Wordy parlance has caught the fancy of today’s netizens and anchors who swamp the media with impressive verbiage of words ranging from ’canard’, ‘hubris’, ‘bigotry’, ‘algorithms’ to ‘whataboutery’ and ‘shifting goalposts’ in TV debates and chats. Yet a simple word ‘Process’ is holding fort with same impact & enjoys the widest usage, so remarkable that it’s worth looking at.
The word ‘Process’ came to us early since our teachers taught us about the five senses and the way ‘processing’ is constantly going on inside us, as we respond to external stimuli. In our academics we used another name for it, called ‘funda’, which essentially meant understanding basic concepts & processes (steps), be it in subjects like maths & chemistry or relating to how human body or machine’s function as taught in medicine & engineering.
Dictionary explains the ‘noun’ word ‘process’ as a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end. We also have the ‘verb’ as the performing of a series of mechanical or chemical operations on (something) in order to change or preserve it. In an abstract sense, we know that if we follow the established processes the results are generally favourable. That’s why a great leader like MS Dhoni (and later Dravid, India’s exemplary Ex-Coach) had always stressed on focusing on process and not the outcome.
Why is it so important to follow the laid down and given processes ? I recall trainers who explained assembly line operations to us – repeating the same operations continuously day in and out, brings skill & perfection to the job, becoming a second-habit to workers. The same applies to hours of practice for sportsmen on the field and on-the-job training on shop floor & services. Of course there’s need for changing the systems to adapt to new situations.
Finally there’s ‘legal’ process, prescribed by the laws of the country such as summons or writ requiring a person to appear in court & the proceedings on dates that are fixed, refixed and deferred several times while the lawyers endlessly argue the case before judgement is given after countless hearings.
Since due process of law must be adhered (or any act can be termed illegal), there’s this long, protracted nature of the entire ‘judicial’ process that lead to cries from an aggrieved class ‘justice delayed is justice denied’! So many opine that if ‘process’ (we include disciplinary action rules of organizations) itself becomes the ‘punishment’, it needs urgent an relook, re-fix & reform !
Working on Living 