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4
There was much food for thought provided by
an empowered audience and a distinguished
and learned panel of speakers on a subject of
paramount importance today: "The Distinct
Nature Of Management Practices In Pakistan And
Their Viability For The Future" moderated in
typical style by Mahreen Khan, the
anchorperson for BBC World's Question Time
Pakistan.
The panelists were all experts on the subject
of management. Salman Burney (Managing
Director, M/s GlaxoSmithKline), Sualeha Bhatti
(Partner, M/s Sensei International), Kamran
The bright turnout enjoyed every moment of it!
Rizvi (Managing Partner, M/s KZR Associates),
Arshi Ahmad-Aziz (Training Consultant),
Mashhood-Ul-Hassan Rizvi (Coordinator, Sindh
Education Foundation), Abbas Husain
(Educationist), Zarrar R. Zubair (Director, Pakistan
Institute of Management), and Rameez Allawala
(Entrepreneur) constituted the distinguished
panel of Speakers at the Royal Rodale Club.
The audience noted with delight the presence
of the Chairman TCS, Khalid N. Awan, at home
on a flying visit from Toronto where TCS is
defining the new frontiers to its global expansion.
Jamil Janjua (CEO TCS) provided the welcome
address, and set the tone for the discussions
to follow. "We hope to focus the attention of our
audience and panelists on management
practices in Pakistan that are distinct to Pakistan,
and perhaps contributing to the confusion that
has stunted our growth," he said.
Salman Burney opened the dialogue with a crisp
summation of the management development
history in Pakistan through the post colonial
stage (up to the mid -70s) where form prevailed
over substance. He also pointed out that the
expatriation and repatriation stage (up to the
mid-90s) failed in helping us to develop
management structures that could compete
globally, and the present stage of indigenous
development where the foreign companies in
Pakistan have been packing up and leaving.
At about the same time, he said, local
companies had finally shown the potential to
develop as multinationals citing TCS as a prime
example.
Mahreen Khan (extreme left) busy moderating the Panel Discussion
Zarrar Zubair brought forth a good point when
he said that our leaders forget that they need
to 'walk their talk'. Spouting the right words
while failing to put them into practice has a
devastating effect on organizational morale. In
an autocratic environment people may not
challenge a faulty leadership, but they do not
support it either. There is a cultural and
generation gap between the 2nd and 3rd
generations with a worldview, and orthodox 1st
generation managements who view with distaste
their impudence and sense of dress! Individuals
at all levels in the management hierarchy need
to stand up and be counted, and make a
difference.
Mashhood-Ul-Hassan Rizvi spoke of social
injustice and the feudal mindset, and the
increasing gulf between the rich and the poor.
According to him what we have in Pakistan is
poor management, corrupt management, and
if we are at all lucky, then no management. He
advocated identifying with the poor and the
oppressed worldwide, and cited Che Guevera
as a hero.
Sualeha Bhatti advocated the need to bust the
bureaucracy, and the building of an IT mentality
that moved from an obsession with hardware
to the development and installation of software.
According to her we are good as task and goal
oriented managers, but are extremely poor at
attracting, retaining, developing and nurturing
talent.
Kamran Rizvi emphasized the need for a
mentality change and a flatter organizational
structure focused on the dignity of employees
and their input in policy making. Good corporate
governance holds the key, and attitude makes
policy. Leadership is all about guts and vision.
He lamented the lack of character strength and
self-esteem in our managers wherein they would
prefer to kill themselves inside and retain their
jobs rather than stand up for their principles.
We need a corporate culture of caring and
sharing.
Abbas Husain warned against the accepting of
limits as non-negotiable, and the need for
schools to function as learners rather than
teachers, spiraling upwards to a virtuous level.
There must be established a context for
dialogue. A good garden, he said, needs
constant maintenance. "When the leaves of a tree
turn yellow you do not paint them green, you water
the roots."
Rameez Allawala spoke of management's urge
to control as opposed to learning and expanding,
criticizing the 'seth' oriented companies for
thriving on control and failing to expand, with
TCS as a honorable exception that has made
a successful transition to professionally
managed enterprise. A great sign of the times
according to him is the increasing number of
women entering the workforce and making
senior management positions. This will make
managements more sensitized and humane in
their conduct.
Arshi Ahmad-Aziz spoke of the slave driver
managers that preferred form to substance,
regularly making employees work long hours
without any real need for it. She also lamented
managements that viewed women as semiequal.
Family life plays a decisive role in
determining the corporate and national
environment. Happy families will produce a
positive and motivated workforce. She
recommends that people speak their heart, and
quoted a Chinese sage who said, "He who gains
victory over other men is strong, but he who gains
victory over himself is all powerful."
In his concluding remarks, Khalid N. Awan,
Chairman, TCS, while thanking the audience
expressed his happiness and optimism at seeing
so many young people glued to the discussion
and said that he indeed foresee a good time
for the future of
management practices in
the country. He also said
that TCS CONNECT
FORUM is not just TCSspecific
and that it is open
to all those who are keen
to benefit from it. Those
who are interested in
getting a copy of the
Panel Discussion should
contact Abdul Ghafoor
(ghafoor@tcs.com.pk),
Tel: 111-123-456 (Extn.
3093). You can also email
your comments on
the Presentation at the
same e-mail address.
Shireen Naqvi making a
presentation on her "School of
Leadership"
Ali Leghari / Head of Corporate Affairs/
leghari@tcs.com.pk
Khalid N. Awan,
Chairman, TCS, giving
his concluding remarks