Background, Academic Credentials & Delivery

By Sanjay Sahay

In the professional world it’s delivery first and delivery last. That large part of your professional and personal persona is made out of your background & academics is undeniably accepted. Does it need to be talked about at the fall of a hat? Is this argument used in lieu of the shortage on the delivery front? Or is it used as a nuclear tool of defence or to evade the public eye on their non-delivery or misdemeanour or both? Or is this an all whether umbrella to give ample and successful cover in case of fire from any side. The best part of this whole game is that the protagonist himself is busy playing a tune of his greatness out of his humble background and /or excellent academic records, when the context demands something totally different.

We have allowed this to become a smokescreen for the non-performers is our mistake. What is democracy all about? Democracy at the Human Resource level is to make human potential to play on a level playing field and help him enhance to unimaginable levels. Anybody from any background should have access to at least a reasonable education and then equal opportunity on anything he wants to lay his hands on, for his living and career. Democracy aspires of meritocracy and that is what it intends to achieve. Talent and merit should find its rightful place is the basic premise of democracy.

Lots of people have come through this route to responsible positions and it will keep on happening and also increasing. Besides govt. jobs and positions, the electoral democracy allows for an exodus of people from weaker backgrounds to have a share of the mandated power structure. If all were to deliver to the human constituency they belong, the fate of this country would have been totally different. A rank in IIT JEE would carry more value than the CGPA or Gold Medal in a University would carry more weightage than what he not delivered for the last two decades. CVs generally are a string of positions / places they have adorned and projects they have been associated with. The ownership and delivery of Sreedharan model they don’t believe in.

When you and organization keep on delivering consistently, what else should someday ask for? Nobody questions an ISRO or the Election Commission of T.N. Seshan days. Simplicity and humility cannot be tied to a background and whether you have it or not, it cannot be used as a getaway, a hill station from the sweltering Delhi heat. The number of times you give precedence to your background, academic credentials or both, the presumption is those many times you have lagged professionally and not delivered. Your job description and your deliverables will make you a clear differentiator and not your background and your academic credentials and human attributes which you claim to have.

IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN LET ONLY PROFESSIONAL DELIVERY DO THE TALKING, IN THE INTEREST OF GROWTH & PUBLIC SANITY.

Author is an Ex. IPS (ADGP), Cyber Security & Emerging Technologies Expert Management Guru, Pro Public Speaker & Writer, Bengaluru