080105P - THE EFFECTIVE STUDENT

Paper at an image-enhancement seminar UIA Kuantan on 5^th January 2008.

080111P - RAISING FUTURE GLOBAL LEADERS: GUIDELINES FOR PARENTS AND SCHOOLS

Presented at a fund-raising dinner organized by Seri Al Huda Islamic Primary School Kuala Lumpur on Friday 11^th January 2008 by Omar Hasan Kasule MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard) Professor of Epidemiology and Islamic Medicine University Brunei Darussalam and Visiting Professor of Epidemiology University Malaya. WEB http://omarkasule.tripod.com

ABSTRACT

Successful child upbringing is following closely the teachings of the prophet on the ‘aqidat, physical, moral, intellectual, and social development of children. Children brought up that way will be outstanding leaders in every field of endeavor. The first 7 years are crucial because after that the basic personality structure is formed and changes are more difficult to make. Parents have the primary and most important tarbiyat role but our modern socio-economic forces keep parents away from this crucial task for 8-10 daylight hours. The community also has a role because good models in the home and the society are more effective than lectures and admonitions. The school plays a complementary role in tarbiyat. It should enhance and not take over the parental tarbiyat duties. A successful school will aim at a curriculum that ensures joint reading of the 2 books of Allah: kitaab al wahy and kitaab al kawn. The social environment of the school has a bigger impact on the child than the classroom teaching. Both the school and parents must cooperate in making effective use of the time between the end of the school day and the sleeping time because it is often wasted in recreational that can adversely affect the children’s moral development. The final outcome of both parental and school tarbiyat efforts is an adult who knows himself (self-confidence, self-esteem, and bravery), has positive relations with the Creator (‘aqidat and ‘ibadat), has positive relations with the rest of the community (mu’amalaat), and has positive relations with the environment fulfilling the vicegerent role, khilafat, of improving and not degrading the earth. The reality, which is by no way the ideal, is that children spend more time with their teachers than with their parents. We therefore need to pay more attention to the school.

The school should set itself the objective of producing a complete individual, insan kamil, in terms of taqwat, ‘ibadat, personality, character, and behavior. The curriculum should be Qur’an-based i.e. imparting knowledge from the Qur’anic perspective of istiqamat. Qur’an-based learning emphasizes critical thinking, tafakkur; critical observation, tadabbur, and critical analysis, tafaqquh while it rejects blind following, taqliid, and rote learning. The school, as a socializing agent, is a laboratory for reform of the total society. It should exemplify the adab of the teacher which consists of: kindness, sincere advice to the student, humility, being a good example and role model, knowing the characteristics of each student and dealing with him or her as an individual. It should also inculcate the adab of the student: commitment, ikhlas; humility, tawadhu’u; respect for teacher, and applying what is learned. The school curriculum must should emphasize iman; ibadat; ‘amal salih; mu’amalaat; social renewal and reform, islaah & tajdiid; mutual social cooperation, takaful; balance, tawazun; moderation, wasatiyyat; and equilibrium, i’itidaal. Extra-curricular activities should be encouraged such as: essay competitions, art competitions, drama, trips, excursions, camps, songs, sports, practical dawa experiences, amr bi al maruf & nahy ‘an al munkar, 

Introduction

There is no one correct or wrong way of raising children and we can debate the issue until morning; it all depends on the circumstances.  However the final common path is the same we will all agree when we see a youth who was brought up well or one who was brought up badly. The story of Hasan and Husain is very instructive. They saw a Bedouin making wudhu wrongly and nit wanting to annoy him by correcting him, they asked him to be a judge between them who of the two would make the better wudhu. The Bedouin watched as both perfected their wudhu and he asked them who they were. When they told him they were from the Prophet’s family he was not surprised at their good conduct.

Guidelines for parents

Childhood, the period from birth to puberty, is a period of limited but gradually increasing abilities and responsibilities. Children are not miniature adults. They have their distinct personalities, identities, and needs that require handling them as children and not as adults. The scope of parental responsibility starts with pregnancy and continues until puberty and nowadays beyond puberty. Parents are responsibility for material support and tarbiyat of their children. An intact and harmonious family is the best institution for child rearing. Children need a lot of love. Children must be treated equally with no discrimination based on age or gender. Good treatment of female children has special emphasis as a preventive measure against abuse and neglect. Breast-feeding establishes both a biological and psychological bond between the mother and the baby. In order to complete the infant’s biological and psychological growth and development, breast-feeding must continue for not less than 2 years.

Babies can learn and retain information. The injunction to make adhan in the right ear for the newborn is perhaps an indication of this. Under-estimation of infants is the cause of under-stimulation by many parents. Children are born in a state of natural purity, fitra. It is the parents who can misguide them. Good parents and a virtuous social environment will guide them to the good. Inadequate parents and a poor social environment will guide them to evil.

Islamic law recognizes the age of 7 as the age of discrimination, sinn al tamyiiz. Full intellectual maturity is not reached until the age of puberty for the majority of children. Children are therefore ordered to start praying at the age of 7 and are punished for missing prayers at the age of 10. Children become fully legally responsible, mukallaf, at puberty. Social development starts with awareness of the self then the family and the neighborhood. As children grow older, they become aware of membership in larger groupings: the tribe, qabiilat; the nation, the ummah, and the universe. At a later stage they learn about the past and the future. Gender identity is acquired quite early but its meaning and implications become deeper as the child grows. ‘Aqiqat is a social occasion when the newborn is introduced into the community. Development of social responsibility and accountability differ among children. That is why orphans are tested before they are given control over their inheritance.

Personality is the nafs. The Islamic view of personality in based on the Qur'anic concept of nafs. Fitrat to refer to what some call nature; the term nature has atheistic connotations. Each individual has a distinctive fitrat. Nurture introduces even more differences among individuals as environmental factors interact with the basic fitrat. A lot of behavior is copied or is assimilated from parents and other social role models. That is why it is very important to provide children with positive role models. They should never be exposed to negative role models even for brief moments.

Growth refers to increase in body size. Development increases functional specialization and capability. It includes both maturation and increasing experience. It has biological, cognitive, and social aspects. It is a continuous process. Later development builds on earlier experiences. Development impairments early in life could affect the capacity for development later in life. Parents must be aware of the rapid growth and development of children and should adapt their parenting to the requirements of each stage of growth and functional development.

A child must belong to a set of parents, a family and a community. Lineage is the basis of self-identification and self esteem. The name influences self-concept, identity, and self-esteem. Love for children is natural and ensures protection and for the children. The love for children and their treatment should be the same for all regardless of gender. Parent communication with children must be open, honest, mutual, nurturing, and consistent. Parents must have time to play with their children. Successful parenting requires a high tolerance level for children. Children's actions and behavior cannot be judged by adult standards. Each child is an individual; each is different.

Parents should teach the following to children: love of Allah, loving jannat, hating jahannam, salat by age 7, reading and memorization of Qur’an, telling the truth, avoiding kufr and the prohibited, haram, avoiding shirk, rules of dress especially for girls, using the right hand, basmalah before any activity, adhan and its response, avoiding bad company, bravery, and revenge against the transgressors. 

Children are born in a pure and natural state, fitrat; it is the environment that shapes them into either good or bad people. The first 7-10 years are the formative period of personality. Influences at this stage of life, positive or negative, have long lasting impact. The age of legal maturity is defined biologically as either 15 years or the appearance of definitive signs of puberty. Attaining the age of legal maturity does not mean attaining wisdom. Many problems arise from high expectations of legally mature but unwise children. Good manners and attitudes are not taught but are shown to children. The social environment that children are exposed to should be carefully controlled. Children must be guided to understand moral issues. Moral values can be taught by use of stories since young children cannot appreciate abstract notions. Children should be taught the kalima, love of Allah, love of jannat, reliance on Allah, salat, reading Qur'an, attending salat al-Jama’at, truthfulness, hard work, love of learning, exploration, bravery, and courage. Selfishness should be discouraged. Children should be warned against sins such as: kufr, shirk, gambling, pornography, and smoking. They should be taught to wear Islamic dress, to use the right hand, cleanliness, and respect for the visitor.

31.5.4 INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT:

Children are not a tabula rasa. They certainly are born with instinctive knowledge of their creator. However their data bank is limited. Their ability to learn from the environment is also limited. Development is individual and there are no fixed norms. Tarbiyah must be related to the level of intellectual and social development. Genetic endowment determines basic intelligence and its potential or ceiling. Environmental stimulation enables reaching the potential. Children understand and retain information at a level higher than what most parents imagine. Children are born with an inner drive to investigate, explore and learn from the environment that should be used in the learning process. Learning should be a pleasure. Fear or scoldings are counter productive. A warm and democratic home fosters intellectual growth. The layout, organization and running of the home should be designed to facilitate child development and not for the convenience of adults. The first intellectual skills that should be taught are language skills. Language influences the way people think. The first words that children learn should emphasize Iman. Complex, detailed, stimulating language should be used. Read to children as early as possible. Early interest in books carries through to adulthood. A second language should be taught as soon as the primary language is stable. A second language is best mastered before puberty. Arabic, the language of the Qur’an, is the preferred second language. There should be zero tolerance for colloquial Arabic.

31.5.5 DISCIPLINE:

Children should be taught obedience. Obedience is an attitude. It starts with obedience of Allah then the parents then those in authority. It also includes obedience of the physical laws and acceptance of social realities. Disobedient individuals tend to be marginal individuals in society; they may commit crimes and cannot be good and religious individuals with stable family life. Obedience should be taught by example. A wife obeying her husband and a husband obeying his parents are very good models for children. Disciplining of children must be firm, fair and appropriate. There must be house rules that are not broken. Too much scolding or belittling is child abuse. Children should be treated as individuals. They must be respected as humans with rights, feelings and concerns. As individuals they have a God-given self-worth and an identity that is unique. Children cannot be the same and should not be expected to behave is similar ways. Neither should you expect your children to be exactly like you. Children must be loved and that love should be shown. Parental love for the youngest children should never be conditional. Preference for either male or female children is an un-Islamic custom. Building self-esteem in children requires time and effort. Teach them to communicate their feelings. Listen to them. Negotiate and compromise with them in matters that are not strict rules. Your disciplining must be fair and consistent. Give them responsibilities and tasks. Allow them to make some decisions. Have a sense of humor. Give them loving care.

Guidelines for schools

Knowledge and education in the ummah are in a crisis. There is pervasive ignorance of uluum al diin and uluum al dunia. There is little respect for scholarship. Wealth and power are considered more important than scholarship. There is neglect of the empirical sciences. There is a dichotomy in the education system: traditional Islamic vs. imported European, ulum al diin vs ulum al dunia. Integration of the 2 systems has failed or has been difficult because it has been mechanical and not conceptual. Failure if the integration is failure of joint reading of the 2 books of Allah: kitaab al wahy and kitaab al kawn  The process of secularization in education has removed the moral dimension from the education and violated the aim of Islamic education to produce an integrated and perfect individual, insan kaamil.

The knowledge crisis and intellectual weakness are the most significant manifestation of ummat’s decadence. The intellectual crisis of the ummat is worsened by copying and using poorly digested alien ideas and concepts. The prophet warned the ummat about the lizard-hole phenomenon in which the ummat in later times would follow its enemies unquestionably like the lizard running into its hole. Among the manifestations of the ummatic malaise are deficient ibadat, action deficiency, political weakness, economic dependency, military weakness, dependence in science and technology, and erosion of the Islamic identity in life-style.

The generation of the Prophet (pbuh) was the best generation. The best teacher met the best students and excellent results were obtained. Companions had excellent knowledge and understanding. Seeds of the current crisis appeared towards the end of the khilafat rashidat... New social and political forces overthrew the khilafat rashidat and the ideals it represented were distorted or abolished. Then the authentic ‘ulama and opinion leaders who remained faithful to the ideals of Islam were marginalized and persecuted. Intellectual stagnation then ensued. The process of secularization of the Muslim state progressed. Widespread ignorance and illiteracy became common. Many non-Islamic ideas and facts without valid proof have found their way into the intellectual and religious heritage of the ummat making the existing intellectual crisis even worse.

Reform and revival of the ummat will occur through educational and knowledge reform. Tajdid is a recurring phenomenon in the ummat and is a sign of its health and dynamism. It is a basic characteristic of the ummat that periods of reform/revival alternate with periods of decay and return to jahiliyyat. Tajdid requires knowledge, ideas and action related by the following mathematical equation: tajdid = idea + action. Action without knowledge and guiding ideas will not lead to true change. Ideas without action are not change at all. Tajdid requires and is preceded by a reform in knowledge to provide ideas and motivation on which to build. All successful societal reform starts with change in knowledge. The ideal society cannot be created without a knowledge base. That knowledge base must be correct, relevant, and useful. Successful revival movements throughout Muslim history have always been led by scholars.

The Muslim ummat is a potential economic and political bloc whose potential is not yet realized. The contemporary tajdid movement has a lot of strengths but also has basic deficiencies that must be corrected. The knowledge and intellectual crises are still a barrier. Reform movements unguided by correct knowledge and understanding will falter and fail or will be deviated from their paths. Social change requires change in attitudes, values, convictions and behavior of a critical mass of the population. Attitudes, values, convictions, and behaviors are determined by the knowledge base. The vision of the knowledge strategy is an upright balanced person who understands the creator, knows his place, his roles, his rights, and his responsibilities in the cosmic order. The mission of the knowledge strategy is conceptual transformation of the education system from kindergarten to post graduate studies to reflect tauhid, positive moral values, objectivity, universality, and serving the larger causes of humanity.

DETAILS ABOUT THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

080112P - ISLAMIC LEADERSHIP TRAINING: LESSONS LEARNT

Presented at a round table discussion organized by the Center for Studies on Modernity and Civil Society in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday 12^th January 2008 by Omar Hasan Kasule MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard) Professor of Epidemiology and Islamic Medicine University Brunei Darussalam and Visiting Professor of Epidemiology University Malaya. WEB http://omarkasule.tripod.com

ABSTRACT

Islam is a practical religion and requires skill training in all fields of endeavor from toilet etiquette to international leadership. The Makkan period of the Prophet’s mission was training in personal discipline and when enough companions were trained it was time to migrate to Madina to start another phase of practical training in running a society. The prophet was a model of practical leadership training his character being a practical manifestation of the Qur’an to be emulated by those who were around him. The fall of the khilafat rashidat was directly related to lack of education because the Islamic state expanded in 40 years to reach China in the east and Africa in the west absorbing so many new converts who did not get the opportunity to be well educated as the first companion. The result was that they were not a strong political base for the state and the khilafat had to collapse and in its place came dynastic rule that was more attuned to the level of the new citizens. In the centuries of decline since the fall of the khilafat reforming scholars, mujaddiddin, arose in every century and led movements of renewal and reform, islah & tajdid. One uniform characteristics of all these movements was that they started by educating and training a broad mass of people before undertaking their reform mission. The biggest number of reform movements arose in the 13^th and 14^th centuries of hijra when the ummat came under colonial rule. The extensions of these movements are still found all over the Muslim world as the ummat struggles to rebuild its civilization. These movements in West Africa, North Africa, West Asia, and South Asia were all characterized by rigorous individual training programs and some of them did not admit people to membership until they went through a specified training program. Formal leadership training structures were most active in the period between the fall of the Othmani state in 1926 M until the ‘democratic’ opening of the 1980s. Almost all these movements moved into the political arena of trying to win elections and left few or no human or material resources for training and tarbiyat. The leaders who had been trained before became retired but they had no replacements because the training structures had been allowed to delay. The inability to bring in new blood eventually led to organizational weaknesses that were recognized in the early 1990s M. As a consequence leadership and management training programs world-wide. These programs were beginning to bear fruit when they had to be curtailed terminated by 2000 M because of lack of resources. The first lesson we learn throughout Muslim history from the fall of the khilafat rashidat to our times is that without continuing leadership training we become weak. The second lesson we learn is that training and social activism are of equal importance and none should be neglected at the expense of the other.  Resources should always be available for dawa, leadership training, and tarbiyat. Those who undergo training can then be deployed in different fields of endeavor: business and finance, education, mass media, social reform and development, and the academia.  

080115L - STRATEGY

Background material by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. for year 3 Semester 2 PPSD session on 15^th January 2008

1.0 CONCEPTS OF STRATEGY

Strategy is a rational approach to management of uncertainties involving assessment of the internal and external environments, forecasting the future, thinking forwards and reasoning backwards, and preparing for various hypothetical scenarios by establishing strategic objectives and formulating plans to accomplish them.  Strategic management deals with sudden changes in the environment and is likened to shooting at a moving target when riding on a galloping horse. 

3.0 UNDERSTANDING PLANNING

Action planning is laying down the detailed tactical or operational plans. Effective plans are specific, action-oriented, flexible, and consistent with organizational long-term goals and objectives.

Plans can be classified according to different criteria: (a) Objective: strategic, tactical/operational (b) Duration: short, medium, long-term (c) Specificity: general, specific (d) Complexity: complex, simple (e) Methodology: top to bottom, bottom to top (f) Scope: comprehensive, narrow (g) Importance: major, minor  (h) Scale of measure: qualitative, quantitative  (I) Security class: confidential, public (j) Formality: formal, informal (k) Implementability: easy, difficult  (l) Flexibility: flexible, inflexible (m) Creativity: rational, intuitive, creative (n) Cost: expensive, cheap.

Planning has limitations due to environmental factors beyond the control of the planner. Failure to plan is due to philosophical objections to planning the future, resistance to change, fear of commitment, and difficulty of the planning process.

4.0 STRATEGY PLANNING

Strategy formulation goes through the following steps: defining organizational vision and mission, clarifying externally-imposed mandates, analyzing stakeholders, analyzing the internal and external environments, identifying strategic issues, collecting information, making assumptions and forecasts, formulating general strategic approaches for various possible scenarios, choosing the most favored scenario and formulating detailed tactical plans for it.

A strategic plan covers a long period of time. Its practical implementation is through a series of annual action or tactical plans. Contingency plans should be ready for immediate implementation if the chosen plan fails or encounters obstacles. Each chosen plan must be subjected to a workability test: can it work in practice? can the underlying vision be maintained, can the barriers be overcome?. Strategic plans need constant revision.

4.0 STRATEGIC MOVES

Strategic moves are actual measures taken to implement the strategy. Strategic moves can be sudden and major to throw competition off balance, paced and incremental with continuous evaluation, slow today with major impact in long-term perspective. Strategic moves may be sequential or simultaneous. Strategic moves may be conditional or unconditional.

Strategic moves are preceded by assessment of key players. In a zero sum situation, in which one person's gain is always another person's loss. In non-zero sum situations collaboration and coordination lead to a win/win outcome.

Planning strategic moves should consider relative power, resources, time, and the environment. Brinkmanship in strategic thinking is risky but has its rewards. Pre-emptive moves involve taking reactive moves even before the events reacted to have not yet fully unfolded which results in gain of lead-time and an upper hand.

5.0 STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION

The timing and sequence of strategic moves must be in stages and be part of strategic logic. Each strategic move must be broken down into its separate specific components to make analysis, monitoring, and modification easier. Very big strategic moves are riskier. Each move must consider previous moves and anticipated future ones.

Strategy implementation requires motivated leaders, resources, organizational restructuring, and behavioral changes. Strict control measures are needed to ensure that there is no deviation. Contingency or back up plans must be made. Opportunities should always be exploited. There are 4 main difficulties in strategy implementation: the long lag-time between action and outcome, uncertainty about the future, and dynamic shifts that require changing plans rapidly.

080129L - CONTROL and EVALUATION

Background material for Year 3 Semester 2 PPSD session on January 29^th, 2008 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr.

1.0  CONTROL

Control is assuring that plans are carried out effectively and efficiently. It provides a systematic and methodologic approach to ensuring compliance. It enables early detection and correction of mistakes. It may be internal (due to inner conscience and belief) or external (due to rewards and punishment). It may be pre-action, concurrent, or post implementation.

Project costs must be controlled by making sure that the operational budget is within the approved budget. No amount of control will get good results out of demotivated, weak-willed workers. Managers must be given enough authority to resolve control issues in areas of their responsibility. A good control system must be flexible, timely, accurate, cost-effective, understandable, acceptable, and objective.

The steps of the control process are (a) setting standards, criteria, or objectives; (b) measurement of actual performance; (c) comparing actual to expected standards; (d) and taking corrective action. Base plans can be changes as a result of control activities. The control program can fail due to resistance, inaccurate information, rigid bureaucracy, negligent management, too rapid changes, and an overstretched organization.

Continuous quality improvement (QI) is a management philosophy that is committed to continuous and consistent improvement in quality. It is consistent with the Islamic concept of ihsaan that calls for continuous human improvement. Quality assurance or quality improvement is a type of control.

2.0 EVALUATION

The objectives of evaluation are Assess whether objectives were achieved, Assess efficiency, Assess effectiveness, and Learn from experience. Its benefits are: Identify success and reinforce, Help management see areas of weakness and improvement, Reassure workers that they are moving well, reassure stake-holders, Gain confidence of supporters and donors, If the results of an evaluation process are not used to improve future performance the evaluation has not achieved its purpose.

Evaluation may be process evaluation or outcome evaluation. It may be internal or external. It may be during project implementation or at the end of implementation. The basis for evaluation is the individual accountability as well as the reward and punishment.

Data for evaluation can be collected by Direct observation, Questionnaire, Interview, End-product, Records review, and Performance/knowledge tests.

Self-evaluation is very difficult but yet very important. Only the most mature, most self-confident, and most sincere people are capable of looking at themselves in mirror and deal objectively with their performance, negative or positive.

Projects are evaluated on the criteria of keeping the schedule, finishing within budget, meeting all project objectives, and meeting stakeholder expectations.

080129L - PLANNING and IMPLEMENTATION

Background material by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. for Year 3 Semester 2 PPSD session on 29^th January 2008

1.0 ACTION/TACTICAL PLANNING

An action plan implements portion of the strategic plan. It covers 1-2 years.  Planning may be bottom-up (decentralisation) or top-down (centralisation) depending on the circumstances. Its 2 components are determination of objectives / expression of intention (niyyat) and formulation of actions to achieve objectives.

The planning process must follow systematic and rational stages: environmental analysis, stating vision and mission, niyyat and commitment, setting goals and objectives, collecting and analyzing information, making assumptions/forecasts about missing information, searching for opportunities, considering all alternative solutions, deciding on the best alternative, formulating action plans, communicating, setting up control mechanisms, execution of the plan, follow-up and follow-through, and evaluation using goals as criteria.

Plans must be reviewed regularly. The time scheduling should allow float time to absorb delays. A good plan must make allowance for the human factor because humans are not perfect. Each action plan must include contingencies in case the main plan does not work or faces unforeseen obstacles. A good action plan Detailed planning for each task: who is responsible?, methodology, timing, place, human resources, non-human resources, expected result, and criteria of evaluation.

2.0 PROJECT PLANNING & APPRAISAL

A project is a group of activities carried out with clearly defined time and cost to reach specific objectives. The stages of a project are conception, feasibility study, project planning, implementation, termination, and evaluation. The advantages of project planning are: reducing risk, clarifying objectives, setting standards for performance, setting up structures for implementation, and setting up a control system.

Each project must have a project director and a project team. A project director must be appointed very early in the life of the project and should participate in the planning process. The project Team is set up and the project is explained to them. Stakeholders must be identified for each stage of the project. Key stages and milestones of the project must be identified. Human and financial resources must be budgeted. The plan must be updated continuously during implementation.

3.0 IMPLEMENTATION

What is planned must be put into action. Actions must be consistent with words (Qur'an 2:44). Tasks once started must be completed. The components of Implementation are inputs, transformation, and outputs (products or services). The implementation strategy must be built in the action plan. An equilibrium is needed between effectiveness (achieving targets) and efficiency (doing things right at minimum cost).

The requirements for successful implementation are vision, good planning, follow-up, follow-through, proper knowledge and skills, clear well written goals, clear priorities, a clear plan of action, and emphasis on quality.

Implementation fails due to unclear vision, too big goals, unpleasant tasks, Indecision, lack of confidence, Poor planning, inadequate time, and Distractions.

The stages of implementation are planning, mobilization of resources, definition of tasks, assignment of tasks, and assuring completion. All concerned must be in the information loop. Implementors must manage multiple priorities, budget time, benefiting deadline crises, accept some degree of risk, and have contingency plans for unforeseen situations.

Successful implementation requires pro-activity, simplicity, intuition from experience, incremental approach, keeping records, human skills, delegation, good communication, and negotiation. The terminal stages of the project are as important as the start and must be planned carefully.

080130L - PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE YOUNG PHYSICIAN: Professional, entrepreneurial, and networking development

Outline of a lecture by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. for Year 2 Semester 2 PPSD Session on 30^th January 2008

 

 

1.0 EDUCATION

1.1 Basic Education

1.2 Postgraduate Education

1.3 Further Professional Training

2.0 PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS

2.1 Good character

2.2 Apprenticeship / mentor

2.3 Setting goals and time frame

2.3 Growth

2.4 Delivery of quality results and not propaganda

3.0 PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING

3.1 Identification of strategic partners: mutual benefit /manipulating or exploiting

3.2 Social circles

3.3 Professional circles

3.4 Wider social circles

3.5 Nurturing contacts

4.0 ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

4.1 Objective of self-employment

4.2 Long-term development plan

4.3 Accumulation of assets:

4.4 Investment strategy

5.0 TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS IN LIFE

080219L - DECISION MAKING and PROBLEM-SOLVING

Background material for Year 3 Semester 2 PPSD session on 19-02-08 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule, Sr.

PRINCIPLES OF DECISION MAKING

Leaders and managers make strategic, tactical, or operational decisions. Programmed decisions are routine procedures and un-programmed decisions are creative, innovative, and risky. Major decisions are best taken incrementally. Certainty is better than uncertainty. Easier alternatives are preferred. Discussions improve decision making. Best decisions address needs and not want and require time. Scientific decisions are better than hasty or prevaricative decisions. Decision making can be rational systematic, intuitive, mathematical or statistical. Consensus is better than majority decisions. A competent individual decision is better than that of a majority of average individuals. The worst decision is that by an average individual.

PROCESS OF DECISION-MAKING

All possibilities are considered and the larger picture is visualized while putting the decision in proper context. Review of previous related decisions helps. An assessment is made whether a decision is necessary. A bad decision is stopped before making a better one. The degree of risk and uncertainty must be known. The present decision must be related to others. Biases are acknowledged. Implementability must be considered. The issues must be classified as to importance and urgency. Assumptions and forecasts are made. Available resources are considered. Decision alternatives are generated and the best alternative is selected. The future impact of the decision is analyzed. Then istikhara is carried out before decision implementation. A bad decision should be changed sooner than later.

PRINCIPLES OF PROBLEM-SOLVING

A problem exists if reality is different from the expected. Problems should be identified early in the lag time between cause and consequence. Problems are challenges and opportunities that should be approached with an open mind and viewed as holistic. Problems are solved and not shifted around. It is better to leave a problem unsolved if the consequences of the 'best' solution are worse than the original problem. An optimal solution will produce maximum effect from minimum effort. Cumulative experience cannot solve all problems. Fixed tested procedures solve routine and emergency problems but not creative new problems. Decision audit is educative. 'Best' is not synonymous with the simplest solution. Quality solutions can be arrived at by generating a lot of alternatives and selecting the best proving the rule that quality is from quantity.

PROCESS OF PROBLEM-SOLVING

Problem solving is realistic appraisal, seeing problems as challenges and opportunities, open mindedness,, toleration for alternatives, the realization that 'different' is not 'wrong', encouraging 'strange' ideas, combining and extending ideas, creativity, and persistence. Stages of rational systematic problem-solving are: analysis of the environment, recognition of the problem, identification of the problem, determination of the ownership of the problem, definition of the problem, classification of the problem, prioritizing the problem, collection of information, making assumptions and forecasts, generating decision alternatives, pause during incubation period that leads to illumination, selection of the best alternative, analysis of the impact of the chosen alternative, implementation, control of the implementation,  and evaluation of the results. Barriers to effective problem solving are wrong concepts, attitudes, behaviors, questions, and methods. When you have an overwhelming problem, talk to someone who can listen. De-emotionalize the problem. Look at problem from wider perspective. Identify positives in the problem. Solve the problem systematically. Do not escape/avoid, do nothing, scream, self-anesthesia, or lament.

MANAGEMENT OF CRISES

A crisis is a situation of a major change with potential risk. A crisis, preventable and non preventable, is always waiting to happen. Crises are opportunities for creative problem solving. A crisis is a fluid, dynamic, and fast condition associated with fear and interferes with normal life. It goes through 5 stages: prodroma, acute crisis, chronic crisis, and crisis resolution with ripple effects. Crisis management reveals organizational weaknesses and strengths. Strong organizations have mechanisms to forecast crises, contingency plans, and worked-out worst-case scenarios. They can detect prodromal signs before a crisis. Crisis management involves reversing prodromal signs and intervention to deal with after-effects. The crisis intervention strategy includes identification of the crisis, isolation of the crisis and management of the crisis. Decision making in a crisis is stressful.

080220L - CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Background reading material by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. for Year 2 Semester 2 PPSD Session on Wednesday 20^th February 2008

 

1.0 CHARACTER and BEHAVIOR

Character is what determines what type of individual you are. Good character is a great virtue. The best gift that a parent can give a child is good character.

Habits and behaviors are quite consistent. Behavior is likely to be repeated. When you observe bad behavior even once make a note of it because it is likely to be repeated.

Character is internal and is related to basic personality. Behavior is its outward manifestation. A habit is a persistent, repeated behavior which after a time becomes unconscious.

You can not judge people’s character unless you have interacted with them and seen their behavior.

Bad manners and behavior reflect a bad character. Good behavior reflects good character. There are exceptional situations when a behavior may not be reflection of underlying character. These are the exceptions and are only temporary. Consistent observation of behavior over a long time reveals true character.

The following are some of the components of a positive character: Piety, generosity, charity, chastity, trust, humility, balance, moderation, patience, endurance, cooperation, forgiving, ignoring stupid company, reconciliation, honor and dignity, shyness, modesty, integrity, courage, and wisdom. These traits are best manifested in an atmosphere of positive attitudes, optimism, and behavior.

Positive behavior includes: controlling the appetite by eating little, fasting, sexual self-control, fulfilling needs of others, mercy, good words and acts; and good deeds which wipe out bad ones.

2.0 POSITIVE PERSONALITY TRAITS

Integrity, amanat, is when actions are in conformity with your values. Values are universal. Knowledge of what is bad is innate. Evil is what scratches your chest making you uncomfortable. Religious teachings of what is right and what is wrong only reinforce what good nature already knows. Integrity in essence means successfully carrying and discharging the trust. The trust may be moral or material. Moral trusts include being truthful, trustworthy, and keeping promises and undertakings. Material trusts are property and financial rights of others that must not be violated.

Integrity is needed in work, leadership, and moral guidance of others. A distinguishing human attribute of humans is acceptance to carry trust. A person with integrity fulfils the trust. Believers are conscious of the trust. Any breach of integrity is a breach of the trust. Never utter an untruth. It is better to keep quiet even in situations in which silence makes you look a fool. There are no white lies. All lies are an untruth and should never be uttered. Your promises and commitments are sacred. Never make any if you are not sure of keeping them. Keeping promises indicates both integrity and efficiency. An organized person who knows what he can or can not do and who manages his time well is less likely to make promises he can not keep.

Courage: The essence of courage is to stand up to evil with the full realization that such a stand may invite unpleasant consequences for you. This is under the general rubric of forbidding evil. The supreme level of courage is to face one self and stand up to the inner desires and passions. The high level of courage is to attempt to change evil physically. The middle level is to speak out against it evil. The lowest level is to hate evil in the heart. Courage is needed morally, physically, and emotionally. Moral courage is needed to know your-self, self-criticize, and decide to improve. Social courage is needed to stick to morally right choices in your life even though the society around you may behave differently. Physical courage is needed to stand up for your rights and face the consequences.

Wisdom, hikmat ,  is a sign of maturity. Being given wisdom is being given a lot of good. Learn the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Wisdom is a higher level of understanding and using knowledge taking into consideration previous experiences and high moral guiding principles. You are better off with less knowledge and more wisdom. A lot of knowledge with no wisdom is positively dangerous.

Patience, sabr, is needed to deal with problems of life. Problems must be met with inner strength and a sense of hope. Lack of patience is associated with wrong choices and moves. Endurance and perseverance are part of patience. Patience and perseverance is the ability to stick it out and weather all adversities with a strong heart. You must arm yourself to avoid the human tendency to be impatient in expectation of an event or when afflicted by a calamity.

Humility is the beginning of wisdom and is part of faith. Know that you have limitations. Do not deceive yourself that you are superior whatever you may be endowed with. Always remember that there are others who may be your equals or actually better than you. Whatever you may have, you are insignificant in front of God.

Self-restraint has a lot of rewards. A human has passions and inner evil promptings that if not controlled will lead to evil action. There are also many temptations in the external social environment that can lead to evil unless countered by a strong self-restraint and self-control. Sex is the most powerful drive in humans that can lead to evil. Chastity and sexual discipline is necessary for individual and societal well being. Keep away from zina and what could lead to it. Zina is taken in its comprehensive sense and not the physical act of fornication. Zina of the eye, the mouth, the tongue are destructive to marriage and society in general.

Modesty is a very important component of character and is considered part of faith. To be modest is to set limits beyond which there is immorality and sin. A modest person stays shy of those limits and will refrain from things that are clearly permissible but if done in excess can lead to transgression of the limits. Such transgression could also occur by mistake with no malicious intent. If one has no modesty at all then he can do anything. Modesty is therefore the protecting barrier against evil. Modesty is always good and can never be negative. Modesty is a decoration of the person who has it.

Simplicity is beauty and power. Make your daily life simple; you will get strength. Do not live in much luxury or crowd your mind with so much of worldly concerns. Consider your physical environment as an aid to fulfilling your mission and not an end in itself. Wealth and its accumulation can be a temptation.

3.0 MODERATION

Equilibrium and moderation: Moderation is the best approach. Be balanced in your attitudes and actions. Avoid extreme positions because you can never have all the facts and full understanding of a particular situation. Taking a middle path gives you a chance to change positions and follow what is right and what is best. You however should never be moderate where evil and immorality are concerned. You must take a clear and extreme position for what is moral and right. Stick your head up high to be counted among supporters of the good and the moral and among opponents of evil. Your actions regarding an evil situation should, however, be moderate to avoid creating new problems that may be worse than the original problem. Be moderate in expenditure; not wasteful and not miserly. Be calm and controlled in moments of emotional arousal, good and bad. Wrong and inappropriate decisions are likely at moments of anger or emotional excitement when the normal balance is lost

4.0 SOCIAL ACTION

Good acts and words wipe away or neutralize the bad. You should hasten to do good. While always engaged in doing good, there is little room for the bad. Never injure anyone with your tongue. Say good or keep quiet. Learn to work with others in doing good and forbidding bad. Sharing and helping others helps you become even a better human being. It gives you a sense of mission beyond your physical needs. Give charity continuously; it cleanses both your wealth and your soul. Putting interests of your brothers in front of yours helps you discover your humanity and conquer your egoistic tendencies. Altruism involves doing good for others at the expense of some inconvenience to yourself for the sake of brotherhood with no expectation of any reward.

Keep good company. Look for and stay in the company of wise people. You will learn the good from them. Their company will reinforce the good in you. Time spent in such good company is time taken away from possible bad company or bad influences. Do not trust or deal with bad people except in trying to correct and lead them to the right. Ignore stupid and immoral company. They will have a negative impact on you however careful you are. The least they can do is to decrease your sensitivity to evil and increase your toleration for it.

5.0 PRINCIPLED LIFE

Principled and purposive life: You must have a principled life. To succeed you must be guided in life by high moral principles and not expediency. You must make responsible choices and stick with their consequences. You must understand that there are limits to freedom. You may be constrained by previous commitments in making a new choice. After making the first choice you have only a limited range of later choices that you can make. A complete and well- balanced personality requires consistency, constancy and moving ahead following well defined goals and milestones. Life must have a purpose and goals. The highest purpose is achieving the pleasure of Allah. In addition to seeking the pleasure of Allah, you must set personal goals both long and short term. The goals have to be reasonable expectations, and imaginative. Personal goals must be specific, actionable, attainable, and challenging. You must be committed to the goals and must be attuned to any feedback that helps refine or modify goals. If you are without a clear sense of direction, you will make many mistakes and eventually fail. Personal goals should stay permanent for a reasonable period of time. Frequent shifting of goal posts is a cause of failure.