07/06/2020
7th June 2020
From PG Narayanan, President, TPOA
To An Aspirant who wants to serve as a 4th President
An open invitation to 4th President to form a 4th Team
(1) As on 30.09.2020, in another 3 months, the present 3rd Team will have completed 3 years at a stretch. In the last 3 years, the present Team has exposed/stopped wrong deeds and practices, has re-visited many deficiencies, has corrected indiscipline, has made many improvements, has made lots of changes, has enhanced comforts and has resolved many old problems. Indications, so far received by us, indicate that ‘the present Team to continue’. However, our Treasurer Mr N Chandrasekaran, our Secretary Mr Vijay Vincent Raj and I feel that we (three) will pave way for a fresh set of Office Bearers to take over from us from 01.10.2020 onwards. Further indications received reveal that TPOA should go for a fresh set of faces to lead the 4th Team, without any combination and mix of earlier 6 Office Bearers of earlier 2 Teams. I strongly endorse such a view of ‘3 new faces as a 4th Team to lead TPOA’. With those few words, I proceed to speak to 460 (466 – 6 Office Bearers of earlier 2 Teams = 460) Members.
2) In the above scenario, a willing 4th President has now full 3 months to align 2 other Members as 4th Secretary and 4th Treasurer, to come forward and to file nominations together to form a 4th Team and to face either a selection process or an election process in the ensuing 7th AGBM.
(3) If agreed, we can have the following programme for transition from 3rd Team to 4th Team:
Date Details Duration
27.09.2020 10AM to 1PM 7th AGBM deliberations 3 hours
27.09.2020 1PM to 2 PM Lunch Break 1 hour
27.09.2020 2PM to 3PM Handing over chequebooks/documents/papers 1 hour
30.09.2020 (any time) Handing over PASSWORD from 3rd Secretary to 4th Secretary, (to be documented, photographed and video graphed). 10 Min
(4) During transition, our Present 3rd Secretary, as a customary practice like any other outgoing Secretary may read out the duties of 3 Primary Office Bearers of President, Secretary and Treasurer, which theoretical exercise is ‘mechanical, routine and ritual’. That apart, on the principle that ‘the experience of practice’ overrides ‘the theoretical knowledge’ and on the premise that ‘the theory without practice is of no use’ and on the reality that ‘practise combined with theory yield better results’, I thought I could share mine, which you can see in the annexures. Non aspirants need not take the trouble to read the annexures, unless they are curious.
Good luck to you and your 4th Team!
P G Narayanan/Outgoing President of 3rd Team/TPOA.
Enclosures:
(A) Introduction
(B) Questions
(C) Pointers
(D) Suggestions
(E) Final
(F) Are you going to continue?
(A) Introduction:
Many residents openly talk that presently our Gated Community has ‘3 groups, whatever name you call them for identification purposes – “(1) Affected Group (challenging that they will give sleepless nights to Administrators but ending themselves having disturbed sleep”, (2) Ego Group (challenging Administrators that ‘they know everything’ but having caused a loss to the TPOA by not filing IT Returns due to lack of knowledge) and (3) Language Group (challenging Administrators that they will exhaust all cheap techniques). Not to debate which group is more dominant than the other, the 3 Groups, will hide their individual differences and weaknesses but with mixing inabilities and prejudices, will join together shamelessly, only to OPPOSE THE ADMINISTERING TEAM. Such being a possible situation, the 4th Team, especially the 4th President (you as a Leader) should be bold, impartial, independent, outright, pliable with reason and logic, tolerant, transparent (at all costs) and unbiased (whatsoever), with an ability to analyse, evaluate, explain and then act. Besides all the above positive factors, the 4th President (as a leader) is expected to be devoid of negative emotions like anger, acrimony, animosity, bitterness, hatred, ill-will, prejudice and vengeance.
(B) Questions: Ask yourself these questions & answer to your conscience:
1. Do you have a desire to serve TPOA with selflessness, by sparing ‘personal time’?
2. Do you have passion to work for others, without compensation, consideration and remuneration?
3. Are you humble enough to listen to and be available to every Member?
4. Do you have a strong frame of mind to stay in the position for 3 years, for sake of continuity?
5. Can you take ‘mature risks’ for needy issues?
6. Can you ‘walk (perform) the talk (promises)’?
7. Can you show ‘initiative’ for development within the allowable funds?
8. Are you a willing President having individuality and you will not be a Proxy President?
9. Can you guarantee that you will be alive (to the situation) and be ready to respond instantaneously instead of expecting advices from Groups/self created Manipulators?.
10. Are you aware that the position of a President demands calmness, commitment, concentration, dedication, involvement and an ability to justify your actions?
11. Can you correct ‘the accumulated wrongs inadvertently left by your predecessors, which includes me?’
12. On the premise that ‘a person cannot be right at all the times and a decision cannot be right at all the times’, can you at least assure Members as to ‘whether you will exhaust the checklist (of parameters) that is necessary before taking a decision’?.
13. Are you aware that the post of a President is not simply a gap or a hole which can be filled by any material like cement, mortar, mud, sand etc?.
14. Are you aware that the role of a President is not a designation or a title, for you to get impressed, to get proud and to feel happy?
15. Are you aware that the role of a President is “Accountability and Responsibility’?
16. Are you dare enough to do ‘right things in a correct way’ and you are not afraid of defeat, embarrassment and failure?
17. Can you guide ‘the Secretary and the Treasurer’ without interfering in their roles?
18. Can you guarantee that you will not feel jittery within one year?. (Once you surrender your position, you can’t get it back that easily, because Members have already tasted your ‘administrative inefficiency, lack of zeal and initiative’. They may not opt you again. Learn from 2016-17 history).
19. Can you confirm that you are not becoming a President to please somebody?
20. Can you confirm that you don’t fall under the category like - wife wants her husband to be a President?
21. Will you be alert and energetic, besides being communicative, non-egoistic, strong and vibrant?.
22. Can you confirm that you are not a man of fear? (self protective fear and physical fear are acceptable, but not psychological fear). If you have a fear to talk to enemies and fear to represent the right cause, you will be deemed a Weak President and as time passes by, Members will look at you as a Useless President.
23. Can you guarantee that your attitude in the past, as a Member, towards your co-members were not anywhere near ‘indecency of addressing your co-Members with bad names’ as TPOA does not want any foul-mouthed person to head the TPOA. (or otherwise, after your becoming a President, another Member will behave the same way and will ask you to look into your past and ‘what locus standi you have to correct or question him?’)
24. Can you guarantee that that your attitude in the past, as a Member, towards your co-Members were not anywhere near ‘infamy of threatening your co-members or their families with physical consequences, as TPOA does not want any bad-mouthed and ill-mannered person to head the TPOA? (or otherwise, after your becoming a President, another Member will behave the same way and will ask you to look into your past and what locus standi you have to correct or question him ?’)
25. Can you guarantee that during the past AGBMs, you had behaved as a ‘honourable and information seeking Member’ and not behaved like a rowdy akin to ‘street brawl’? (or otherwise, after your becoming a President, another Member will behave the same way and will ask you to look into your past and what locus standi you have to correct or question him?)
26. Can you guarantee that you were prompt in the past, towards payment of Monthly Maintenance Charges, and you were not anywhere near ‘causing self as a defaulter’? (or otherwise, after your becoming a President, another Member himself becoming a defaulter will ask you ‘what locus standi you have to advise or question him?’)
27. Can you guarantee that in the past, you had not resorted to keep your buckets, drums, in the common area, especially in the ground floor (or otherwise, after your becoming a President, another Member will do the same way and you will not have any locus standi to ask him to remove his buckets and drums). Here, keeping shoe rack by the side of one’s Main Door of one’s own flat of respective floor cannot be compared as all Gated Communities have either allowed openly or have kept silent on this issue.
28. Can you guarantee that in the past, you had not used the common space in the ground floor, to park your extra car, without the written permission of the Executive Committee of the TPOA. Or otherwise, if another Member does the same as what you do, you will not have any locus standi to ask him to remove his car or even to advise him not to do.
29. Can you guarantee that in the past, you had not gone into any complication of you getting dragged to police complaint, wherein you stood there as an accused. Or otherwise, if another Member does the same as what you do, you will not have any locus standi to ask him ‘why he behaves like that?’.
30. Can you touch your conscience, answer to yourself and take a decision to file your nomination, keeping in mind ‘your ability to handle, your intention and willingness to foster knowledge, your competence to handle tricky issues and tricky people – all for the overall benefit of 466 Members without any tinge of selfishness’?
31. If the answers to above questions are a YES, then we have found in you a leader (and a 4th President) who could lead us and Pushpadruma!
(C) Pointers: These pointers are ‘food for thought’.
1. The candidate should have a passion to work, to devote time and a desire to learn (from every issue, from every Member and from every situation). Members should not see in you ‘an enemy within’ but Members should feel that they have got a strong and a decisive President in you who is able to work with passion boldly and impartially, despite the uncomfortable situations.
2. When you go to public places like Panchayat Office, Police Station and Taluk Office, as a head of the Housing Society, seeking an obligation and looking into the care of 466 Members, you will have to maintain a low profile. In such places, you cannot boast or behave having a high profile attitude by showing off that ‘you were Joint Secretary or Joint Commissioner or Scientist or Bank Manager or Chartered Accountant etc. whether or not you were in that position’.
3. For any leader, who is positive wanting to correct the wrong things, he is sure to gain critics, encounter anonymous letter writers, bit notice distributors, enemies, hatred speakers, non supporters and opponents. You must know ‘which criticism you must take it to your mind for adoption immediately, which criticism you must put it in your pocket for usage at a later date and which criticism you must put it under your feet deserving dismissal.
4. You will come across people becoming angry and resentful very easily. All Members reasonably know that you cannot dispel or eradicate bad, malicious, poisonous and vicious intentions of some Members; but at least you must be able to counsel them or expose them. People know that ‘you cannot control Members as you are not a Military General or a Dictator but you will have to manage them as an Administrator’.
5. You will come across different types of persons including family members behaving peculiarly. One Member will go to the extent of cursing you to have CORONA for their unwillingness to pay the Unpaid Monthly Maintenance Charges and resultant interest of a few hundreds.
6. Another Member will display meanness and pour out venom by saying ‘whether CORONA will not come to your house’ for his shameless and utter inability to deal with vendors and for a milk packet of Rs.20. Sometimes, with his uncontrollable anger, coupled with the rise of adrenaline, he may arrogantly and foolishly challenge that he would close the Main Gate, all for the loss of his milk packet of Rs.20.
7. Ironically, both the above Members would insist the presence of President, as if the latter is available at their beck and call. For that, you should not call them ‘fools’ but as a leader, you must face such utterances and mean behavior of Members and deal with them squarely and boldly.
8. You will come across not only youngsters but also elders who will behave like school boys, pouring out anger, emitting hatred and ill feel whatever they have in their minds, without being able to distinguish whether to utter in the presence of FMS people/security people/technicians or not, thus losing their own image and prestige. You may have to go through comments, humiliations and insults. You should ‘not get upset about the criticisms but you must understand the criticisms’. There will be circumstances of you getting into disturbance, inconvenience, stress, and tension but you should never ever have any whimsy in likes and dislikes.
9. You will come across hurdles, interruptions and obstacles from critics, non supporters and enemies. You may be having problems from some people even within your close friends circle or within your close family circle. You will also come across petty quarrels, mean misunderstandings, selfish utterances from your own friends, families, families’ friends, supporters and general sympathizers. To think that you may need their support in future, you should not be partial and passive for their indiscipline. You should not depend on anyone for any support for any issue. Don’t bother whether such people will stay with you or walk out of your circle, or whether she supports someone else’s husband or whether he supports someone else’s wife. Don’t waste your time in pampering such type of persons. You must treat both your friends and opponents equally and impartially. If your approach is correct, support will reach you in abundance naturally.
10. You will come across some mistakes are committed or caused inadvertently by your Secretary or Treasurer. You are equally exposed as a Leader (President) and you must accept moral responsibility and accountability. You cannot adopt any ‘volte face’ attitude. You cannot shrug off the infamy or failure because the buck stops at your (President) level.
11. Till you become a President, people surrounding you, can call you ‘a good man or a bad man’; but after you become a President, the same people will assess you, judge you and view you as to ‘whether you are a right man for the top job? Or whether you can withstand the stress and strain? Or whether you use your intellect to the optimum advantage of the members of TPOA?.
12. Till you become a President, people surrounding you, can look at you as a friend but the moment you become a President and once you start working with impartial attitude, the same people (known and unknown) and even your close friends will treat you as an enemy. You cannot have the cake and eat it too. You cannot ‘at both times be a friend and an enemy’, especially when you deal with ‘issues of compliance and discipline’.
13. When a Member (who is indisciplined, non compliant and recalcitrant) is pushed to the corner or when he is not able to give an exact answer to the pertinent question due to his inability to address the issues directly, and when his issue is not resolved, it will become a fashion for him
to call the administrators ‘ liars’,
to call the administrators ‘egoists’
to call the Team as ‘not a genuine team’.
to call the administrators ‘authoritarian’
to call the administrators ‘that Team is writing long letters’, but himself taking many pages as explanation to defend his inaction/indiscipline/lie/ruckus. You have to manage them.
14. You will face direct and indirect problems from tank water suppliers, sewerage water removers, technicians, neighbours, bachelors, etc. You may have to visit Police Stations on behalf of TPOA. As a leader (and a 4th President) you have to anticipate, encounter and visualize such situations.
15. You cannot shut the eyes, shut the ears and shut the mouths of every critic. If you devote your energy and time to retaliate every criticism leveled against you, you will be deemed a weak person ‘not able to prioritise’. By that never did I mean, you convert yourself as a basket to receive such criticism, but at a later date, you must come like a ‘bang’ so that they feel that you have only hissed and not yet bitten.
16. If you allow any one Member to have the Password permanently, you will be called a Weak President.
17. If you allow any one Member to have full control on the Accounts System permanently, you will be called a Weak President.
18. If you allow any one Member to have full control over emails, you will be called a Weak President.
19. A Weak President (wanting to have a peace for himself selfishly at the cost of other 465 Members) is one. An Ineffective President (lacking a basic boldness to ask justifiable questions thus pledging the rights of all Members) is another. If you fall under both the categories, you may be branded as a Leader who falls a prey to one Member or to one Language Group, out of your sheer carelessness/fear/inability/selfishness/weakness. Like the fear of insult, the fear of criticism will diminish your energy and status, even after you demit. So you should not allow others to dissipate your energy and denigrate your 2 positions (one as Present Working President which you are going to occupy and the other as ex-President after you demit in future).
20. People should see in you ‘an active, concerned, energetic, selfless and willing President’ and not see in you ‘a passive, selfish, unconcerned and time-passing President’. Often peace loving people are inactive. Those who are pro-active, have no peace in them. Peace and activity cannot go together. If a person is tensed and stressed, even before taking a position, then such a person after taking position, cannot last longer and he will prove himself a ‘misfit’.
21. Administration is a continuous process of taking decisions, making errors and correcting errors. When I inherited, I had taken steps to correct many of the errors/wrong practices committed/indulged in my previous 2 Teams. Likewise, I may have also caused a few errors inadvertently, which also you must correct.
22. Whenever you have problems with neighbors, your ex office bearer will not give any needed support but will walk away unconcerned without giving any help. You must digest that type of ‘escapism of a Member’. The same ex office bearer, will give unwanted ‘presence and intervention’ with an ulterior motive to escalate the situation; you leave that situation also as it is without adding or subtracting; ultimately the entire situation will turn against him, due to his own immature attitude, affecting his own image and prestige. Instead of getting upset of their non-participation at one instant and their intervention and their over indulgence at another instant, you can prove your mettle to all Members that you are more efficient than him’.
23. When a problem happens, your close friend may stand physically by your side. It does not mean that he supports you as you don’t know his personal/family compulsions. You cannot depend on him whether he will stand as a witness, in your favour, at a later date. May be your friend as a witness, wants to play ‘safe’ or does not have the guts to speak openly on your behalf. You must spot such escapists/weak persons and decide as to ‘how long you can depend on such type’. You create one solid Lieutenant and have 2 or 3 positive persons by your side instead of having 30 indecisive, negative, useless and weak personalities – you don’t need 30 PAs or 30 Peons or 30 Miscreants. Don’t waste your time on such people.
24. You will come across people who will support you when they are alone with you in safe zone (like in residences), but the same people will keep quiet not expressing a word of support in unsafe zones (like in open meetings).
25. When you give pressure to a Member (who is already a vendor) for his dues, both as a Member and as a Vendor Tenant, he may adopt some strategy to avoid your pressure. An indirect nuisance can always come from his known relatives/neighbours/ex office bearer. You have to handle such situations also.
26. If you take any action against any vendor but not a Member and if he has any continuing contact or influence with ex office bearers, the latter will give pressure indirectly to yield to the vendor. You should not yield to such type of pressure tactics.
27. You will come across some spouses (gents or ladies) who are educated but unemployed, will kindle you. An idle mind is a devil’s workshop. You have to manage them.
28. You will come across different categories of people, including uneducated persons with gentleness and understanding who can be emulated and educated persons with roughness and deliberate misunderstanding, who can be mistaken as rowdies. You have to manage them.
29. While taking a tough decision in instilling discipline and enforcing compliance, your co-member (if and when he is affected) having kept quiet all the time and suddenly will wake up from inertia and
will send you 15 emails in the midnight,
will say that he was not informed earlier,
will come out with lies like that he didn’t read the email and the Monthly Communications,
will say that he was not present in the meeting and so he was not aware of the rules of compliance,
will demand ‘a meeting of 466 Members immediately as if all 466 people will parade at his call’
will challenge you that he will give you sleepless nights, irrespective whether he sleeps properly or not,
will resort to any method to embarrass you, irritate you and provoke you.
will challenge you with physical threats,
but you should never ever yield to such pressures/cheap techniques.
30. People who have proved unsuccessful, cannot (and may not) stand ‘your dare and success’ and they will continue to give pinpricks, give you headache and make you upset by putting hurdles to your positive issues, expecting you to fail but you should never ever succumb/yield to such cheap and negative techniques. If your competence and skill are better noticeably, then you are bound to have enemies, more out of jealousy than out of logic. You should have the ability to handle them with patience. Your performance will be watched by all Members with interest as to ‘how you deal with enemies and opponents’.
31. In rare instances of a bachelor dying due to his own misadventure despite our well framed rules, though you had taken all the formalities and precautions, which are well explained, understood and appreciated by everyone, suddenly one ex office bearer and the family may utter some sentences which will ignite the situation. Such people will not be able to digest your ‘efficient handling and success’. Out of jealousy and envy, they may start some other irrelevant issue to kindle you and provoke you. You explain your stand with facts, figures and persons involved, and in the process, the concerned miscreant and the family will get exposed. More and more an ex office bearer gives you trouble, more and more in multiple dimensions, you must create a talent to expose them.
32. In rare occurrences of various epidemics and the consequent measures you take in compliance with the guidelines of the local health authorities, and in the midst of your receiving appreciation from many Members in ADDA postings, some people not being able to digest ‘your success and appreciation from Members’, one ex office bearer will give suggestions, as if they are new, in a separate mail to tpoa with a deliberate intent in not posting in ADDA. You continue to do what is right. When you reply/respond, don’t send your reply to him but you send communication to all 466 Members as most of the Members are aware whether such a suggestion is already implemented or genuine or deliberate with an intent to interfere in your administration. You will have to handle such situations and persons as well.
33. You will come across some people going to the silent mode for months together, and will suddenly rise up to ask a question on an issue, on which the Team has exhausted all the formalities towards solution of the issue. You should not be complacent with such silence and you should not be upset with such unnecessary and unwarranted question. It is an opportunity for you to explain your stand clearly and in the process, the miscreant will get further exposed. You have to handle such people also.
34. You will come across some people who have a desire to get their names in ‘headlines’ - either for popular or notorious reasons. It is your choice and discretion to give him either 0.5 cm covering (in Monthly Communications) or 15.00 cm covering in Special Communications. At the same time, don’t try to avoid such people, but create an ability to deal with them as well.
35. Not being sufficient with the problems from outside, one of our own Members may create a ruckus by over intoxication leading to threaten to life to another Member, sometimes leading to entry of local mob. The above tensed situation may be escalated due to over indulgence and wanted interference by some of own Members/ex office bearers. You will have to teach them that one cannot solve the problem with ‘an elementary school teacher attitude with questioning authority which they have but one must cultivate a concerned approach with a kind attitude which they do not have’.
36. You will come across a Member, who has been battered, will ask you questions under some other Member’s name. If you are smart, you can spot both the ‘Poison Emitter and the Gullible Member’. Expose them.
37. You cannot take big expenditure proposals at the end of your tenure, propose the same in an Extra Ordinary General Body Meeting, just 4 or 5 weeks before an Actual Annual General Body Meeting, then feel jittery, then run away from position by yielding to another Team to take over the mess. If even you are fully convinced of your own proposal, you as a front runner, must contribute your share to set an example. For example, for a Painting Proposal of Rs.1,50,00,000/- and you propose to charge Rs.33 per sq ft. and if you own a flat of 1077 sq ft, you must pay upfront your share of Rs.35,541/- (1077 sq ft x Rs.33) immediately. You cannot buckle under the shade and uncertainty to wait till 70% of Members to pay first as people will know your cunningness and selfishness. In such big proposals, there is no harm in keeping a small portion as ‘buffer and contingent’. Don’t keep that as secret, as it will send wrong signals about your intention. You inform everything to all Members. History teaches everyone a few lessons. It is up to the right minded persons to get taught. If the invoice cost is Rs.1,20,00,000, you must be frank to inform all Members. If you hide, your credibility is gone. You must first charge Rs.26 per sq ft towards Rs.1,20,00,000 and then again charge Rs.7 per sq ft towards the balance Rs.30,00,000/-, provided your proposal of Rs.1,50,00,000 goes through all the formalities.
38. Any exercise of temporary self-rumouring of vacating the area, orchestrated by self and others, will not help you. That means, you cannot escape from the realities, as ultimately when you do not vacate, the truth will slap you and the onus and the embarrassment is ‘your own’. Leadership means leading from the front facing the realities and not running away through back door afraid of the realities.
39. Don’t bother about ‘Frogs quacking’ which is a distraction but you remind yourself you are serving all 466 Honourable Members which is an attraction. People like your ‘details and transparency’. People are smart enough to evaluate you and judge you whether you have the courage, perseverance, temerity and willingness to execute the proposals proposed by you.
40. You will come across a situation where a lady interferes, not knowing the weak position of her husband. You must know ‘how to handle’ such persons and situations. Due to her continuous interference with insufficient knowledge, she herself may put her husband in hot (still worse) spot. For example, if you reveal secrets of a man up to 30%, the balance 70% exposure and revelation will be done by his own wife due to her own innocence and over indulgence.
41. The moment you are strict ‘in enforcing compliance and in instilling discipline’, there will always be a coterie, who will work against you, who will indulge in negative propaganda against you, who will spread misinformation against you and who will twist the meanings of your utterances. You have to manage them as well, as a Smart Leader.
You will come across an ex office bearer, having failed miserably within a year, wants to get back to the position. The craze and the greed to become President again, has gone to such a maddening level, it makes him to speak to the local political leader, with a begging bowl, saying that “(1) Sir, I also belong to the your category, (2) I have got the support of 466 Members (3) I can help you to become Panchayat Chairman (4) The present Team has got character problem and so (5) please help me become President! You may also come across a few ex office bearers, having a tete-e-tete conversations in the ground floor, in standing posture, for hours together, where the failed/greedy man will voluntarily reach and speak to everyone, giving the feeling to others that ‘he is canvassing’. You don’t need to bother about such cheap techniques adopted by such a greedy person as majority of Members watch the meanness of that office bearer and they will give proper reply at the appropriate time.
42. If you touch someone (I mean if you pinpoint a mistake, if you take corrective measures, if you expose the person), he or she will oppose you in email, endorse the email to his/her supporters ‘for a combined support’ like herd mentality, lacking individuality. There are some people, who are affected, who are defeated, who are embarrassed and who are exposed; such type of people, even after they vacated the flat, may operate through ‘weak links like remote operators but you must spot ‘both the senior and the junior’. You have to deal with such venomous people who suffer from ego, falsehood, hypocrisy, ignorance, mischief, partiality, pride and selfishness. You must have patience and tolerance to counter such a man and such a group?
43. Over a passage of time, you can spot ‘deliberate non supporters/opponents/enemies as mere critics vomiting criticism destructively and unseemly at all times, but themselves not capable of doing productively even one tenth of what you would do. If your action, approach, attitude and intention are all good, you can hammer that negativity with confidence and subtlety.
44. There may be some people even within the Committee, who could play a double role, endorsing your views generally in the meeting but acting otherwise outside. Such persons (insiders) trying to play the role of a neutral state will get caught and by your exposing them at the appropriate time, soon they will leave your Committee by themselves. You must spot such people and you don’t need such indecisive persons in your Committee.
45. There may be some people who are afraid to co-sign and there would be some people who would agree orally but unwilling to co-sign. You must spot them and you don’t need such weak persons in your Committee.
46. Within 3 months, your co-members will judge you, whether you are an independent President (or a Proxy President dancing to the tunes of others), or whether you are the right person for the post befitting the position or whether you are a wrong person not able to befit the position.
(D) Suggestions: A few suggestions for New Comers:
1. Don’t over promise but ‘under promise and over deliver’. Even the well informed people are ‘deluded’.
2. You don’t need to be available with your presence in the scene on all issues, but your approach, your attitude and your perception will reveal your being available to the issues with conscientiousness.
3. Be aware that ‘Leadership is action and not position – Donald McGannon’?.
4. Choose your Secretary to ensure that he could spontaneously speak in the local language Tamil as you cannot be a ‘translator at all times’.
5. Every day, you learn ‘how to relate with others and not how to retaliate’.
6. Don’t ever be a complainant but become a thanks-giver.
7. You should not get tired out yourself but you must make negative people to get tired out; that is possible if only you have truth and transparency in your side.
8. Your action should be based on intelligence (of yours and others) but use of intellect (of yours only).
9. Your approach should be bold and sustained. Don’t be afraid of all problems, as some are technical.
10. Don’t get dissipated with unintelligent preoccupations with your anxiety of your proposals getting approved. You maintain your cool irrespective whether proposals are approved or not. Leave the destiny to ‘majority’.
11. Don’t become frightened about the breadth, height, weight, academic qualifications, intelligence, professional status, richness, influence, rough tone, angered/wrinkled face of anyone. You are not in ‘physical arena’.
12. Don’t assess the person through his body (appearance) but through his mind (intent).
13. Don’t deal with issues with your heart but deal with your head.
14. You should have the desire ‘to kill anger and frustration’ before you venture to crush anger in others.
15. You must have integrity and you must live up to your inner values.
16. Don’t be judgemental about others too suddenly.
17. When you deal with eccentric people, rely on your instinct. You have to conquer rude or snide remarks.
18. Your speaking ability tells your maturity; your writing ability tells your confidence and your demeanor tells your grace.
19. When a person has decided to be unfriendly, there is no use of your effort to be friendly.
20. When others cheat you, it is betrayal; when you cheat yourself, it is self-betrayal.
21. If you don’t master your mind, you become a slave to your mind.
22. Don’t ever take efforts and waste energy to obliterate your enemies; they will become tired soon, vanish by themselves and till such time, of course, you must maintain endurance and patience.
23. Don’t react to all critics but you have to bear with the stupid comments. Their Cowardice, Escapism, Untruth and Unworthiness will all pass away with time.
24. You will come across different specimen of personalities. Some people can inspire you and you can choose to align with them. Some people can drain you and you can choose to distance from them. You will have to spot them wisely. Some people will behave badly despite being snubbed many times, but you create an ability to pierce a needle succinctly without any remorse, every now and then.
25. Don’t neutralize the non supporters. You must know to differentiate people who show ‘sheer arrogance and inflated ego’, from people who have ‘utter ignorance and blatant stupidity’. You can and should retaliate the former but you should sympathize the latter.
26. When you communicate, don’t compromise on details as to get ‘total clarity of the issue’. Don’t shorten and opt for ‘brief letter’ as it may not stand legally and logically as a witness in your favour at a later date as it may suffer from ambiguities and leaving some unexpected questions unanswered.
27. What you write is a document, not only for the present but also for the future. Whether people read or not, it is not your concern, but to convey with full details is your concern and responsibility. Don’t bother about people commenting that it is ‘lengthy’. Such people will gossip for many hours destructively and unproductively over phone, over whatsap, over secluded email group but will not spend extra few minutes to read a document of issue productively.
28. If you are a ‘she President’, do not involve your husband and if you are a ‘he President’, do not involve your wife. Sometimes, even a careful involvement with good intentions from the spouse may turn out to be distasteful interventions.
29. If you are a new face and not having any acquaintance/connection with 9 Office Bearers (3 x 3 Teams, which includes ours), and if you are confident, don’t communicate/consult with all the 9 persons but start on your own. In my case, I never reached the 6 ex Office Bearers (3 x 2 Teams) for any advice/idea/input.
30. During my entire tenure of nearly 3 years, I had not consulted my 2 Predecessors on any issues as I don’t want my decisions to get prejudiced. May be you can consult. Are you sure your decision will not suffer prejudice?
31. Everyone has his own style. I was conscious of what I was doing. Just ponder how many issues and problems I had faced. In the last 3 years facing innumerable tricky situations and difficult personalities, I did not raise my voice, I did not shout, I did not raise my hands, I did not display ugly body postures, I did not threaten, I did not show off, I did not keep angry/rough/wrinkled face’. I knew that I am humble, simple by appearance, soft by talk and plain by body language. Despite my outward softness, I have been able to write with assertiveness and boldness conveying clear impact and decisive impression. I did not encourage the habit/practice of ‘ex office bearers becoming Committee Members. I insisted the presence of such Members in the EC meetings. I did not allow any one (including Committee Members) to give directions from their homes. I sent distinct messages to such people that they do not have any extra horns. That was my style.
32. You can have your own style, either follow mine as stated above, or mix both. If you are soft at all times, you will be taken for granted. If you are rough all the times, you will have hell of life.
33. Initially, I was an unwilling entrant as a President. Feeling at me ‘as soft’, imagining about me ‘as soft’ and looking at me ‘as soft’, people did not know that “I am a strict person and I am unconcerned about what others are thinking about me so long as I am in right track”. I had taken certain decisions or I was a part of decisions which no doubt affected the ego, pride and prestige of some people. In the process, I had gained some enemies from a handful of persons but I had gained admiration from a very large number of people.
34. People now know ‘whether I have handled the criticisms and critics well?’. People also know ‘whether I have allowed the criticisms and critics to enter my head?’. Just like you throw away inappropriate ingredients from your diet, you must cut undesirable friends and contacts. To understand idiomatically (adjective: idioms), people should feel that ‘finally TPOA has found a right cat who could chase the wrong rats – it could be anything. Don’t bother whether there are such rats at all, but you can be ‘a better cat’ for the goodness, orderliness and welfare of the society!
35. Age is not a factor but you should not run out of steam. Your 3rd President was 71 years when he took over TPOA in 2017 and now he is 74 years.
36. If you really desire to have a grip of the situation before taking up the position, you can read 32 Monthly Communications, so far sent by our Secretary (by which you get to know issues related to TPOA generally) and 3 Yearly Communications which were sent by the President (by which you get to know the emotional issues and attitudes of some members). Beyond that, you don’t need to be briefed by anyone.
37. All above questions, pointers and suggestions are only illustrative and not exhaustive. I do not know whether I have encouraged you to be a 4th President or discouraged you from becoming a 4th President. However,
(E) Final:
1. I am expecting in you ‘a better Narayanan, a bolder Narayanan, a smarter Narayanan, a wiser Narayanan and undoubtedly a better Leader’, to be our 4TH PRESIDENT! You are most welcome to pinpoint vociferously to all 466 Members any of the errors/mistakes happened during the tenure of the 3rd Team as I want the 4th Team to be a better Team than the 3rd Team, to enable TPOA not only to go to further heights but also to achieve a status of ‘near, nearer and nearest PERFECTION in all segments of administration and management’. Irrespective whether there will be one Team or more than one Team competing, you are welcome to attend the 2 EC Meetings of Sep 2020, to enable ‘having a grip of the issues besides leading such a pre-participation to smooth transition’.
2. If you feel diffident within a year, not able to cope up the pressure in dealing with administration, audit, budgetary expenditure, mounting deficit, finance, local people behavior and interference, neighbours, governmental authorities, ever increasing dues from defaulters, police authorities, non supporters, opponents, enemies, you please handover the affairs of TPOA to the next (5th) Team, instead of messing the affairs still further causing further damage to the TPOA. Learn from 2016-17 history.
(F) Are you going to continue?
Q 1: If a New Member (with a New Team without any combination/mix of the 6 ex office bearers of earlier 2 Teams) comes forward to serve as 4th President, what is your stand?
A 1: On the last day of filing nomination, if I am fully satisfied that the New Team of 3 new persons are not likely to be Proxy Candidates of earlier 2 Teams, I will not contest.
Q 2: If a New Member (with a New Team) does not come forward to serve as a 4th Team but a person comes forward with a Mixed Team wherein there is a noticeable combination/mix of ex office bearers of earlier 2 Teams with a change of designations, what is your stand?
A 2: I am very particular that there should not be any Proxy Office Bearer, to be remote controlled by another who is an ex Office Bearer. Our TPOA, like any other Housing Society, consists of multi-lingual Members and unwittingly, everyone expects the Team to be communicative in English for general purposes and in Tamil for special purposes dealing with local authorities. Already, one Member is exposed, who could not speak English and who could not write English. He has poked his nose in 2 places/issues. Suddenly, he started sending 2 to 3 Pages content in English, which is written by another Member, an ex office bearer, whose inefficiency, lethargy and non performance in not filing IT returns during his period as Treasurer of the 1st Team, causing a loss of approximately Rs.2.70 lacs, is known to all. Instead of answering a question that is put to him as to whether he had filed the IT returns or not during his period as Treasurer till 30.09.2016, he did not answer to that particular question but he keeps writing on behalf of another Member who is not comfortable in English, pouring his venom due to his deficiencies being exposed. Just think over, if the affairs of TPOA are handed over to such a gullible Member (Proxy Office Bearer), leaving such a situation to be manoeuvred by another Member (an ex Office Bearer) what will happen to our society. It is as bad as inviting a tested non performing ex office bearer to become an office bearer under the guise/name of another person. I will not put myself to witness a situation of such a wrong alignment and combination of ‘inefficiency and non performance of such ex office bearers whose performance was tested and proved ineffective’ to mix with ‘a new set of persons, whose performance is yet to be tested and tasted’.
To put further emphasis, like the present outgoing 3rd Team of Mr Narayanan as President, Mr Vijay Antony Raj as Secretary and Mr Chandrasekaran as Treasurer, the incoming 4th Team of 3 Primary Office Bearers also should be able to communicate on their own individually (with independence of thought, with independence of expression and with independence of decision) instead of depending on others permanently. TPOA needs 3 Strong Persons with individuality as 3 Primary Office Bearers of 4th Team and not 3 dolls (as Proxies).
So, I will contest.
P G Narayanan.
