'Gardener' would best describe my work: Bagchi

BANGALORE, INDIA: Effective April 1, 2008, Subroto Bagchi will step down as MindTree Consulting’s chief operating officer to don the role of Gardener.

The MindTree co-founder, in a tête-à-tête with Srinivas R of CyberMedia News, explains more about his new designation at the company As Gardener, Bagchi will work with the Top 100 MindTree Minds on their ‘personal-professional’ issues of leadership and with MindTree’s 45 communities of practice in a pull-based manner.

This is part of MindTree’s focus on capacity building as it braces itself for the next phase in the journey of leadership.

CMN: From static designations to highly metaphoric. Why? Is it a sign of the new, emerging times?

Subroto Bagchi: I am not sure that a change in designation in MindTree is a sign of changing times. That is too boastful. It is just our way of simplifying things. At work, as everywhere else, leaders make things complex. This is a title that would best describe my work at MindTree and I like its organic feel. Even a child understands what a gardener does; everyone can instantly imagine the kind of person he is likely to be. I see my next phase at MindTree as a servant leader and that is what this title is all about.

CMN: Can such a designation bring about more openness among the rank and file to be able to freely express themselves?

SB: I hope so. The Gardener at MindTree is a non-structural role. He does not report to anybody and no one reports to him. This non-structural persona should make the Top-100 leaders to be able to confide in him, trust him so that he can help them to rise to their potential.

CMN: Is this an IT industry phenomenon given that it is highly dependent on human capital?

SB: Again, I do not want to over state what we do in the IT industry. Yet, because we are more human capital intensive, we can relate to such concepts a little better.

CMN: Would you say that this is part of the new term that is cropping up -- people equity -- which is expected to replace the term human capital as it is thought as being more positive and long term?

SB: I think ‘human capital’ is long-term enough and has been barely understood, far less harvested.

CMN: How different is this from, say, a Mentor? A mentor too is supposed to aid and enable people.

SB: I do not know if we should make the comparison. The term Mentor is a great one; show me a place where it is really working though. The word ‘Gardener’ is a simple one in comparison and is closer to my heart. It is also more “MindTreeish”, you know what I mean?

CMN: On a more practical basis, can such designations be used by others as well? How realistic or scalable is this, both outside and within MindTree?

SB: I do not think people should experiment with fancy designations; they must experiment with substance and then, wrap it around with whatever designation that best explains it. Substance must precede symbolism to be worthwhile.