I grew up in India. India is a country of abundance and scarcity. People are in abundance but the employment is not so much. It is a country of survival of the fittest, fastest and most connected.
One is expected to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Emphasis is on getting it done, not on how and often not on how well, either. A common Indian thinks: one can not afford to say I do not know, If I have to get it done, how does it help me to say: I do not know ?
The phrase 'on the job training' was probably invented in India.
It was my first week at a client site in Los Angeles area. The project was in definition phase. I was in a project meeting where the project manager was compiling action items. She inquired from a team member: When can you get this started ? The answer came: 'Well, I do not know what is expected of me and I do not even know how to do this ?' I was bit shocked and thought - this guy is going to get fired, soon. I was not designed to say or witness 'I do not know'.
Fast forward two decades, when I think about this - I notice how many times in a day I say 'I do not know'. I am realizing that, one's ability to express 'I do not know' is a very fundamental need to enable self-development. I have begun to think that a socioeconomic environment, which allows an individual to express one's inability, creates a solid foundation of freedom for an individual growth.
It is revealing to think: - you know a whole lot when you enable someone to say 'I do not know'.
You are saying I know me, I am self aware, when you say I do not know.
Reference:
India is a country of inflation. It is twice as populous than all 28 NATO countries combined. It produces more engineers then entire population of many small countries in the world.
India is a country of 'abundance and scarcity '.
India: Population: 1.2 Billion # of Tax Payers: 32 Million.
US: Population: 326 Million # of Tax Payers: 145 Million
Only 2.77% of India's population pay Income Tax, as reported by a minister in 2012.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/187531/only-277-percent-indias-population.html
One is expected to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Emphasis is on getting it done, not on how and often not on how well, either. A common Indian thinks: one can not afford to say I do not know, If I have to get it done, how does it help me to say: I do not know ?
The phrase 'on the job training' was probably invented in India.
It was my first week at a client site in Los Angeles area. The project was in definition phase. I was in a project meeting where the project manager was compiling action items. She inquired from a team member: When can you get this started ? The answer came: 'Well, I do not know what is expected of me and I do not even know how to do this ?' I was bit shocked and thought - this guy is going to get fired, soon. I was not designed to say or witness 'I do not know'.
Fast forward two decades, when I think about this - I notice how many times in a day I say 'I do not know'. I am realizing that, one's ability to express 'I do not know' is a very fundamental need to enable self-development. I have begun to think that a socioeconomic environment, which allows an individual to express one's inability, creates a solid foundation of freedom for an individual growth.
It is revealing to think: - you know a whole lot when you enable someone to say 'I do not know'.
You are saying I know me, I am self aware, when you say I do not know.
Reference:
India is a country of inflation. It is twice as populous than all 28 NATO countries combined. It produces more engineers then entire population of many small countries in the world.
India: Population: 1.2 Billion # of Tax Payers: 32 Million.
US: Population: 326 Million # of Tax Payers: 145 Million
Only 2.77% of India's population pay Income Tax, as reported by a minister in 2012.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/187531/only-277-percent-indias-population.html
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