I taught entrepreneurship at IBA, Dhaka University. One of my students had just joined a leading telecom operator as a management trainee. He came to see me the other day. He planned to work for the company he was at for a couple of years, and then pursue his MBA in not just any business school, but a very good one in Europe.
After completing his MBA, he wants to spend a few more years in Europe or North America, working for the global biggies in the service industry, or for consultancy agencies. He completed school in a cadet college, cleared the entry exams for engineering at BUET, and got into IBA for his BBA degree in order to climb up the ladder fast.
I saw a little bit of myself from 30 years ago in him. Many joined the global corporations in Bangladesh in their early or mid-20s, were trained abroad at frequent intervals, had a few overseas stints, and many of them climbed up the ladder quite fast to become local production head first, then marketing head, sales head, CFO, or even CEO. Most of them were business graduates, while some of them had a basic engineering or economics degree.
Their companies invested heavily in them, paid them well to work hard, and they often even exceeded their targets. According to their reporting seniors and regional heads, most of them were indispensable for Bangladeshi markets, playing significant roles in building businesses or establishing brand names. Bosses were able to sleep soundly, keeping them in command for Bangladeshi businesses. Businesses flourished under their leadership, and a few of them became role models in their respective sectors.
Where are they now? Many of them have retired and gone into consultancies, or are playing advisory roles. Some of them joined their next generation in the states and elsewhere, many joined local business houses and institutions, and some ventured into entrepreneurship. Only one or two could make it to the regional level or take up coveted roles within the corporations they served or were serving.
The number of local professionals being transferred to big jobs abroad is much higher for India, Sri Lanka, and even Pakistan. They are often endorsed as being globally compatible. When Bangladeshis are due for a move, they are considered either for the smaller or regional markets, or are given redundancies. Even the jobs in the Islamic world are being gobbled up by Indian or Pakistani professionals – be it in banking, finance, or technology.
We often hear from our seniors how Bangladeshis are extremely hard-working and eager to learn. However, they cannot be considered for cross-border placements because the market they operated in does not have depth, or their management expertise is shallow, or they have not managed a cross-functional or diverse team of people.
A few even commented on how Bangladeshis are into mudslinging or pulling each other down. Their hearts command their heads. A few thought Bangladeshis were not loud or articulate enough or prepared to take up challenging roles outside their country or markets. A few also thought Bangladeshis, being from a predominantly Muslim country, could only be placed in other Muslim countries. Some referred to weak management education in Bangladesh too. Few HR managers also think many Bangladeshi professionals don’t want to go abroad on postings.
Apart from a few exceptions in the world of technology, Bangladeshis in senior roles are very few. The number is even lower when you consider Bangladeshi executives are now being placed abroad or considered for regional or headquarter roles.
What can we do to change the situation for many of my friends and students in business schools? My humble answers would be to make education more extensive, forward-looking, and globally compatible. Our boys and girls should apply for regional jobs in the Middle East and elsewhere more. Young managers or mid-level executives should pursue overseas placements just after three to a maximum of five years into their jobs. They should make the best use of overseas and local training, and try to arrest the attention of visiting seniors.
They should be participative in every business meeting and do their homework. He or she should be loud enough in each of the team presentations so that people can make out the difference. Their core competencies, or what they are good at doing, must be very evident.
Each one of them must remember not to take their homes to their office and force their colleagues to share his or her sorrows or difficulties. Anyone dreaming of senior global roles must be razor-sharp in their presentation.
Bangladesh is a very small place for most of the global biggies. People dreaming of having their presence felt in the larger markets must think big and act big. People management skills or nice presentations work better than technical skills in that world. Being a boss in local institutional politics does not help at all.
One must be a part of global organisational politics, and remain politically important for the seniors too. One has to be globally compatible, not only locally indispensible. The world is becoming smaller – if one is not globally compatible, he will soon be lost in oblivion. Even good local jobs will be taken away by professionals from regional countries, many speaking better Bangla and managing the Bangladeshis better than the home country stalwarts.
We want more Bangladeshis to be considered for global roles, and for that, they should be prepared ahead and make the best use of opportunities.
