Obeisance

SSSIE Family offers its sincere homage to Prof. N.Shanmugam, the chosen instrument of God and the author of e-articles on Education Management, who left everyone of us and merged at the Divine Lotus Feet of Bhagawan on 19th July 2023. He is not physically present with us now. But, he will be guiding and inspiring the whole world for centuries through his unparalleled writing published through these e-articles.

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VOLUME XI – CHAPTER  1

LEARN TO TACKLE FAILURE

Years back, the speaker of a Legislative Assembly proclaimed that he had sweeping powers. Like that when you are asked to sit in the swivel chair in the corner room behind a glass door, it does not mean that you have been bestowed with “sweeping powers “to sweep away the past.

The Republican Presidential candidate in the USA – Mr. Herman Cain in his speeches expressed an idea- Is the mental image that the poor are lazy. The incumbent President Mr. Barrack Obama had a different mental image that the poor are entrepreneurial.

You also may start with some images like this. My decision shall be final, the staff is incapable of making decisions, I should not get close with the staff, they will take me for granted, or the staff should be kept on a tight leash.

Once you start from any of these images, you get obsessed or caught up with them, you fail to look at reality as it is and you end up with conclusions not often correct.

You have to understand the ground realities and make a course correction of yourself before you think of changing the course of the river.

Mr. N. Vaghul, just before he took over as chairman of ICICI, was met by an officer who told him about a transaction that was being talked about and adduced several reasons as to why the deal should not be gone through Vaghul heard him out patiently and simply said:-

“If that is the policy, it is time to revisit it”

Whenever the author took over a K.V., he used to be an observer participant and after 6 months, in the staff meeting, he would ask the staff:-

“Please think tonight and write out any of the existing practices which you would like to revisit to take your school forward”

After that, slowly he would implement the changes. Sometime later, he would say, “Based upon the ideas given by you all, I got a few ideas which I would like to carry out with your cooperation”. Then, it became easy for him to carry out the changes he wanted.

You have to learn to tackle failure. Arthur Ashe once said, “Success is a journey, not a destination. Early success may act as an impediment for you”

Success blunts your ability to notice a few flaws in your personal. You shouldn’t pass the buck. You must know how to use failure. Suppose the results have gone down, you should have an analysis meeting where one doesn’t find fault with another but respects each other and discuss as to what went wrong.

You may fail because of different reasons. In one school there were two sections in class XII. Both the class teachers were senior people. Section A got 100% results and section B got 99% results. The difference was just one percent. But, the principal called the B section teacher and said, “I can understand your feelings. Of course, it will be painful but please don’t think it is shameful. Our regard for you will not get reduced even by an iota because of this”.

When the author visited the school, the principal told him that the previous day as he was busy with preparation for inspection, he forgot to check his bank balance and had issued a cheque for LIC. The manager rang up and told him “You have issued a cheque for Rs. 300/- but there is only 280/- in your a/c. So, I have to return it”. The principal, it seems told him “Please don’t do it. The next bus will leave this place only at 2 p.m. and by the time my peon comes there with Rs. 500/-. It will be 3 p.m. Kindly keep it pending”. The manager refused to do so and the cheque was dishonoured.

The author told him, “The manager had made an error in his judgment. He could have easily put Rs. 100/- from his pocket, honoured, the cheque, and then taken the sum from the peon. In the staff meeting tell them that this could happen to them also. Talk to the manager of another Nationalised Bank in that area and ask him if he would like to have your teacher’s A/C and also the school fees A/C and also ask him if he can give a personal loan of Rs. 2000/- to each staff for buying household articles”. That manager very gladly agreed. All A/Cs were closed in the first bank and opened here. The staff got their loans also.

The manager of the first bank was shocked, taken by surprise, and crestfallen because of his error of judgment.

You may fail because of a lack of preparation. In 1980, the author went to a school for the inauguration of the new building for the school by the Governor. The function should start at 4.30 P. M. they reached the place by train and arrived at school by noon. He found the stage covered by a dozen small 6”x3” yoga carpets and dual desks from the classrooms arranged in the shamiana. When questioned the principal said, “What can I do. I don’t have 500 chairs and big durries. If the Governor comments anything, let him do so”. She was simply not prepared for such a big function. Immediately the author asked one resourceful local teacher- the HM of the primary section and also a scoutmaster to go to some big marriage halls in the town and get all the chairs available hiring two or three trucks. Then the author himself took a senior (local) PGT and went to the local Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan and purchased two big durries on credit saying the cheque from the school will be given in person by the teacher the next day. By 3 P. M., there were 500 chairs and a finely made-up stage. The principal got into a problem because she did not understand what ‘Preparation’ meant. To help her gain experience, she was transferred to a small school.

COLLABORATION DEFINES YOU

Writing the ACR should not be a year-end activity for you. It should be a continuous process. The author had a system in place for this. He used to take the Senior PGTs with him to observe the classes of Junior TGTs. The senior TGTs and senior primary teachers to see the Junior primary. When he starts writing the ACR, he will call the Senior PGTs, TGTs, and PGTs who have observed the class and discuss with them the pluses and deficiencies of those teachers.

The author used to find out for every teacher where he is present and how he could equip himself to go to the next higher level. This will be discussed with him and a plan of action worked out.

When the author found, some staff members very promising, he used to assign them work that is complex and posed challenges, and required more maturity. They will have a fiery baptism and all those people later on became successful Principals.

The author used to say, “We don’t look for a superman. Each one will have their failings and idiosyncrasies. But only look into and search for that one distinctive feature that sets him apart from the crowd”.

Teachers join your school with an expectation. They understand your school’s philosophy and practices and think if their personal philosophy would align properly with that of the school. They apply to your school based upon their perception which is a reality. Problems arise later on when there is a mismatch. When such a situation arises you have to try to make the teachers understand what is expected of him and advise him to seek better pastures if he is not happy with his present situation. If mending is not possible, the ending is the only solution.

Especially in big organizations with a group or chain of schools, the question will be,

Are you Mr. X in the world of KVS/ Navodaya Vidyalaya/ Chinmaya/ Sathya Sai or is the world of KVS etc.,

When you join an organization, you have to identify yourself with the organization. You can’t be inside it and try to sabotage it. This is used to be the advice given by the author to the Principals and Teachers in KVs

The author heard that a principal used to talk in the staff meetings or in individual conversations with the staff, advising them to do this or that but nothing much came out of these talks because he didn’t follow up this talk with action. So, when the author visited that school, in the staff meeting, he just remarked “A rocking horse moves but does not make progress”.

A principal complained to the author that a particular teacher was giving him a lot of headaches and sleepless nights because of his abrasive attitude, impertinent remarks, and disobedient behaviour. The principal said, “He is very good. The pupils enjoy his class but I don’t know why I have to wage a war against him daily”?

The author remained silent for a while and then told him, “Look! the greatest wars are fought in the silent chambers of one’s soul. If he is a good teacher, (since yours also is the same subject) perhaps you are inwardly jealous of his popularity. Think calmly as to how you can capitalize on his teaching skills and use them for the benefit of the school. Find out his other talents. I learn that he has studied French. Request him to teach French for 2 days a week after school hours. I will ask the Asst. commissioner to put him as a resource person for the TGT science in-service course. But, you tell him that you want to share his expertise on improvisation with TGTs. Also, you are asking the Asst. commissioner to put him as a resource person for the TGT science course. Invite him for a tea session after school. See how nicely it works”.

It worked. That teacher, later on, became a principal!

Know the secret. Creating collaboration and enabling leadership is what defines leadership. You should create a sustainable- not situational set of values that are rooted in the human element.

In these days of E-Communication, you may find SMS, texting, etc as easy means of communication. But these written communications require extra care because you can’t patch up later. Before writing something negative or increasing the temperature with an intemperate remark, give the teacher the benefit of the doubt and hold back your hand from sending an angry or emotional email immediately.

Better pick up the phone or call him over or you go over and sort it out face to face.

Yael Zofi in his book “A Manager’s Guide to virtual teams” says: –

“Leadership is the agent of connection- how well you are connected with others and your willingness to trust your team to solve issues.

A WAY TO SOLVE ATTRITION

Another problem that you may have to face can be staff attrition. A PGT in a Private School resigned when he got a post of TGT in a Govt. The school is even that away from her present place. The lure of Govt. Service, pension, and no accountability. Another teacher left when he was offered Rs. 1000/- more in another School. He forgot that increase was the purchase price paid by the new School for the valuable experience he had gained in the previous school. Can a monetary value be placed on the experience that School provided him? “Ingratitude is the unkindest cut of all”, said Shakespeare.

To recruit talent and retain it with you, you may take a lesson from the experience of Lupin Chemicals Co. Lupin goes out to Schools in September each year with the lure of a job and an education. A 3-year customized B.Sc., in Drug Sciences from Yeshwant Rao Chavan Maharashtra Open University. Students between 17 and 18 years with 60% in the Science stream taken, accommodation taken care of, and also paid Rs. 35000/- per person for the                 3 years course. The salaries paid to these trainees start at Rs. 7000/- per month in the 1st year Rs. 8000/- in the second year, Rs. 9000/- in the 3rd year. These trainees spend 5 days a week getting trained in the plant and six hours in class on weekends. On passing out, a job is assured to them.

This can be tried out by a big group of Schools which can scout top scorers from reputed Schools who have a flair for testing, assuring them an integrated 5-year course in the Regional College of Education and at the end of the course they may be absorbed in Schools. During training, their course fee and exam fee shall be paid by Schools. A flat rate stipend of Rs. 1000/- per month may be paid for 5 years involving an expenditure say roughly Rs. 1 Lakh for students. This amount can be arranged through an education loan from the bank and can be repaid by the school from the salary. A bond may be got executed that the student will serve the school for 7 years and after that, the school may support him/her for higher studies like Ph.D. in Education or MBA in Education management, or M.Phil. in Education (with thesis) with a stipend. For this, a tie-up can be made with a university. The school will grow with them and they will grow with the school.

 

DISCOVER AND DEVELOP YOUR CORE STRENGTH

You should not be an also-ran. You should make yourself a benchmark in the Education arena. Differentiation must be a key factor in your amour. A businessman earns money by begin different from his competitors in his service, to his customer differentiation should not wear with time. This should be at the core of your strategy. As you grow you should not forget your core and get carried away by the glows at the periphery.

While periodically registering success, you should constantly be reinventing and strengthening your core strength which is what differentiates you from others. The Sathya Sai Schools or the Ramakrishna Mission Schools stand for some fundamentals.

You can deliberate about your key differentiators with some questions

  1. Are they genuinely distinctive?
  2. Are they measurable against competitors?

You can expand to: –

  1. Create new services

Many Schools now have their book store stationery stores, and one School (which has 14 branches) has its own printing press

  1. Create new customer segments

Now Schools open branches in Gated communities to cater exclusively to the population of the Township

  1. Enter new geographic locations. One group in Chennai has opened Schools in Madurai & Theni.
  2. Enter related lines of business-like Publishing, Franchising

“INCLUSION” SHALL BE YOUR TARAKA MANTRA

The author learnt the hard way through experience, the significance and importance of the concept of “inclusion” despite 19 years of experience, in 1970, when the Chairman of KVS visited Madras. The Asst. Commissioner had just then assumed charge and opened the regional office at Chennai. As the author was known to her well, she sought his help to organize the Minister’s visit. He asked a TGT who was good at P.R. to meet one Mr.Gotety, a Lion’s Club President (quite influential), and arranged for a nice venue and printing of invitation cards. He asked all the city Principals to choose the best dance item in their recent Annual Day program and tune it up. As there were only 7 days left, they were told that the Asst. Commissioner will see the rehearsal in each school on the 5th Say with a grand rehearsal on the stage on the 6th day. One lady Principal was asked to be in charge of this dance program. On the 7th day, one male Principal was asked to be the EMCEE (M.C). On the 7th day morning, when the Minister visited the author’s School, he had asked a junior PGT to welcome the Minister in Hindi and the SPL boy to welcome him in English. The author asked the Home Science teacher to be in charge of hospitality at the evening meeting.

            The PGT English was upset that she was not asked to welcome. The PGT Hindi was annoyed that he was not asked to speak in Hindi. Two senior lady teachers were amiss in that they were not put in charge of hospitality. One local Principal took umbrage that a Junior Principal was asked to compete forgetting that his communication skills were no match to that of the young Principal. In a review, these points were discussed.

            5 years later, when the author was Principal of KV Coimbatore, the HQRS asked all KVS to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of UNESCO. He discussed this with the District Collector Sri. S.Narashimhan I.A.S Chairman of the School Committee and told him that instead of KV celebrating, the whole local educational community should be involved. He liked the idea and supported it wholeheartedly.

            Under his Presidentship, the author convened a meeting of the Heads of all Colleges, CBSE Schools, Private schools, Municipal Schools, and the DEO/CEO. All were very happy that the whole city was involved. They decided to organize a UNESCO member countries exhibition, a seminar of teachers to discuss the relevance and achievements of UNESCO, and a massive dance festival.

            Each institution was allotted one country for exhibition and dance and to be represented by one teacher in the seminar. KV Coimbatore coordinated all the activities.

            Sri T.S.Avinashilingam Founder –Director of Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya was the Chief Guest for a seminar with a Group Captain –  Commanding officer of Airforce Station presiding. The Principal of SRKV Arts College, the Headmasters of ACC High School and Mahajana High School, Mertopalayam were the judges.

            The exhibition was inaugurated by Dr. Mrs. Rajammal P. Devadas, Vice Chancellor, Sri Avinashilingam University with Dr. G.R. Damodharan Director, PSG College of Technology presiding.

            For the dance festival, the district collector was the Chief Guest. The wives of Sri. Veeraraghavan, support of Police, Sri. K. E. Varadan, District judge, and                                      Sri. G. Srinivasan, Chief educational officer acted as Judges. The wives of Dr. T. K. Ganesan, Chief Physician Govt. Hospital Coimbatore and Sri. T. A. Subramaniam, District Education Officer, compiled the results. Participation prizes to all the 25 institutions along with the three best teams and also for best abhinaya, best rhythm, and best costumes were given by Mrs. Narasimhan, wife of the district collector.

            Since the collector’s PA knew all the officers and elite of the town, he was requested to receive the guests. The collector’s driver and duffadar were asked to guide them to their seats. The next day the collector invited the author for a cup of tea and congratulated him for including so many people in the program.

            Lessons learnt 5 years earlier. The author suggested to the collector that he may send an invitation to all heads and officers for a get-together in his bungalow and also said, “They will consider it a great honour. Our KV shall make all arrangements”. After this function, Kendriya Vidyalaya became a household name in Coimbatore.

            There are specific practical problems to be faced. The author had observed a noticeable drop in the quality of teaching by lady staff just before their menstrual cycle. He used to ask the senior lady teacher to find out if that is the reason. Over some time, his doubts were confirmed. In such cases, he used to request the concerned staff not to strain too much by teaching. But instead, give some work to the students and supervise or make the classes fully participative by the students. Teachers appreciated his gesture and put in more effort on other days.

            Another thing to be taken care of is to see if there is any clash or conflict between the school culture and the culture of the local community.

 

WILL PROMOTION MEAN THE LOSS OF A GOOD TEACHER?

            Yet another area of concern is the promotion of excellent teachers as Principals. The author’s friend, a distinguished professor in an IIT defined the offer of a Directorship of IIT saying “Administration is not my cup of tea. I prefer to teach and research. He was given the status of Professor Emeritus.

            This aspect is worth considering. Is it necessary to promote an excellent teacher as Principal? Why can’t we allow some who are academically oriented to continue to be so while protecting their salaries and promotions? Several batches of students will continue to benefit from their experience and expertise. A big company called ‘3M’ adopts this practice. Skilled technocrats are allowed to continue to be so. While at the same time, they don’t lose anything financially.

            The author knew some people who were very good at teaching. But, when they were promoted as Principals they couldn’t lead a team because they couldn’t shed their ego.

            In rural areas, the author had seen that people prefer remaining in their places. Mobility is less. The correspondents of the school take advantage of this necessity and appoint them as teachers on reduced salaries. In some cases, private schools demand payment ( rates fixed for different cadres) from candidates to get appointed as teachers. The candidates borrow or mortgage and give this amount so that they can have a regular job! Sheer exploitation!

MAKE YOUR DREAMS THE DREAMS OF THE WHOLE STAFF

Decentralized decision-making will lighten your burden. It will give the staff a sense of ownership and empowerment. The big question before you will be,

should I bring about changes?

Or

Be a referee enabling changes?

Have an open mind to listen and learn. You should be current in a fast-paced world. Consulting others will help you get ideas clarified. Being a solo operator is not good because when a tricky or trying situation arises, you will be all alone and all your staff on the other side enjoying your discomfiture. Be a contextual leader and assign different responsibilities to different people. Such complementarity can be fully productive only when you act the role of a conductor of an orchestra. You should know how to negotiate with the bouncers when they come flying at you.

Your staff shall be your strength, your shield, your armor, your moat. They will not buy ‘what’ you do, but they will buy ‘why’ you do it – the reason behind your action. If that is explicit and appreciable then they will accept it.

When a fresher joins your school, motivate him to be eager enough to surrender himself or herself to the role of a teacher which he/she has chosen as his /her profession, and make him or her understand that this absolute surrender and identification is an absolute prerequisite for success.

Your dreams should not be your dreams alone. You should make them the dreams of the whole staff.

Take care and notice of the Heroes. When BVR Subbu was the President of Hyundai Motor India, he asked his staff to bring their wives to the factory and take them around so that they will know where their husbands work and what they produce. Sri T. S. Krishna, past Chairman of TVS used to get the families of all the staff on Vijaya Dasami day for a grand get-together. Send a special invitation to the teachers’ husbands and wives for the important school functions and give them a pride of place on the Annual Day and Sports Day. Have an item or two for them. On Senior Citizens, Day invites the teacher’s parents and student’s grandparents and honour them. These are all bonding factors that the author found very helpful in his work. See that there is no conflict of interest between you and your staff. Instead, there should be a confluence of interest. Trouble arises when you show your preferences to a place for an excursion, a particular vendor for the purchase of furniture, chemicals, sports goods, etc., or engaging a travel co., or a particular press for printing school calendars, or magazine. Instead, form a committee to decide the final result. Then you are safe when you are the authority to approve their decision.

If you can create a unique culture, then talent will want to come to work for you and stay on. Always think if you have got the best talent – even talent better than you (the assumption here is that you are good. Take care to preserve it)

If there is any talent outside, see if you can get that person for your school, in consulting with the existing staff as to how they feel his entry would strengthen the school. Take him/ her if he/ she can create a difference.

Develop a personality that is confident, yet not abrasive and overpowering; assertive but not aggressive and insinuating; pleasing and yet not ingratiating or sycophantic. Always have the urge to climb a higher mountain. Welcome any idea – not because of where and when it comes but how it plays out.

The greatest danger facing you will be the tendency to carry on the status quo- to believe that if you don’t attempt any changes and keep doing as before we will be safe.

The more you accept your present position, you will have less motivation to develop. On the other side the more you goad yourself to grow, the less satisfied you will be with your present position. That is million-dollar question before you.

‘UBUNTU’ – The African tradition of teamwork and collaboration, Nelson Mandela defined ‘UBUNTU’ as under (quoted by Sheethal Srivastava):

“A traveller through the country would stop at a village and he didn’t have to ask for food or water. Once he stops, the people give him food and entertain him. That is one aspect of ‘UBUNTU’. But it will have various aspects, “UBUNTU’ does not mean that people should not enrich themselves. The question, therefore, is: – Are you going to do so to enable the community around you to be able to improve?

This is the most important ground reality. Are you going to advance yourself? Or are you going to lift your whole staff with you?

Together we shall succeed. This shall be your watchword, slogan, Tarakamantra, and sheet anchor.

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ONE WHO KNOWS (VOLUME XI – CHAPTER  1)

(DIMENSIONS OF THE LIFE AND WORK OF A PRINCIPAL)

1529) One who knows the success of every relationship is built on selective acts of blindness and deafness- and bouts of forgetfulness.

1530) One who knows that a relationship, in order to be successful, needs sheltering from harsh truths and glossing over the less palatable bits.

1531) One who sees that the staff who says “it can’t be done” does not interrupt the person doing it.

1532) Madeleine Thein- a Chinese writer- says “Without obsession, there is no life’s work”
One who knows his obsession with quality, honesty, and character.

1533) One who knows to take a step back. When essential, instead of standing on false pride.

1534) One who knows that if he can do something for a long time without thinking of money. That is his passion.

1535) One who knows that the most important parameter is time. Pressure Vs Time, workload Vs time, workflow Vs time, speed vs time, team Caliber vs time, resource vs time, and manpower vs time.

1536) One who knows that professionalism means how we live and breathe in our professional work.

1537) One who knows that he can win the hearts of others only by being patient and asking politely rather than by command.

1538) One who has become a self-starter and not a kick starter.

1539) One who knows that there is no greatest gift and blessing than growing in the hands of a great teacher.

1540) One who knows to adjust but is never prepared to compromise

1541) One who knows what to absorb and what to Passover

1542) One who knows to make every moment an ideal moment of peak performance and perfect harmony
“ Aayushman Yogam
Bhava Karanam
Sowmya Vaaram”
Ancient blessings were given when someone prostrated and offered pranams.

1543) One who knows to declutter his mind of useless thoughts occasionally

1544) One who knows how to held the staff to produce maximum results with minimum effort.

1545) one who can when told he will not be able to achieve, makes them silent by showing he can and prove himself.

1546) One who knows that faith is really a mover for him to perform any work which appears difficult.

1547) One who knows to fail his way to success

1548) One who knows to define his life and make the world say that he does not remind it of anybody else.

1549) One who knows that his heart speaks eloquently in silence

1550) One who knows that he should not waste his time too much on thinking what he wants to be than on thinking what he is and what he should do.

1551) One who knows that he can do things with great love

1552) One who knows that he is just a pencil in the hand of God who is sending a love letter to all.

1553) One who does not allow praise or disgrace to touch him, since he knows who he is.

1554) One who observes how nature grows in silence, how stars move in silence and so also tries himself to grow in silence

1555) One who knows that God, love, humanity, gratitude, prayer, peace, bliss, silence, and forgiveness, belong to one religion and makes his students understand this eternal truth

1556) One who understands that his loved ones are emotional sounding boards and not emotional punching bags

1557) One who tells his students:
How you see me makes no Difference to me
But it makes all the Difference to you

1558) One who asks his staff and students to have a special mirror in front of them that reflects the angel in them waiting to be brought out.

1559) One who advises his staff that a child is not born with a strong mind, but can be developed by them through the right training.

1560) One who knows that he should gradually evolve from purush to purushothaman.

1561) One who knows how to put to good purposeful use the God-given 8640 seconds -1440 minutes and 24 hours

1562) One who knows that no start is perfect and no end is perfect and enjoys his journey as he moves on.

~~~~~

Eminent Thinkers
(whose ideas adopted to Education Management)

Saurabh Srinivastava (Indian Ventures)

  • Raju Anandan (Blue Ocean)
  • Asish Dhawan (Chrys Capital)
  • Vinod Dham (Indus Ventures)
  • Raghul Bhasin (Baring Private)
  • Avinash Bajaj (Matrix)
  • Rajduggar
  • Subarata Mehra (Accel)
  • Venky Harinarayana (Cambrian)
  • Samcer Sam
  • Saurabh Srinivastava (Indian Ventures)
  • Sanjeev Agarwal (Helion)
  • Phuneet Bhatia (TG Capital)
  • Samer Satpathy (CMO. Marico)
  • Ashutosh Telang
  • Lobo (GE)
  • Je Pawlin Fry
  • Henry Weisinger
  • Prof. Sigal Bassade
  • Ashish Singh (VP-HR – First Advantage)
  • David Kohler (Coo-Kohler)

~~~~~

YEARN to fill your heart with Him, not with you. Your yearning must be warm, so warm that it can be called “Thapas” (Heat). Become hot (earnest). Now it is only a lukewarm longing, a surface activity. Examine yourselves how far you have filled your heart within. Measure the heights you have reached with the yardstick of virtue, serenity, fortitude and equanimity. You now become easy victims of lust, anger, malice, envy and the rest of that evil brood; the atmosphere of the heart is polluted by the ego-fumes. – Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba