This case belongs to the era of the recent past when computers, systems, systems analysis, system design, systems analysis and design, management information systems (MIS), information technology (IT) etc had not become the day-to-day things.
Very few organizations had taken on to computers and fewer organizations had systems- even the manual management or business systems, forget about the computer ones. Those companies who had installed some semblance of management or business systems in their organizations used to have a department called “systems and procedures department” or “organization and methods department" (standard abbreviation being O&M). This department used to formulate certain organizational systems and procedures.
In this kind of illiterate environment, a premium industrial engineering and management institute dared to start a six months long educational course on systems design. Yes, it's title was “systems design”. They sent out the brochures of this course to many leading companies. The course fees were pretty steep and therefore, company sponsorships were necessary.
A top shot of the corporate office of a technologically sophisticated company designing and manufacturing highly technical products received this brochure. He was highly excited about it since he was already somewhat computer and system literate. He wished to spread that literacy to many people in the organization. Being in a hierarchical position where he could decide the things, decided to depute two senior executives from one of its manufacturing units geographically distantly located from the city where company had its corporate office. He could not have deputed more number of people to this six months long course on “systems design” because of three reasons: the course was very expensive, there were budgetary constraints and the company could not have spared out more people at a stretch for six long months.
However, with reference to deputation of even these two executives to the course, a problem had crept in. Due to the notorious inefficiency of the postal department (and may be, also of the institute that was going to run the course on systems design), this top shot in the corporate office received the brochure of the course much too late. Yet, he was hung on sending two executives to get wiser on systems design.
So, he got a telex sent out to the chief of manufacturing unit communicating the decision of the corporate office to depute two senior executives to the systems design course (Telex was used for communicating since Internet and emails came much later. Why, even fax came much later). The decision on who should be deputed was, however, left to the chief of manufacturing unit. In those days, a telex message would be sent in telegraphic language since each additional word on the telex would cost quite a bit. So, not too much was written in the telex.
The chief of the manufacturing unit had just about a day to decide on the names of the executives whom he would depute for this course. The course was starting the day after and a day would be required for travel. He had also to decide from which departments these two executive would be drawn. So everything was urgent on this issue.
However, the chief of manufacturing unit just did not have any clue on what this term “system design” meant. He could not have got the clarification on it from the corporate top shot since both were almost at the same hierarchical levels and he would prefer not to show his ignorance to the corporate office. Internet and World Wide Web were not available in those days where he could have found a few million web sites explaining the term “systems design”. He could not have consulted any of his subordinates (he was number one in the unit) since he could not expose his ignorance to his subordinates too. He had to decide about it the first thing the next morning as soon as he was in the office. He had just about the evening to decide.
With all these thoughts crowding his mind, he went home that day. Over the dinner, he saw his wife who was looking brighter than usual that evening. He noticed this aspect of her and he had the intuition that the wife would have the key to solve his problem. Couple of times earlier, he had experienced that consultations with wife helped. It is well known that top executives' wives know better about many aspects of the company where their husbands work. The gossips on who got promotions and who got fired reach the husband executives from their wives earlier than through the normal formal organizational communication channels which are normally pretty sluggish.
So, he asked her as to whom would she choose for deputation to the systems design course if she was given the choice. She was quite confused on this jargon “systems design”. She asked her husband about it and he replied that he too was not too sure about it and yet, he must take the decision by tomorrow morning.
She then said, “OK, forget it and darling, don’t you worry, it’s rather simple. See, you have this design department where your guys design some systems- those hydraulic and pneumatic systems etc. So pick up one senior manager from there and I know that a friend of mine keeps talking about her husband designing some systems and procedures for your factory. So pick him up; my friend will be quite happy and will continue to feel obliged to me”.
The chief of the unit was mighty convinced about the logic put up by his better half. Next day morning he issued out his instructions to depute these two guys from these two departments. And here we had one hydraulic systems design engineer/manager attending a very expensive six month long duration course on “systems design” at the premium management educational institute!!
The great part is yet to come: when this hydraulic systems design executive returned from the six months course, on being asked as to how the course was, he told his friends, “It was great. The food was wonderful, the campus was beautiful. And look, I have already put on weight. But, frankly, I don’t know why was I sent- it had nothing to do with hydraulic systems at all. Yet, anyway, it was a great paid holiday.”
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"Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" (available from Amazon, get it online)
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