Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Friday, 21 April 2017

“ Think Out of the Box “ Possible ?



DNA ( 22 April 2017 ) carries following report :



“ Take decisions fast , don’t fear consequences : PM “


Here is an extract :


·         Urging the country’s top officials to “ think out of the box “and take collective ownership to bring change, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told them to become “ enablers ” rather than “ regulators “


·         Some bureaucrats have referred to the three Cs – the CAG , CBI and the CVC – as stumbling blocks in decision making.


·         He asked civil servants to weigh their decisions from an outcome point of view and not from an output point of view


·         A legislation proposed in 2013 to amend the “ Prevention of Corruption  Act “ to protect “ honest “ officials by differentiating between a corrupt decision and a genuine error is pending before the parliament


·         Over the years, this “ fear factor “ have led bureaucrats to defer decisions either referring them to their respective Ministers or to the PMO


·         If a decision is taken with honest intention , truthfulness and for the welfare of the public, nobody can raise a finger at you


·         Something momentary may happen , but I am with you “



Dear Narendrabhai :


Expect a miracle of decision-making , if that proposed amendment to “ Prevention of Corruption Act “ incorporates following provisions from my earlier blog / email


Friday, 20 June 2014


To Err is Human


To forgive is divine ( provided it was a honest error )


All of us keep making errors , all the time


But rarely same " mistake " twice


Often , decisions taken at a point of time , turn out to be " poor " , with passage of time


Reasons are simple :


  
·         We never have all the information - relevant to the problem we are trying to solve - available with us , at the time of taking a decision




·         Even when most of such relevant info is available , we may not have the capacity / competence to " process " such info



*   As humans , we have our biases / prejudices , based on our previous experiences , which influence our decisions


*  
Quite often , and often against our own better evaluation / judgement of a given situation , we are wrongly influenced by our peers / bosses / subordinates or even voters - all of whom have different expectations / vested interests !


*  
Additional - and more relevant - information surfaces , AFTER we have taken a decision ( happens all the time  !  )


To encourage Babus and Ministers to take FAST decisions , Shri Narendra Modiji , must insist that they carefully " Record " on the files :


*   
What info / data he wished was available for a better decision


*   
What different " views / opinions " were presented to him for consideration


*   
What " Data / Views " he would have obtained if he had more time


*   
Who all , the decision might offend


*   
What is the likely " Cost " of postponing that decision


And finally following declaration :


*   
THIS DECISION IS NOT LIKELY TO BENEFIT ANY OF MY NEAR RELATIVES / FRIENDS , DIRECTLY OR IMMEDIATELY


After all of this , if the decision appears to be " Wrong " in hindsight , it must be " forgiven " and treated as an honest error


To err is human  !


22  April  2017



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