Daily Times

Keeping the boss happy has always been considered an important trait in our times to rise in the ranks of service. In developing countries like Pakistan where the monitoring mechanisms are weak and there are massive cover-ups, a very dangerous breed of people has emerged over a period of time; they utter only those words that sound like music to the ears of the boss. Such individuals invariably sink organisations while they manage to jump the ship at the appropriate time. Ask the all-powerful but now the bitter and absconding ‘commando’, Pervez Musharraf, to provide an updated list of such ‘boss pleasers’ whom I call the ‘ones who drown you’.

In the USA, where the bottom line is closely watched, dissent is always considered important. Courses and workshops are designed around ‘effective confrontation’. Employees are taught to take on the boss for course correction to avoid costly mistakes by organisations and institutions. Dissenting voices are encouraged, reviewed and recorded to come up with backup plans in case of failure. Musharraf is very bitter that it is only him who is being tried under Article 6 of the Constitution while his law minister who prepared the draft of his second emergency and the prime minister under whose advice he implemented the illegal act, both went scot-free. While his former PM is seen in a Rolls Royce in London, the poor commando was found roaming in a wheelchair in Hyde Park, both in the same city. What an outstanding performance by the boss pleaser, Shaukat Aziz, and repentance for those who surround themselves with such people who drown them.

While the capital city of Pakistan sits on deadly fault lines, it is also infested with a lethal breed of boss pleasers who manage to find their way in every government. Several lists have been published of such individuals yet they remain unruffled.When the first ‘usurper’ was removed from the presidency by his commander-in-chief, General Yahya Khan, he called a meeting of the cabinet. It proved to be the proverbial ‘king is dead, long live the king approach’.QudratullahShahab, a very well respected bureaucrat and an intellectual, was Ayub Khan’s principal secretary.He told the new viceroy that he would now be showered by praises like his predecessor was, but that he shouldn’t take them too seriously. He asked to be excused as he could no longer be a part or witness to the boss praising exercise that had been the norm in the presidency for over a decade.

As a child I was nurtured with two opposite viewpoints regarding how to deal with the boss. My paternal grandfather believed that one should be one’s own boss; in other words, not employment but entrepreneurship and business should be pursued. My maternal grandfather said that a boss has to be ‘handled’ as he has authority and power to help or harm you. Handling certainly did not mean pleasing all the time. As a young professional, when I enrolled in an effective confrontation workshop, both the viewpoints were very helpful. While I was trained in the ‘boss handling’ techniques, I always remained prepared to become my own boss. In the land of the pure, I offered this workshop but there was very little interest, which indicated that there was no inclination in boss handling, as boss pleasing was the prevalent norm for a shortcut rise and an accelerated promotion.

Trouble starts when the bottom line is not watched; by pleasing the boss one can secure one’s position but the job does not get done. In quality management, the Deming cycle or the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle is used. After a plan is formulated, it is implemented, checked, and then improvements are enacted. The entire exercise is carried out to please the customer and to act on his feedback.

If the masses have to be served, a culture of effective confrontation and differing viewpoints has to be encouraged to produce results

In a commercial enterprise users/buyers are the customer; in a democratic state voters have this role. The elected legislature has to be effective and supreme to protect the interests of the public whom they represent. The viceroys in India were appointed by the British parliament, and they remained accountable to them. Unfortunately, the ‘viceroys’ of Pakistan reported to no one; they could abrogate or amend the constitution at will, with the support of the colonial judiciary and bureaucracy. The boss on the top had to be pleased, which then trickled all the way down. A culture of boss pleasing was developed in which the net customer was totally ignored. There was no need to please or even count the masses. A breed of ‘people teasers’ emerged.

Boss pleasers toil to please the boss, not to serve the public or produce results. The democratic government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, which called itself the ‘Awami Hakumat’ tried to focus on the welfare of the masses. The 1973 constitution is a hallmark of that era. Since 1977, it has been downhill mainly because of ‘Viceroy’ Zia’s era that refuses to end. Without an effective legislature the boss pleasers will continue to dominate with disastrous consequences for the nation. There is no one in the corridors of power to fight for the rights of the voter/customer.

There is an interesting story on boss handling from the Ranjit Singh era. The maharaja had a favourite horse that no one was allowed to ride, and the violation carried capital punishment. One day, the prince dared to ride the royal horse. He was arrested and brought to the court to be sentenced and punished. Ranjit Singh was fuming at the defiance of the heir to the throne. Before banishing the next maharaja, he asked his wazir(minister) for an opinion. It was a tough call that was handled very smartly. He agreed with the maharaja, but in his closing statement he said, “How dare he ride in defiance of orders as if it was his father’s horse.” There was complete silence in the court. ‘ The message was delivered, a life was saved, and the situation was diffused. It was boss handling at its best.

Boss pleasers have outlived their innings; they have proven to be public teasers. If the masses have to be served, a culture of effective confrontation and differing viewpoints has to be encouraged to produce results. Instead of sensing the mood of the boss the focus has to be shifted on the bottom line. Results speak for themselves, for which boss handling not pleasing should be encouraged and appreciated. Those who have the courage to differ usually have the ability to deliver, which progressive nations do not overlook.

The writer is Ex-Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation