Relaxed but attentive? UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe (fifth from left) among a select forum of politicians, business leaders and professionals listening to global HR guru Prof. David Ulrich last week in Colombo.

Ranil gets teamwork advice from global HR guru

Main opposition UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is trying to re-engineer the party, though under flack for successive electoral defeats, last week got some expert tips on teamwork and building talent, from globally acclaimed and celebrated human resources (HR) guru Professor Dave Ulrich, who was in Colombo on a whistle stop tour to conduct two programmes.

Wickremesinghe was among a few select politicians present in an otherwise exclusive forum for CEOs of the private sector and top HR professionals.

One of the participants, former Director General- Employers’ Federation of Ceylon, Franklyn Amerasinghe, recounted that, Dave Ulrich could not have been expected to be more country specific, but some comments made by him showed that he had some very valid thoughts for our political leaders regarding their own obligations to build talent.

“The private sector maybe the engine of growth, but the fuel and the tracks have to be supplied by the political leaders, hence, we trust that the political leaders present will stop to take onboard the message given to them by Dave Ulrich,” Amerasinghe said.

In order to show that organisational results depended on performance as a team, Ulrich quoted the example of the US Basketball team which, in 2004, had outstanding players, but performed badly as a team. The management identified the lack of teamwork and worked together on a team strategy that enabled them to breeze their way to Gold at the 2008 Olympics. Analysts said that, with Ranil engaged in what could be his last best effort to re-energise the UNP with new deputy leaders and shadow Cabinet members, ahead of a general election next year, expert insights from Ulrich should come handy, provided the green leader implements. Others also said that teamwork also applies to all politicians, civil society and private sector, if Sri Lanka were to shine as a peaceful and prosperous global citizen.