I wonder if, like me, you’ve realized how much of our lives is spent as the intellectual slaves to the world of ideas, models, concepts, and theories? Throughout the world, employers look down upon those managers who have little or no understanding of concepts such as cash flow projections, differentiation strategy, performance management, and so on. These terms are considered essential technical knowledge for our survival in this globalized world and we expect all senior employees to have even a limited grasp of their contents and implications. There would be nothing wrong with these terms if next, they didn’t lead to an over-reliance on both experts, gurus, authorities, and the emergence of fads – such as Management by Objectives, Emotional Intelligence, Executive Coaching, Activity-Based Costing, Quality Circles, and so on. Unfortunately, they do – and that’s where our difficulties begin.

The world over, as managers, we see nothing wrong with relying on experts, gurus, and authorities. We hardly bat an eyelid before espousing the latest fads slavishly. We somehow hope that by adopting something “out there”, it will magically transform either our organisation or ourselves. We feel safe when we do so – after all an expert should be able to tell us what to think and what to do to solve our problems! We feel anxious when we don’t – what if we were missing out on something important? Therefore, we proclaim that John should not be promoted because he lacks emotional intelligence – and recommend executive coaching. Or that Sarita’s department is not well run because it doesn’t have any activity-based costing as its core strategy – and recommend that we bring in the latest guru.

Why? Why this constant search, relentless thirst, perpetual dependence on something “out there”? Why are we forever turning to the so-called experts, gurus or authorities for advice, counsel or solace? Is it necessary? If you reply yes, then you would need to explain why, barely a year, a month, sometimes even a week after the event, the organisation or the individual has reverted to the original behaviours – change has failed to take place. If you reply no, then what are we to do? Where are we going to find the safety, security, comfort that we experience in knowing that so many other managers or so many organisations out there have gone this route before us? So what then are we to do?

I believe that the answer is simple – and that answer lies within us, not out there. If, either as an individual or a company, we can watch and understand what’s happening inside us from moment to moment, to be aware of who we are, then there won’t be a need for neither experts nor the latest fads. If I, as an individual, can be aware of myself as I relate to the People, Ideas and Things I come across on a daily basis, then I don’t need the gurus, experts or authorities to come and tell me what to do. I need to be aware, just to be aware, passively and unconditionally, of who I am as I reflect myself in my relationships – it is as simple as that. As I relate to people i.e. my secretary, boss, employee, wife, child, the gardener or the bus driver, I need to see the reflections that emerge – my likes, dislikes, irritations, jealousies, and so on. Similarly, as I relate to concepts (i.e. politics, religion, race, gender, the economy, etc) or things (such as the food I eat, clothes I wear, exercise I do), I need to see clearly and unconditionally what is reflected back. These reflections will tell me who I am – not the gurus or preachers. And if from time to time, I can pause and reflect on these reflections, I’ll then begin to see patterns, themes, and trends emerging. I’ll start saying to myself things like “You react badly to pressure,” “You let others take decisions”, “You want everything to be perfect”, “You are prejudiced against X, Y or Z” – and so on. I’ll know myself.

The same process needs to apply at the organisational level. As an organisation, we need to be able from time to time to “stop the clock” and reflect on what’s happening within and around us. Time must be set aside to reflect on certain recent issues, problems or difficulties we are currently experiencing or have recently experienced e.g. ‘Why did we botch up the launch of our latest marketing campaign?” “What are the values we cherish the most?” “Why are we battling to find accountants?” – and so on. The focus must always remain on what is it that we observe and what is it that we can learn from it all.

With these reflections and the knowledge we gather from them, we’ll find that our reliance on others is lessened. We are then mature and intelligent individuals or organisations, able to sail the passages of this world with little or no need for any of the ‘out there’ crutches.

<B>Eric Charoux

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