tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003076573972458673.post6113418503716527821..comments2024-03-28T10:02:12.828+05:30Comments on Catalign Innovation Consulting: When does an intervention begin? Story of Dr. Kiran Bedi’s first day at Tihar JailVinay Dabholkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007011866370283276noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003076573972458673.post-34527885611968515322010-12-26T09:29:42.757+05:302010-12-26T09:29:42.757+05:30Ravindra,
Really appreciate your inputs. It is he...Ravindra,<br /><br />Really appreciate your inputs. It is helping me understand this concept better. <br /><br />As we see the initial communication between Kiran and the inmates wasn’t explicit. A lot got communicated through the dress-code and starting with a humble inquiry. In fact, Edgar Schein beautifully presents how an ideal helping relationship develops in his book “Helping”. <br /><br />According to Schein, when such a relationship begins there are two challenges: First, status of the helper and the one being helped are unbalanced. i.e. the former is starting at “one-up” and the latter at “one-down” positions. In Kiran’s case this gap is even wider as she is way up in the hierarchy. Second, chances are high the helper doesn’t know enough about the context of the one being helped. For all you know, the one being helped is just a cog in the wheel and unless you can find more about the cog and the wheel you can’t help meaningfully. In Kiran’s case, this is manifested in her wondering, “If our system was at all designed to help change offenders and forgive those who were willing to mend.” <br /><br />Schein suggests that in order to overcome the two challenges the first invention must always be what he calls “humble inquiry” even if the inquiry is merely careful observation and listening in the first few moments of encounter. Through such an inquiry, the helper is accessing her ignorance. It also makes a beginning in reducing the gap between the statuses between the two. <br /><br />While a survey is an inquiry, it is difficult to make it “humble”. As you mentioned, questions like, “what are they going to do with this information and why do they want it now?” is going to make the gap between helper and the one being helped only wider. <br /><br />Thanks again,<br />VinayVinay Dabholkarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02007011866370283276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003076573972458673.post-38499040183160321092010-12-24T18:56:51.316+05:302010-12-24T18:56:51.316+05:30Hi Vinay,
Actually, I was struck by the fact tha...Hi Vinay, <br /><br />Actually, I was struck by the fact that in the incident that you narrated, how Kiran Bedi did everything together, creating a mutual trust, seeking information and the intervention itself. That's why, I think, the incident stood out. And you are right, this may not be possible always and one needs to systematically build the common ground even before the mutual trust. But I think, why Kiran Bedi could do it, the reason is more a humane appeal/angle on her part during the intervention, for example by her not donning the uniform and then creating trust with her informal conversation. What was the common ground and mutual trust between her and the inmates? Maybe the intervention itself when she started singing the prayer. Or was it something else? So, it takes us back to the question, where the intervention actually start and how? <br /><br />In a corporate set-up, take a person who has say at-least 5 years of work-exp, and when the intervening person/agency (external or internal) tries to seek input from such a person, the first question which springs in his mind is, "what are they going to do with this information and why do they want it now"? It's a loaded question, the doubts being raised on the motive (making people more protective in divulging) and doubts on effectiveness/utility of it all as well (making people indifferent), thus making survey only partially truthful. The proof of pudding is always in eating, so maybe the intervening person will always have to do a small act/presentation and prove/convince how it will be useful even before the survey starts. Dr. Kiran Bedi did it best, and I think, the same principle applies everywhere, whether it is in corporate world or an undergraduate class where a teacher should show some usefulness/application of the concept even before teaching that concept. <br /><br />This discussion and the setting of Kiran Bedi's incident reminds me of a beautiful movie by V. Shantaram "Do Aankhen Baarah Haath" and an urge to see it again. :-) <br /><br />thanks and regards,<br />RavindraRavindra Keskarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003076573972458673.post-26495609503743649812010-12-19T07:27:35.327+05:302010-12-19T07:27:35.327+05:30Good question, Ravindra. Developing “Mutual trust”...Good question, Ravindra. Developing “Mutual trust” is an important first step. However, there should be a common ground between the two parties for trust to develop. For that to happen, each party should share its assumptions about the current situation and possibly the desired situation. However, it may not practical to do this in every situation. For example, if you take “teaching to a class of 50” as an intervention, it may be difficult in each class to understand “readiness of each student to receive the knowledge in that class”. In an extreme form intervention – one country going on war against another – helping may not be the objective. Motive may be to establish what one perceives as “justice” or “helping the people of ailing country”. No matter what, it is unlikely that there is a common ground established. In my consulting engagement, I try to do this. <br /><br />What is your experience?<br /><br />VinayVinay Dabholkarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02007011866370283276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003076573972458673.post-38658026774613416682010-12-14T16:22:59.337+05:302010-12-14T16:22:59.337+05:30How does an intervening person/agency generate con...How does an intervening person/agency generate confidence that the intervention is not thrust upon from outside, is beneficial mutually in a transparent way and will definitely be effective? This is perhaps the first step of any intervention that determines success or failure (even for the first step of doing the survey).Ravindra Keskarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003076573972458673.post-17827591451961291192010-12-13T11:41:21.121+05:302010-12-13T11:41:21.121+05:30Thanks, Raja. Excellent inputs.
VinayThanks, Raja. Excellent inputs.<br /><br />VinayVinay Dabholkarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02007011866370283276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003076573972458673.post-67698121809050843442010-12-11T11:01:40.044+05:302010-12-11T11:01:40.044+05:30Hi Vinay,
1. your blog has captured the essence t...Hi Vinay,<br /><br />1. your blog has captured the essence that intervention starts with the first contact whatever be the step.<br /><br />2. Some might do a survey / steps of diagnosis or some might (like in this case)do what is called " action research" where you act and use that data to diagnose and continue to act accordingly (more an evolving model of intervening).<br /><br />3. For all the interventions my opearting principle has been this statement from particle physics" The moment you observe it changes".<br /><br />RajaRaja Chidambaramhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06951279561557957087noreply@blogger.com