
A goal defines the strategy for an individual, group,
organization and countries. When I was studying an MBA, one of my professors asked
the students; "What is your goal of doing an MBA?” Trust me, answers were
funny but raised a question in my mind. As a group of people, we are not clear
about the goal. There were diverse answers like one student wanted to do an MBA
because the job market was not good enough and another student entered into the
program due to the pressure from her parents. Professor said something which I
still remember that the MBA is the corporate input to the economy. In the game of
football, there is only one ball and for a team, there is only one goal to
score. However, Pakistan faces the dilemma of multiple goals. I have joined the
MNC through a Management Trainee program and MT Program was designed for the
fast track career progression. In a few years, our batch was moved to the middle
to upper management positions. One of the major challenges I have faced is;
alignment of individual and departmental goals to the organizational goals. I
asked the team to write their objectives for the organization and there was no
synchronization in the responses. People in one team have so diversity in their
goals towards the organization. The goal for any individual should have been the
contribution towards the profitability for the shareholders. Rest of the goals
for the department and personal development are part of it but one goal was not
clear.
As a nation, we are facing the same dilemma of non-clarity
in terms of national goals. Provinces, groups, clans and people are moving in
different directions in the pursuit of diverse goals. We are lacking the
process of synergy because we are trying to achieve different goals. Our
players have different footballs and goal post is also different for every
player in the team. We can not decide so far that what kind of Pakistan we want
to be, in terms of economy, politics and social structure.
Pakistan is the nation of extreme talent. Artists,
politicians, Military strategists, scientists, corporate minds, volunteers,
students, doctors, engineers and skilled labor are the assets of Pakistan.
Pakistan's important resource is its human resources. Resources cannot be
utilized with maximum capacity and potential if we do not create the concept of
synergy among them by giving them one vision and one goal. I don't call myself
a man of vision; perhaps I am a man in search of a vision. Whatever the strategy
we prepare for 5 years, 10 years or 15 years, we need to have one goal that
drives the strategy. We have a vision provided by the founders of this nation,
but we have not been able to transform the vision into a goal that gives one
direction to the whole nation.
Written by: Asad Ali
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