I was touched by the moving tale of a young Pakistani family's trip to India, to have their child operated upon, for a complicated heart condition. Apparently the operation was successful & the family was treated extremely well in Delhi. They hope to return in year or so, for a second operation.
Recently the Times of India has launched an initiative to improve people to people contact and understanding, this against Government to Government talks, which seem to go nowhere.
A few years ago, while in Dubai, my ship had a sentry. A quiet fellow we would exchange few words. I always thought he was Indian till I learnt that he was from Lahore & had been an army soldier. Post this we swapped a lot of stories & when we were leaving the Port I invited him over to lunch with us & presented him a company 'T Shirt'.The chap was immensely touched and having grown up on staple anti India propaganda in the army, would hopefully have altered his view about Indian's a tad.The sentry had a common story to tell- how his agent in Pakistan had duped him into coming to Dubai & once he did he found life tough and payment poor. He was looking to return home at the end of his one year contract, to be with his family.At the end of the lunch the chap was in tears.......more so because he did not expect to share a meal with officer's in our hierarchy driven world, where we live in societies with a high Power Distance Index.
Apparently Indian visitor's to Pakistan, during cricket matches were treated like royalty and returned a happy lot!
In that context people to people contact is wonderful but will stop short of achieving anything tangible unless Government's make a breakthrough through negotiation.While many may differ, I think the Indian Government is doing a wonderful job. They talk but keep their guard up.............That is the way forward, at a more serious level you cannot negotiate all starry eyed & full of romance.
However, all attempts to build cultural understanding and intelligence must be encouraged, because that is what distances prejudice and rancour.At the more micro level, I think the same holds true for an organization as well.As a manager, in a global world Cultural Intelligence is as fundamental as is Emotional Intelligence and intrinsic IQ.
It is also important that as Manager's we are equipped with an array of Intelligences to be successful.
3 comments:
nice work sir!
you really did a commendable job by inviting that fellow for lunch..you not only reduced kilometer long power distance but also tried to make people to people contact..which is much more practical than government to government contact. though Indian government is also trying to break the ice..but effort has to come from both poles! there is no denying that IQ needs to be coupled with EQ to create balance..and to understand that we are humans not machine:)
EQ is now more valued than IQ as a trait for success.
Very true.
At ground level i do not think there exist animosity between people of countries who go at war with each other and as far as relations between India and Pak are concerned its a diplomatic ball game. TOI initiative in my viewpoint is good but then will both the nations behave the same way as infiltration continues and Pak allies with US or China ?? I might sound pessimistic but sadly its true. Time and again instances have occurred which make it hard for innocent people(aam janta) to overcome the pain and slaughter to treat each other as humans..when things are good we treat them well and vice-versa.. when we enter rough waters everything boils down to diplomatic relations...
Post a Comment