Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Paradigm shift

How is a paradigm formed?

A group of scientists placed 5 monkeys in a cage and in the middle, a ladder with bananas on the top. Every time a monkey went up the ladder, the scientists soaked the rest of the monkeys with cold water. After a while, every time a monkey went up the ladder, the others beat up the one on the ladder. After some time, no monkey dare to go up the ladder rgardless of the temptation.
Scientists then decided to substitute one of the monkeys. The 1st thing this new monkey did was to go up the ladder. Immediately the other monkeys beat him up. After several beatings, the new member learned not to climb the ladder even though never knew why. A 2nd monkey was substituted and the same occurred. The 1st monkey participated on the beating for the 2nd monkey. A 3rd monkey was changed and the same was repeated (beating). The 4th was substituted and the beating was repeated and finally the 5th monkey was replaced. What was left was a group of 5 monkeys that even though never received a cold shower, continued to beat up any monkey who attempted to climb the ladder.

If it was possible to ask the monkeys why they would beat up all those who attempted to go up the ladder.....I bet you the answer would be....

"I don't know - that's how things are done around here"

Does it sounds familiar?

This type of thinking persist in every industry whenever the unsaid policy of promoting stupid, bump-licking jerks is practised rampantly. Just think, on the same line, suppose there are 100 employees. Out of which 10 has to become managers of the remaining as time goes on. And let us suppose that these promoted 10 managers are all dorks (which will always be the case since the person above making the decision will never want to lose control of the power which he wields).

In that scenario, the remaining will not be motivated to work for their less motivated managers and neither their managers be able to motivate them. So what ultimately comes out is low productivity, less efficiency, loss of direction, frustation sets in, disorientation and dissent in the teams.

The corrective measure taken here when faced with such a condition is one tends to look for short term remedies but will it help? No, it never will. So let's look for a solution to this problem.

If one looks from a completely different perspective, one can easily deduced that this is happening due to the lack of a sensible leader who can lead from the top to achieve the long term targets without losing focus on the short term goals. This needs to be taken care even when a person is being given the responsibility of leading a group, no matter how small the group may be.

But the last word I would like to mention here is that "the greatest fear for all human being is change in any form". Only when a person is ready to embrace change or undertake a paradigm shift, will the person be moving forward on the path to becoming a great leader....

I'm dreaming

Can't come to term with my work. I think my manager is a dork, totally incompetent of being in that place and giving me orders. But I can't help it as his parents (lots of abuses for them) brought him on earth much before me. I seriously doubt his skills. Though he may be technically very good, I don't give a shit about that.

His job is to manage a team which he's in no thinkable way doing it correctly and never will he. Maybe his hunger for success and recognition has died down after being bullied by his boss (which is most probable :P)...

Really sick of this bloody useless and mindless body.... maybe I can do the job score better than him...

God only when he'll change.....(What! He changing... Don't dream about it)