COMPETENCE AND COMMITMENT

In his excellent small Book ‘One Minute Manager’, author Kenneth Blanchard says that every one of us is endowed with competence of varying degrees to perform a task and also commitment of divergent intensity to complete an assignment.

Thus, those with less competence and more commitment, often slog without much success. Many workaholics belong to this category. They are hard working but not efficient or effective. There are others, who are quite competent, but are not committed enough to the cause. A good number of trade union leaders in enterprises come under this category. They are extremely capable, but their commitments lie elsewhere.

Those with very low degree of commitment and competence cannot be entrusted with any responsibility. They need constant monitoring, guidance and course correction. They retard an organisation’s progress.

Individuals with high degree of commitment and competence can be delegated any task. We have two classic examples in our epics. Hanuman was highly competent to surmount any difficulties and navigate his way and his commitment to Sriram was total and unshakable. Therefore a major responsibility was delegated to him and he completed the project with great acumen. Bhishma Pitamaha was a totally accomplished man. Archery, bravery, political strategy or sheer knowledge, everywhere he outshone others. Bhishma had sacrificed his personal glory and pleasures for the interest of Hastinapura. To him the only mission in life was to serve the interest of Hastinapura’s Rulers. He abdicated his thrown to serve his Cause, an example which centuries later, King Edward VIII followed in England . No wonder, Bhishma was made the supreme commander of Hastinapura’s ruling forces in the Kurukshetra War.

Those with very high degree of commitment, often have a narrower view and are oblivious to their surroundings, save their one cause, object or mission. In his eagerness and commitment to protect the interest of Hastinapura’s rulers, Bhishma didn’t realize that he was not on the side of the Champion of Dharma. Whoever fought Hastinapura had to be repulsed back, seemed to be his war strategy. As the Commander of an army, he cannot allow his enemy to escape. And, as he had taken a vow never to attack a woman, he didn’t attack Sikhandi, Sikhandi being a woman in his previous birth. Thus, at times, his commitments circumscribed his performance. Interestingly, apart from his physical prowess, courage and blemish less dedication to Sri Ram, we haven’t heard much about Hanuman’s dexterity in other areas. Those who instead of trying to understand the Vedas, their metaphysics and Philosophy and devote their days nights in merely repeating their stanzas, Sankara calls as ‘Vedabhyasa Jatas’ - meaning fools who merely repeat the Vedas. One needs to have a wider vision and not mere focusing on a spot.

If commitment has to enhance competence, commitment should play the role of an enabling force and not a retarding one. Krishna too had commitments but his commitments were made subservient to his competence. Arjuna’s commitment to a wrong sense of reverence, compelled to him to lay down his arms. Unlike Bhishma’s commitments, Krishna ’s commitments didn’t distract him. Mahatma Gandhi’s commitment to peace and non-violence did not stand in the way of his fighting the British.

Our commitments should be such that they do not make our competence meaningless. Commitment to a wrong cause can make our competence destructive. We have been reading daily about able men, being led astray because of their commitment to wrong causes.

And finally, let us enhance our competence in our chosen field and make our commitments to add value to our competence. An Abdul Kalam, a Dr.Narayana Murthy and a Mahendra Singh Dhoni exemplify this.

V.Mahadevan