ALA (As like always)

Today in one of our classes a professor taught us about the process of “unfreezing, change and refreezing”(UCR) .Well earlier I was introduced to the fact that there is something called “ unlearn, learn and relearn”. The concept introduced here was basically that in one of the most premier institutes of management in India, the modus operandi of faculties are based on the process of “UCR”. The explanation given in the class was that since most of the students who are selected for the program are basically intelligent students coming from top notch undergraduate colleges or respectable companies, they tend to be less focused. Their senses of achievement from the previous accomplishments make them comfortable and they do not put in the right effort needed to pursue the premier course. So in the initial period of the course so much of pressure is built up by the system that the student starts unsettling. It jerks them from their positions of comfort and starts making them feel that there is more to the world than what they had seen earlier. It then dawns upon them that they need to put in extra effort to just barely complete the minimum requirements for passing in that term. Now this process was called Unfreezing. The professor didn’t go on to tell us what is the process of change and unfreezing but then the purpose was solved as he remarked, “do not come to me if you get a C or a D” as it is a part of unsettling process (C & D are considered bad in our kind of institute by people who are go getters though the author is not of the same view).

Now since this was thrown to us as a food for thought, I decided to think about it. Let me make it clear, I am not into that premier school about which something has been written in the first paragraph.

For me there is so much to life that a course or a term is just a way to give introduction to the complexities of life. In fact they are not even the means to achieve the ends. But the way teaching is done even at the most premier institutes of our country in post graduate program, it makes us run around for small pieces of decimals here and there in some quiz or the other.

Well it has been almost 3 months since I joined this institute and I have already seen 3 of my friends including people with work experiences getting nervous, freaked out and willing to leave this system. People who are the pioneers of this system and those of us who are or will be the potential biggest beneficiaries will tell , “those who can’t survive should not be in the system, we are being taught to handle the pressure and throughout our life we will benchmarked on the basis of our performance.”

Dudes of the world I can’t disagree with you all, as always, because you people can never be wrong. You have proved that you are the best and you know the most. However the author has another viewpoint. Look, we came here to achieve something, to make our future lives better. We are paying to get this education and if you keep on marking people on the basis of decimal points and keep them showing that they are in the bottom 5% or so, what do you want to prove? These people who will be in the bottom or in the middle will also become the managers and the business leaders of tomorrow. That no one of us can deny them. That right they have earned for themselves long before.

I am greatly impressed by Ricardo Selmer and his writing ,thanks to the same professor that he introduced me to that person and his philosophy. I would shamelessly quote a paragraph which will suit my logic and will give some strength to my logic which most of you might disagree with.

“Think about that. Outside the factory, workers are men and women who elect governments, serve in the army, lead the community projects, raise and educate families, and make decisions every day about the future. Friends solicit their advice .Salespeople court them .Children and grandchildren look up to them for their wisdom and experience. But the moment they walk into the factory, the company transforms them into adolescents. They have to wear badges and name tags, arrive at a certain time ,stand in a line to punch and clock or eat their lunch ,get permission to go to the bathroom, give lengthy explanations every time they are five minutes late and follow instructions without asking a lot of questions.”.

It all applies to us if we just change the workers by students and factory by these premiere institutes and children et al by friends and juniors.
Shouldn’t it be a food for thought for all of us that how do we make our system which respects each individuals unique values, his expectations and his efforts. For almost sixteen years we have proved ourselves again and again in decimal digits, can’t we have a co operative and one to one true learning environment which raises the quality of all of us. I don’t have the answers but I know one of you who will read this must be having something better and concrete because I know there is always someone who might not be great a achiever in terms of decimal digits but will have an idea of this.


P.s->for my peers at my section in my institute , the author is still a part of decimal system and will definitely mug to pass, so please take your own call and do not consider this as a means to RG.