The corporate leaders must learn the wisdom of a chemist in understanding how to use the indicators....
Those who have studied science, especially the subject chemistry even at the school level, can understand well about the indicators and their uses. To know the acidic or alkaline nature of the solution, indicators are used.
Indicators change their colour or show different coloration to the solution when they are added either to the acidic or alkaline solutions. Methyl orange, Phenolphthalein, litmus paper, China rose are some of the examples of indicators widely used in most chemistry laboratories.
When an indicator is added to a solution, property of the indicator is only changes and not the property of the acidic or alkaline solution. By using indicators only, chemists can determine the acidic or alkaline nature of various chemicals and such test is called pH determination.
The HR and the corporate leaders should know how to sense the corporate culture by using some of its people as indicators. The behaviour of sycophancy, chameleonism, yes boss to everything, loyal dogs and uncaring cat syndrome shown and displayed by the people in the corporate must be taken as clear indicators of the corporate culture and its health.
But in most corporate, such people are branded as either ‘capable’ or ‘totally incapable leaders’ or managers or GM’s or Vice Presidents etc., by the people and the corporate. Corporate may view the ‘sycophants’, ‘chameleons’, ‘yes boss’ and the ‘loyal dog’ character exhibiting people as valuable asset of the organization. They may even define such people as very realistic, adaptable and capable of handing any situation.
On the contrary, rest of the people in the corporate carry least respect for such people. However, rest of the people in the corporate will be extremely careful with people who exhibit the behaviour of sycophants, chameleon etc.
Unfortunately, both the HR and the corporate seldom look at the fact that what they are supposed to do. Instead of celebrating or ridiculing these ‘indicator people’, the corporate should borrow the wisdom of a chemist and attempt to learn more about the corporate.
No chemist will ever think more about the indicators but think only about the acidic or alkaline property of the solution that they have tested. The ‘indicator people’ in fact are only reflecting the culture of the organization.
If you want to pull a plant fully, pull the root and not the leaves. Blaming or consecrating the indicator people helps none.
Like how the property of different solutions affect the behaviour of the indicators, only the corporate culture has defined the attitude and approach of the people in the corporate. The arrays of behaviour shown by people are only indicating what is there in the corporate.
Scientific approach and the knowledge of various branches of sciences are inevitable for managing people to make them as leaders. The corporate indicators, one should use wisely like a chemist in the laboratory. What the root is supplying only is shown in the leaves. Blame not the leaves; worry more about the roots and the soil where your plant is living. Course correction is inevitable in the corporate and not from its people.
Dr S Ranganathan, ClinRise Derma Pvt., Ltd., Chennai
Learn more from the management book – ‘Jungle wisdom for corporate management – lessons from the university of nature’ by Swami Sukhabodhananda and Dr S Ranganathan
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