If you do not learn from fish eating animals.....

What is good or best or excellent can be bad, worse and disastrous as well. This management insight is well known to the animal kingdom especially the fish eating water birds and animals like flamingo, pelican, egrets, spoon bills, crocodile, otter etc. What meaning the above management statement 'what is good can be disastrous as well' conveys to the corporate world?

All the 'water birds and animals' thrive largely by eating fishes and other small animals. During raining season (monsoon), although the fishes and other small water creatures do multiply in large numbers but the fish eating birds and animals like otter, crocodiles etc., cannot find them easily because of abundant water body.

With the onset of summer, the water start drying out and hence the presence of the fishes and small water creatures become very obvious to the water birds and animals. During such occasions, these animals can have an easy hut.

When the water lever drops further, it becomes easier for the water birds and aquatic animals to catch these prey animals. But none of the water birds and animals like flamingo, pelican, spoon bill, egret, otter or crocodile, for example, celebrates during such occasion. All these animals know what is 'appears' to be good is disastrous as well.

When the life becomes miserable for the fishes and other small water creatures, it may appear excellent for the fishing animals in the beginning. But what is good or excellent initially is worse for these fishing animals also later. This insight is well known to all these aquatic animals.

What is absolutely bad or worse or disastrous for you cannot be excellent for me. This is the management lesson the corporate bosses must learn from the above. When the drying of water becomes faster, none of the fish eating animals prefer to remain there to have easy catch of the fishes, but start searching for newer water bodies to migrate.

The corporate and its bosses must understand that by making the life of your employees/subordinates very tyrannical, you will be digging your own 'graveyard' as well.

Many bosses do celebrate at the problems of their subordinates. They may be of the philosophy that when subordinates always appear bad and inefficient, the importance of the boss can be easily felt and established. But remember, what is disastrous for your subordinates are going to become disastrous to you as well. If this cardinal management message is not imbibed by you, you will become a foolish crocodile or an egret remains in the dry pond eating the dead and dying fishes. But with time, you may find nothing to eat and will have no strength migrate to anywhere as well.

Work with commitment for the collective 'good and welfare' of everyone in the corporate. Survival of 'you' should support and facilitate the survival of many other life forms as well. There can be weaker species, your prey or predator. But your approach should be 'indiscriminate', free from fear, prejudice and partiality.

See the beauty and bounty of nature. From anywhere and from everywhere, one can find several insights to manage corporate conflicts and achieve corporate harmony.

Dr S Ranganathan,
ClinRise Derma Pvt., Ltd., Chennai