Cabinet Secretary Urges Civil Servants: Don’t Repeat One Year’s Experience 30 Times
In a two-page note sent to all Secretaries to the Government of India on June 12, Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan posed a challenging question: at the end of their service, would they have gained 30 years of experience or just one year repeated 30 times?
The note, accompanied by a 10-page guide on conducting effective meetings, stressed the need for continuous improvement and attention to detail. Somanathan urged civil servants to avoid following a 'beaten track' and instead focus on refining their skills each year.
He highlighted that even routine matters, such as time management and communication, are crucial. 'These things may seem trivial, but they often distinguish an outstanding officer from a mediocre one,' he wrote.
The meeting guide, prepared by the National Centre for Good Governance, advises on basics like purpose, timing, and participant selection. It recommends avoiding meetings if the goal can be achieved via email or phone, and suggests one-to-one interactions for sensitive issues to prevent herd mentality.
The guide also advises against holding important meetings before or after holidays, keeping meetings under an hour, and encouraging devil’s advocate roles to foster open discussion. Standard formats for minutes are provided for different meeting types.
Somanathan emphasized the importance of these practical tips, noting that many officers have complained about directionless meetings. The Cabinet Secretariat plans to circulate similar guides on other topics in future.
