Opinion Sir Propofol

say NO!”

Reader Gopal Kulkarni wrote “Compliments for dragging out an unusual and unthought-of subject and converting it into a delightful piece of reading. It’s a truly 100 per cent correct reflection of Indian society in diverse situations.” He added his Yes input: “In North India,especially in Delhi,Yes has a tactical business dimension so as not to lose a customer come what may.” He said the customer is kept occupied,even with a cup of tea,while the shopkeeper’s assistant is secretly sent out to procure the item the retail didn’t have. Another reader,Vibhu Haleja,wrote that people say Yes when not understanding that “No” is a complete sentence that needs no explanation. They sometimes shy away from No to avoid explaining why they are saying No. “Perhaps people simply lack the courage to say No,” writes Vibhu. “Many are programmed from childhood to put the needs of others before self,so Yes becomes a habit that continues. Also,when you want to be liked by all or feel indebted to someone,you don’t say No.”

Perhaps culturally we are not trained to say No. I really don’t know if this phenomenon is a deficiency,lack of boldness,or use of the politeness metaphor,but in any business transaction,a dubious Yes is certainly non-productive and considered untrustworthy. Now let’s tackle “Yes,Sir.”

Impact of colonial culture

“Sir” is a British colonial residue that’s entered our collective bloodstream. Not having worked in India earlier,I’m not used to Sir culture. At different corporate meetings,my Indian clients are surprised when my under-30 colleagues all address me by my name. I wasn’t born into the Sir title,so why take it from anyone? In my analysis,subordinates escape their business responsibility by saying Sir,or it’s another way to butter up the boss. I’ve sometimes even witnessed in India that everyone stands up when the boss enters the meeting room,somewhat like giving him a standing ovation,only the applause is missing! I’ve noticed the boss feels happy with this kind of respect. It’s akin to Britishers ruling their subjects,imposing dictatorial supremacy as personal power over another race. Unfortunately,bosses here have literally copied this kind of attitude to keep their employees under the thumb.

My brush with colonial attitudes materialised on a hot day in early 1990s when I’d just landed from Paris for a couple of days in Kolkata. My friend Basanta Choudhury,one of the best Bengali film heroes,invited me for breakfast at a famous gentleman’s (it now has lady members too!) club that opened up in colonial times. I wanted to relax,so I wore the new pair of leather sandals my mother had bought knowing I love to be without shoes in the summer heat. Alighting from the car,I couldn’t believe that the door man was actually making hand motions to say I couldn’t enter even as he addressed me as Sir,“Without shoes I cannot let you in Sir.” Nonplussed,I gaped around. Mobile phones had not come to India then,so on seeing a member going in,I sent word to Basanta da,who hurried out and apologised for such club rules. The club actually stocks shoes for under-dressed guests like me. My real shock was that in a city like Kolkata,home to some of the poorest people in the world,where many don’t even have footwear while others go without shoes in the debilitating muggy weather,this colonial club still maintained decadent British rules. Later,some Bengali friends gloriously revealed that Indians were not allowed inside certain clubs even up to 1955. In a country where discipline is a question mark,that colonial discipline still existed makes the ingraining factor of Sir very evident. Basanta da and I looked at each other,laughed at the quirkiness of history,and left the club to enjoy breakfast outside.

If the Sir culture is abolished in business and society,our business productivity would be superior by at least 40 per cent,and people’s real capability will be fleshed out. Oftentimes,undeserving people are promoted at work because of their overwhelming “Sir-ing” character. It takes street smartness,not competence or capability to butter up the boss. Time and again,capable people don’t make the grade,being too simple to understand this kind of unprofessional tactics for climbing the ladder. If Indian enterprises can pledge to stop the Sir culture,they can progress in every sense. “Sir” is like propofol,the powerful drug that killed the King of Pop,Michael Jackson. Propofol interrupts normal sleep cycles while giving the person a true night’s sleep. “Sir-ing” similarly anaesthetises the boss and takes the company and society into a deep sleep.

Shombit Sengupta is an international consultant to top management on differentiating business strategy with execution excellence (www.shiningconsulting.com)