience in working in steel , automobiles, FMCG and engineering industry. Was head of HR for Siemens in South Asia based out of Mumbai till March 2019. Currently founded hrishti - joy forever, a social enterprise to give back to society and work as Chief Joy Officer.

Education & Intelligence

 

Today in most situations formal education does not prepare a kid for a career. It only enables the award of a degree and certificate. While we may say that the current education system possibly lays a theoretical foundation, it lacks in application. Further, it assesses the ability of kids to memorise and reproduce and not apply their intelligence to solve a problem.

What do we need to do to change the system ? In my view, education should prepare kids to assess themselves and realise their full potential. As a kid, I should be clear what my strengths are and what my passion is ? We should take children to places where they can live their passion. Imagine a creative child working in an organisation like a BPO where the job is process driven and not much scope for innovation. On the other hand, imagine an analytical child trying to innovate and create new designs in an advertising agency. Both the kids are likely to be unhappy and may not be fully equipped to do their jobs.

Our system conditions the child to believe that some careers are more prestigious than others. The inequity in salary and wages also makes children force themselves to take up high paying jobs although they may not be enjoying it. Similarly, the environment also does not encourage entrepreneurship. It is generally believed that smarter people take up certain kind of jobs only.

All these fallacies in our system makes us believe that it is time to reset our education system. Starting from schooling we need to delink education to our ability to memorise things and reproduce. It should be more vocational after an objective assessment of the child’s potential. Some kids are analytical, some creative, some love sports and others dramatics. We need to create a system which enables each child to make a self assessment on what they are good at and what type of work will give them joy.

My experience teaches me that we need to enjoy what we do in life. If we enjoy what we do, we give our best and live our passion in life. Otherwise, it becomes a ritual and adds to stress and agony in life. It does not matter if we are playing a sport or teaching in a college. We need to do what brings out the best in us. We need to experience joy in doing it and add value to ourselves and society at large.

At primary level, kids should not be in a competitive environment like today. They should be free to play and learn and understand what they enjoy doing more. This will take them to their area of strength. At the mid school level , it should help them self assess and then decide on which area they would like to study. At senior school and college level, it could be a right blend of theory and practical application in the field of their choice. This should be supplemented by compulsory internship as part of the curriculum to test their application skills.

All the above steps will prepare a child to go where they want to go. No destination is final. If a child realises that they have made a mistake on the way, our systems should be flexible enough to for them to choose an alternate path. This way we can ensure that children find their passion in life always.

As in the photo above, a child is not the most educated when young but could be more intelligent and creative and can trouble shoot many issues if they enjoy doing what they do.

Organisations needs to support internship for children so that they can assess themselves and make them industry ready. This could include businesses who can prepare kids interested in starting their own ventures and improve their risk appetite.

After all education is the foundation for a better tomorrow.

The journey has to begin today.

S Ramesh Shankar

2nd June 2020

 

 

Parallel lines…

I was amused but it struck a chord with me. Many a time in life we meet people who are not like us nor have much in common with us. We still enjoy their company and want to be with them. It can happen at home or outside.

Even within a family, a husband and wife may be like parallel lines in terms of personality but they may get along well and love each other’s company. They may like to enjoy the differences between them more than the similarities. In life, we tend to look at people similar to us. This was a new revelation for me. How can we enjoy life as parallel lines ?

In organisations too this may be true. A manager generally tends to recruit people similar to himself or herself in their team. However, a leader may look at diversity in recruitment. This distinction between a manager and a leader may explain the logic of how parallel lines can meet in real life.

A leader believes that diversity in thinking brings in richness in decision making and effectiveness in teams. On the other hand, a manager looks at synergy through similarities. This also could be the reasons for a manager to be seen as less risk taking as compared to a leader.

Most of us in life look for people similar to our likes and interests. We have been brought up with the belief that only people with similar interests get along well. It may be against the spirit of science, which believes that opposites attract and similar magnets actually repel each other.

Of course, life is not like magnets and neither people are. But the quote by Tagore where he explains that we can enjoy each other’s company even if we run as parallel lines like the two banks of a river was a true eye opener for me today.

I looked back at my life and realised that I was looking for more people like me and less who had alternate views or likings. This possibly made me efficient but not necessarily effective. While working, I did take the risk of having diverse people in my teams and may be that helped me to be more effective most of the times.

As in the photo above, one can be friends like the two banks of the river running parallel to each other but still flowing along peacefully and harmoniously.

Life is no different. We need to learn to live the same way.

S Ramesh Shankar

16th august 2020

Let us light a lamp today

I am neither a religious person nor an atheist. Of course I am a proud Hindu and I believe Hinduism is one of the most liberal religions in the world since it allows me to live life my way without any restrictions. I do respect all other religions and I am proud that India is a multicultural and multi-religious society, where we respect all religions and celebrate each other’s festivals with life and vigour.

I realised albeit a bit late in my life that most of our rituals in all religions are meant to make us more human. We tend to follow religious rituals blindly either because they have been followed over ages or because we believe that by following them something good is likely to happen to us.

Today is Deepawali. In the northern parts of India, it is believed that Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after his vanavas ( exile into the forests) and was reincarnated the King on his return. So the citizens celebrate Diwali by lighting lamps and bursting crackers to welcome back their beloved king.

In the southern parts of India, it is considered that Lord Krishna killed the demon Narakaasura and hence the victory of good over evil is celebrated with the bursting of crackers at the advent of dawn. It could be other stories in the west and east of India.

The rituals guide us to clean our homes and light lamps to celebrate the victory of good over evil. This is symbolic. This could mean it could be a day when we can clean our body and souls too. It is a way of the religion telling us to light a lamp in the life of others who are not as privileged as we are.

Most of us today are in the rat race. We are not only competing with others to get ahead in the race of life but sometimes are competing against ourselves too so that we cannot be beaten by anyone else. There could nothing wrong to be competitive in life. However, it is unhealthy competition which leads us to be greedy and ungrateful to what we have and make us want more than what we need in life.

In my definition, being good to others and serving them unconditionally is the best form of religion. If we are able to dedicate ourselves today to help someone,who is drowned with sadness and darkness, it may be the best way to celebrate this Festival of Lights.

Many of us are privileged and we have a place to stay, family and friends to support us and are bestowed with good health and wealth. While we need to be grateful to many who made us what we are today, the best way to repay their debt may be to help people who needs that kind of support today.

In our worldly affairs, we may have forgotten to express our gratitude to all the people who moulded us into a better human being today. Today this festival of Diwali gives us an opportunity to light a lamp in the lives of those who need the most.

We need not think of changing the world. I would appeal to each one of us to make an impact on any individual, who needs it the most. That may be the best way to celebrate this festival. Let us spread happiness around us. Let us bring a smile into the face of those who need it the most. Let us meet and be grateful to the people who have made us what we are today.

Let us celebrate Diwali by lighting a lamp into the life of someone today.

S Ramesh Shankar

24th October 2022