Institutions, either government or private that provide service to the common citizen should give primary attention & accountability to the public, who avail the services and provide the revenues for the sustenance and growth of the organization. If a customer claims that "MyBank" is "HIS" Bank, this signifies successful marketing of services by the Bank. This is based on our accepting the "Citizens Charter" as the manifesto of the Organisation's Business Policy. Properly nurtured it ushers in the intangible asset called "Customer capital". Customer capital is recognised as a significant component of the intangible assets of an enterprise. Customer capital represents value created in the marketplace.

Customer recognition and patronage are essential for the survival and success of the business and industry. But customer is an external entity. An Institution has to function with the resources that it possesses within itself and actuate the external environment to its advantage. Who can win a customer? You may say that the policy or mission of the Institution. But then who will translate and project into perceptible action the mission of the organization to the public, who are also exposed to messages and missions of our rival organizations? The strength and success of an organization ultimately depends on the quality of its human wealth. A Progressive company views on their employees as the primary source to translate its ambitions into actuality. It is the employees' knowledge that will put to test the final value of the organization. They represent the human capital or knowledge capital of the Organization. Employees in the prime age of 30-45 possessing requisite skill and aptitude have the greatest stake in the future growth and prosperity of the Institution, while the top management (age group 55 plus) may tend to keep grips with urgent and short-term problems, as their own tenure is to end shortly.

The lethargy and slow moving in Public Sector or Government Departments is due to the fact that the top management is generally over-aged and left with less than 10 years to retire. The age acts as a drawback. They lack the drive and energy to take dynamic or bold decisions. They try to tread the safest option of minimum risk and maximum security. The impending exit (retirement) resulting in the loss of status and position haunts them and many officers who have been upright in the initial part of their career, start wavering at this stage. By virtue of their high position they are cut off from the main stream of operating staff and are surrounded by yes-men and sycophants, who mislead them and make them blind to the prevailing condition in the set up. This is the picture today in almost all organizations. These Institutions cannot be ranked as progressive.

The real stake in the Institution and the paramount need to have a long range vision and perspective is on the shoulders of the officers in the age group of 30 to 45. They have put in already 10 to 20 years of service and still have a considerable length of service left. This section of officers have a special responsibility to look to the purity and cleanliness of the Organization, as the future successors of the present top team/senior management. Advanced Training & motivation on this prime segment will pay rich dividends. Persons of this age group are endowed with more initiative and drive to trade effectively between risk and reward in business propositions. This group must come away from traditional management beliefs based on loyalty to one-man sole- proprietorship management philosophy and accept corporate culture and governance. This segment, as a group, should differentiate between the management and the organization. Loyalty priorities should be in the order of-

• First the Organization

• Next its goals, mission and vision statements

• Come next to the management

Unfortunately Indian industry and business developed decades back based on the parental culture. Industries were promoted by well-known families in our country. There were family owned, family-controlled and family-managed companies. Here a single patriarch pulled the centre of gravity in the organization. This was all right when personal values were very high in our country before the II world war, but not today when widespread degeneration has set in the society. Today corporate governance and management through professionals, each skilled in his own discipline and accepting the common strategy and joint coordination can only withstand global competition and steer massive organizations to growth and success.

Similarly Indian Banking sprang from its roots over a century back based on Language, regional and even caste groups. Indian banking of the pre-nationalisation period can therefore be described as " ethnic banking ". We had South Indian Bank, Vysya Bank, Nadar Bank, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank etc. which catered to particular segments of the people or regions of the country.

Today the single person approach and sectarian culture cannot stand. If the single person turns corrupt, as it may happen at any time, he pulls down the institution along with his own downfall. The recent happenings in one newly opened Private Sector Bank in the country is a live example.

Globalisation has totally changed business perspective. Business needs vast capital and it has to be outsourced from the money market and capital market not only from within the country, but also from global sources. This has brought about several stakeholders keenly looking in-depth at the core competence of the company. It is necessary to create stakeholder confidence. Corporate ethics, corporate governance has become integral to the success of corporate management.

Our success " ..is part of having CEO and very highly talented people working for you. If I tell people what to do, it is going to be very difficult keeping talent. But if I tell him the strategy that we are going to have as a company and agree upon the key elements of that, then the motivation is higher. They can make better decision than I can. So empowerment is the key issue. My three jobs are, to get maximum inputs and develop strategy, retain and recruit leaders within our culture, and communicate to employees, customers and stakeholders. Dramatically different from the job of CEO five years ago " (JOHN T.Chambers, CEO CISC).

Fore more information on knowledge capital and knowledge Management please go through web pages under "Learning Circle/Knowledge management" commencing from Title Page containing the foreword to the subject.

You are safe if you are honest. But even when you face ordeals, still be honest, it is worth being honest and facing ordeals, than choosing otherwise and trying to escape. An escapist policy proves its worth in the short term, but it may totally tarnish your personality and outlook and make you irredeemable thereafter.

You are safe if you are possessing knowledge valued by your employers. The demand for you will come from global sources. Therefore be honest and be competent and be up-to-date with a forward-looking approach, in the line you choose. If you are to market your service, be part of the sellers' market and not the buyers' choice.