Going back to Samagra’s roots: Sanskar
At some point in their career, all professionals are faced with the question: why?
Why am I doing this? Why is it important? Answers to this question can vary significantly.
In a mission-driven firm like Samagra, the answer to this question, the fundamental “why”, takes on a monumental significance. In fact, it is one of the most important criteria on which we make recruitment decisions. The why in our case is our mission—to improve the quality of life of citizens through better governance. Our team members co-work with government leaders and stakeholders to further this mission. The leadership of the firm as well as individual team members are also constantly making choices on a daily basis which have tangible implications for end-beneficiaries. And therefore in the way they work and the values they demonstrate, it is essential that the “why” acts as a moral compass.
In a consulting set up, especially like the one we have, with teams spending most of their time in different programme locations, i.e., states, instilling and reiterating the all-important why becomes as difficult as it is critical. Equally necessary is providing a sense of belonging to the organization and its larger purpose beyond the immediate programme that team members are staffed on. This is where organizational culture comes into play. And while building a robust org culture entails doing a series of different things emphasizing core principles, in our case there is one thread that brings everything together—our annual “offsite” Sanskar. It is a forum to acquaint oneself with what being a part of Samagra intrinsically means. We recently concluded Sanskar 2020.
As offsites generally go, Sanskar is not a typical one. It is designed as a 3-day immersive experience to meet certain key objectives rather than as a relaxed getaway. Everyone in the firm participates either by presenting, conducting sessions or being involved in group discussions; instead of the onus of organizing being on just a few people. Through different sessions spread across 3 days, team members reaffirm their commitment to the mission of the firm, reflect on their own journeys, reconnect with each other, and rejoice in what we have been able to accomplish collectively.
With new members joining the firm, it becomes important to provide context to the team on the story behind the creation of Samagra; both the personal and professional journey which has shaped the organizational thought process and me. The different constructs which guide our work--Mission (what we are working towards), Samagra Values (the values we exemplify), Our Approach (our consulting model), #SamagraWays (our ways of working), Quality Parameters (the quality benchmarks we hold ourselves to), Professional Development Framework (the structured PD metrics and process), everything is discussed threadbare to ensure complete clarity. While every new joinee is provided information on these things when she joins, and also experiences how they play out on a daily basis, the sessions during Sanskar illustrate the method behind the madness; how everything ties together.
For the duration of Sanskar, team members are divided into different groups comprising members of other programme teams so as to facilitate new connections and friendships. One of the most important sessions during the 3 days is these groups sharing the professional and personal journeys which led them to joining Samagra, with each other. These sessions, done without a time limit and meant to be a safe space for team members, strengthen the bond within the group members.
A part of Sanskar also entails programme teams presenting on the evolution and impact of their work. Team members put in hours into intensive preparation for these presentations, setting a higher quality benchmark every year.
Armed with this context about the work being done by different teams across states as well as various organizational constructs, team members then jointly develop a vision for the coming year. This also includes outlining how this vision translates into specific expectations from individual members. All Sanskar sessions are interactive and allow team members to discuss, debate and question each other as well as the firm’s leadership.
By the time the event reaches its crescendo on the third day, team members are much better acquainted with the “why”—for themselves, their colleagues and the organization. For a growing firm like ours, Sanskar forms a cornerstone for building organizational culture and a sense of purpose. It is the coming together of everything that being a member of Samagra represents, understood as a singular thought process, rather than abstract, disjointed concepts.