work hard only if you can

We are in a world where performance, success, happiness, status and many more such words are used as synonyms. 

This is not an attempt to discuss any of the philosophical dimensions of the psychology associated with such kind of thinking, but rather an attempt to explain as to why we should not associate performance or success always with hard work and non performance with lack of hard work.

Let me share the story of two laptop computers and a tech savvy owner.

This tech savvy owner is an ever demanding, never satisfied, passionate about new technology.

He had an old laptop that has got a bare minimum hardware configuration. Let us call him the "Oldy."

His other laptop has got the best of the hard ware and operates with cutting edge technology features. Let us call him "Newbe"

Now the TSO (tech savvy owner) bought an advanced video editing software.

He installed the same on both oldy and newbe

One fine morning he started working on both of them at a time. (Remember he is TSO)

For the Newbe with all the superior hardware it was duck soup to work.

It's was the oldie who suffered the maximum. With limited hardware his work became torturous. He crashed several times and on the verge of giving up.

Now when we analyze the above situation...

1. Oldy worked hard compared to newbe but still could not achieve the results

2. Newbe worked with ease but still could earn the tag of performer.

Since it is a simple story of two computers, the reasons are more than obvious.

Oldy despite his hardwork missed the targets because he lacked the hardware.

In a world where work is becoming more complex with an increasing number of parameters having influence on results, hard work alone might not be an answer. Also branding a non performer as lazy too doesn't make sense anymore.

IT is the ABILITY coupled with HARD WORK that gives the perfect coalescence.

This is the precise reason as to why Learning and Development should be made the prime life line across the business functions where each individual can assessed for any ability gaps and the same can be addressed through proper means.

SILVER SCREEN to COTTON SCREEN

The curtain slowly rolls back into it's cocoon revealing the silver screen. People cheer when the screen changes from white into rainbow of colours. They don't seem to be watching movie, rather they are worshipping the hero for the next three hours.

Those were the days where the heroes were made up to look ever young in their impeccable appearance though the heroines who played the role of the daughter to the hero started playing the role of mother to the same hero.

But those Heros are gone. This is the time for heroes who essentially don't look like Heros. It will be a challenge for someone who rarely goes to movies to find out who the hero is among those present on the screen. From the "hero is above all" look, the Heros descended to "hero is like all of us".

From the era of only a few Heros we reached an epoch where everyone feels like a hero. This is the time where everyone demands to have a say in everything that happens around, be it politics or economics or anything else.

The silver screen has become cotton screen with the common man regaining the paradise lost.

What corporate world needs to learn from this transformation of time,where even the smallest incident is discussed, debated and has a huge impact at national level?

1. Common man these days love to have something in movies or tv shows that connects his everyday life, unlike the olden days where platonic characters enacted meaningless sacrifices that were above the reach of an ordinary human being.

2. He is more concerned with what happens to himself or at the most to his family.

3. Started taking strong political and ideological positions based on his belief system.

4. Demands debate and developed strong urge to be heard rather than being comfortable among a herd of silent onlookers.

It is probably the right time for the corporate strategy makers to listen to the common man who is present in every employee irrespective of the hierarchy level they belong to.

1. Don't we agree it's time re write those strategies that are vague in describing the real purpose they want to achieve ? ( I call them platonic strategies)

2. Isn't it time to device strategies that take the reality into account than the deemed situations?

3. Isn't it proper to use less gyan and more vignan?

4. Can't we reduce the role of international consulting agencies in our strategy formation? ( I am not talking about make in India concept here)

5. Isn't it time to stop trying to clone international strategies in India?

Wish someone thinks seriously about the crores of rupees being wasted in making high tech strategies that compete with the cost of block buster Bollywood movies but blast before payload is delivered into orbit...