HNB Chairman Rienzie Wijetillake, the country’s most senior banker, Friday said he did not agree with the oft stated dictum that ``people are the greatest asset in an organization.’’ This, he said, was a ``misnomer.’’

``If so how can organizations like the CTB and the Petroleum Corporation with thousands of people fail?’’ he asked. ``And what about that other place in Battaramulla with 225 people? What do they do?’’ (laughter)

Wijetillake, speaking at a breakfast meeting hosted by the Institute of Personnel Management and edexcel, a unit of the pounds 4.2 billion Pearson Group (62% of its turnover comes from educational services and the rest from media), made the point that it is not easy to find the right people. Good and great leaders were hard to find.

Pointing out to an audience of personnel managers and HR professionals from many of the country’s top companies and organizations that ``the few you have’’ will not be there for ever, he said that grooming successors was the big challenge confronting organizations.

Most organizations were fragmented to various blocs of interest groups. Some wanted to find a comfort zone for themselves; others will want to get results overnight while still others will look at a slower pace.

``You’ve got to get the team together,’’ he said.

Another requirement was envisaging the future for which a sixth sense was required. How many would have envisaged a few years ago that technology would develop as it did. Did people ever imagine that icons like Lehman Brothers and Merril Lynch will ever fall?

``They had the people to envisage what might happen but that did not happen,’’ Wijetillake said. ``Where were the auditors and the rating agencies?’’

Obama was able to use a platform for change to get elected. He was able to sell the concept. What will come remains to be seen. Who would have thought that Bush would get booted out in another country? (laughter)

Before trying to be a global citizen let’s try to become local citizen in our own country. The most important thing for a HR manager was to be innovative like Obama was.

``Talent shortage in this country and the world was a problem we have. Taking innovation forward is the way to take an organization forward,’’ he said.

Wijetillake noted that the supply line of human capital was eroding day by day. HR capital cannot be created overnight. There had to be a continuous supply line.

He also pointed out that younger people were leaving this country not necessarily for better pay. The working environment, the corruption, the way things were done etc. were all deterrents to their staying on.

``Difficult times do not mean we have to fold up,’’ he concluded. ``Organizations must prevail, so must the country.’’