One good reason to blog

When I took to writing a blog, two of my friends had strong reservations. One is a senior banker who believes that he is more an economist (he apparently reads quite a number of books on economics and spends a lot of time in the hallowed company of economists) and other an economist by training, thoughts and deeds. They came to a conclusion that I should avoid attempting this venture. The reason, my academic credentials on economics are not good enough to write on topics like public policy or management of financial services which have relation with economics. I completely agree with them about my academic credentials in economics.

This conflict of academic elitism and managerial pragmatism is a reality of life. Many academics tend to take the path of extreme specialisation that they are incapable to grapple with multi-disciplinary challenges of real world. They hide themselves in specialised jargon and restrictive logic of “ceteris paribus” that while much of what they say are sensible, it fails to make sense to those who are expected to act on it. In fact many of these academic high priests behave as if it is below their dignity to articulate their theories in a manner the common man (even an educated manager) can understand. Some of them seem to think that the world is made up of only rational economic agents analysing myriad decision variables in real-time leading to best possible outcome. Such elitism is still tolerable in music, literature, drama etc But in applied sciences like economics, management etc., unless it connects with the practitioners it will fail to have real value except to satisfy a few ego trips

If they don’t find a way to reach across to the guy who is expected to practice the theories they propound, how can they expect those thoughts to be more widely accepted? If they don’t find a way to fathom the life and challenges of the practitioners, how can they evolve solutions that are acceptable? If they don’t understand the inner fears, insecurities and private agendas and work around them, how can they implement policies that are game changers?

On the other hand the managers and administrators hide their laziness to be up-to-date and unwillingness to think-through, under their complaints on impracticability of the academic thoughts. They are happy with the networking dinners, what the various vendors and interest groups are keen to convince them or their boss’s whims. The more ‘professional manager’ or the more senior in the bureaucratic ladder they are, the more intransigent and intellectually sterile they make themselves. Quick results at whatever cost instead of institution building become the norm than an exception.

Our educational institutions, even the elite ones, fail to bridge this chasm to any meaningful extent. Our schools focus primarily on the ability to memorise and regurgitate answers to a bank of potential questions that may come for the exams. The colleges follow the same route too and the kids forget everything the moment the exams are over because the focus is more on marks than on what is learned. We can’t blame them as none of the teachings are contextual and most fail to demonstrate any relevance. Then the schools and colleges become just tools to attain a degree which itself is nothing but a pre-requisite to open many doors.

My blog is my attempt to address this conflict within me; the conflict between practical compulsions and theoretical possibilities. The blog for me is not a log of my private life laid bare to the public voyeurism as a means of keeping in touch. It is a tool that forces me to work on a thought and think-through its nuances for a few hours; crossing the ‘t’s and dotting the ‘i’s, which helps to bring some more clarity in my mind. It also throws open, to peer scrutiny, criticism and appreciation, my interpretations and how I use this learning (or the lack of it) and interpretations in tackling day-to-day challenges.

When I get your comments or thoughts or experiences on related issues, (I get many private mails in response to my postings and it appears that many are not comfortable to take a public position, may be eventually they will) it could offer another avenue,for both of us, to benefit from the “wisdom of the crowds” at very little cost. Some academicians willing to skim through these ramblings may also get some ideas on how to “win and influence” the guys in the trenches.

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. ALVIN TOFFLER