Organisation

in one way or another we all are part of an organsiation. our body on its own is an organisation, so is a family, a community, a spiritual or a corporate organisation or a nation. Some organisations are successful while others are not. When I looked into what makes organisations succeed, this is what I came up. Some of it might be inspired by books i have read previously or heard from successful people.

Vision - Every successful organisation should have a vision. The vision should have a strong spiritual component. When the vision is focussed on richness and not riches, success is automatic. The primary objective should not be about making money but helping out people. For eg when McDonalds was formed - the vision was to provide tasty food at a affordable price. Whatsapp was formed to help people all over the world to communicate without paying anything extra. The ethos of Art of Living is to help people to be happy, healthy, peaceful & useful. And in every action of ours (teachers, administrators and volunteers) representing the organisation we should be acting through this vision. Everything else is secondary. It is not only important to believe in the vision, but also to allow others to share the vision, experience the risks and rewards, and create a sense of ownership. You will then realise that true happiness is not through self gratification but by devotion to a worthy purpose. If we ourselves do not experience the peace or happiness, we won't be able to transmit it. If we feel that we are not there yet, it is best to withdraw & engage more in Sewa (service).

Team work - what one struggles three can easily do. In an exam helping the person next to you is cheating. Just imagine if people were allowed to help each other in an exam, everyone would be a topper. In an organisation it is called collaboration. When done effectively, team work greatly enhances the learning process & creates more leaders than competitors. Also having different points of view will enhance the ability to learn without making mistakes. in competition you rejoice at others mistakes, in collaboration you identify and rectify mistakes before they cause damage.

Leadership - walking the talk. Though an organisation can have many leaders, every project should have one leader and the team should surrender to the leader. The leader should be able to manage & run the show even if the team disintegrates as he (she) strongly believes in what he started. The leader allows people to grow by providing opportunities or putting them in situation which though not always comfortable is conducive to growth. Another role of the leader is to identify the weaknesses in the team before they damage the organisation. At each level of growth, the leader should plan the system to support the next level. As systems get better, you have to put in less effort to grow. when the system is weak, whatever success is attained soon dissipates.