Many examples the corporate bosses may use to compare can be right but may not be wise...
Many bosses in the corporate do compare the capability of one employee with the other and commonly belittle their subordinates. They even goes to an extent of comparing how the office boy is so meticulous, focused and intelligent in keeping the office clean and doing the assigned job etc., Whereas, the qualified managers are not completing the assigned projects with the same discipline of an office boy.
The question is whether such comparison is wise. Let use not discuss or validate whether such comparison is right as such question may search its answer from the premises of ‘morality’, ‘values & beliefs’ and ‘ethics’. We need to define the answer to the above question more from science that exists in nature.
Look at the paradox/contrast that exists in nature. The gestation period of short-nosed bandicoot is just 12 days. In every 13th day, the short-nosed bandicoot delivers its pups, post mating. On the contrary, the gestation period of the African elephant is 22 months, i.e., 660 days. Only ones in every 661st day, the African elephant delivers her calf.
The number of pups delivered by the short-nosed bandicoot is much larger (5-6) than the single calf of the African elephant. One can compare and states that the short-nosed bandicoot to be very efficient in its reproduction than the African elephant. In fact such statement appears to be true also.
Truth or fact should not be seen as the just end point/product of comparison but one has to see fundamentally whether the comparison is made between the ‘comparable’ ones. Nature has several examples for the corporate not to compare but to learn and understand the intricacies of the corporate management.
The bosses should restrain from making wrong references, comparison and citations. The job of an office boy may be ‘repetitive’ in nature where the perfection can be achieved easily. Further, the corporate bosses also may not evaluate the performances of the office boy so closely. Whereas the job completion of the manager or the people in other ranks, requires knowledge, experience, intelligence and hence it may lack speed and apparent perfection like that of the office boys’ job.
There are instances, the owners of the corporate used to compare their CEO’s with managers and release statement that the managers are far better than the CEO’s. In corporate, comparison and making wrong judgment/conclusion through wrong examples are very common. Never a short-nosed bandicoot becomes a match to an African elephant.
The comparison of gestation period may appear right, but the animals under comparison are indeed incomparable. Comparison should always motivate people and not whip or humiliate. The corporate bosses must essentially learn the above management message from the short-nosed bandicoot and African elephant.
Dr S Ranganathan, ClinRise Derma Pvt., Ltd., Chennai
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