To Overcome Weakness: Use a Ladder and Achieve Your Objective

The objective was to eat fresh dates plucked from a tree. It was the end of August in Baghdad. The weather was humid and the temperature over 50 degree Celcious (122 degree F); an ideal condition for the dates to ripen. This time of the year and in the prevalent climatic conditions, the dates were half ripened: lower half brown and the top portion greenish yellow. As the locals call, the half ripened dates are the best.

It became my challenging objective to have the dates directly plucked from the tree. I neither had the talents nor the strengths to climb the tree. One which fell on the ground was no good to eat. So to achieve the objective, took help of a friend, found a ladder, climbed and had the dates to the heart content and shared with others as well.

This was the simplest way to overcome the weakness or lesser talents as described by Mr Donald Clifton. Donald Clifton has defined that “weakness is a shortage or misappropriation of talent, skill, or knowledge that causes problems for you or others..”  Critical examination of  the definition reveals that  appropriately developed and applied talents, skills and strengths would always results in success. In order to overcome weaknesses or  lessor talents (a) find support system:  technical or an organisation (b) build complementary partnerships with others to address the situation– recruiting staff or partnership.

ie use a ladder to have your desired dates.

Streak of Ruthlessness: Prem Bahadur in the Boxing Ring

It was the final round of the final bought. Tamendra Rana had lost his first and second rounds. Prem Bahadur was his coach and second in the ring. In the final recess after the second round, Prem Bahadur did neither offer water, nor massaged his muscles, nor coached him as he had done in the previous recess. Instead, Prem Bahadur, gave him a solid slap on his face and abuses in Nepali. I, sitting facing Prem Bahadur, could read his lips when he was slapping and abusing Tamendra Rana. Tamendra went mad and when the final and the third round started, within a few seconds he knocked out the superior opponent. Tamendra was the winner, so due this crucial bought, the battalion also won the championship.

Prem Bahadur was an accomplished boxer, but when he grew old, he trained Tamendra Rana as his successor. After this bought, Tamendra became the real successor of his coach and mentor Prem Bahadur.

Prem Bahadur, a true leader had two objectives, firstly; to win the bought so that the battalion gets the championship, secondly; to make Tamendra his worthy successor. He achieved both by his ruthlessness approach at appropriate time, which made Tamendra mad, resulting in knocking out his superior opponent.

                It will be appropriate to quote another example from the Indian Mythology. When Ram and Laxman were praying to the God of Sea Varun; so that they could construct bridge across the sea to Sri Lanka. They prayed for three days still the God of Sea did not appear. Then Ram said

बिनय न मानत जलधि जड़ गए तीन दिन बीति।
बोले राम सकोप तब भय बिनु होइ न प्रीति।।

binay na maanat jaladhi jad gae teen din beeti.
bole raam sakop tab bhay binu hoi na preeti...

These words mean:

In-spite of praying (persuasions/negotiations) for three days, the God of sea is not getting pleased. So Ram said that without fear there is no affection (alliance/help).

After this, it was decided to destroy the God of Sea by bows and arrows. As soon as credible threats were posed to the God of Sea, the God of Sea appeared and bowed to Ram for forgiveness and cooperated in the project.

The lessons of above two incidents are that in-spite of all persuasions, all motivations, there are certain elements in all the organisation, there are some stake holders and partners who have to be dealt with firm hand. This happens in the best of the organisations having buzz words and values like Stability, Trust, Compassion, Hope, Dignity and Respect.

It is very critical decision to be taken by the leader/manager as to when to apply and to whom to apply the “stick of Ruthlessness”. Sometimes, it becomes absolute necessity, sine qua non to achieve the organisational goals.

Accuracy! Brevity! Clarity! Three Key Words for Effective Communication

Why only three words and not four, five, seven or more are essentials for an effective communication? It is evident from my little experimentation that it is easy and convenient to remember and act on three words/points. Later these take the shape of natural habit and instinct. It is easier to remember ABC of communications than 7 Cs or six steps to communications or 10 mistakes of communications.

I teach in an NGO where youths from rural and underprivileged class, mostly school and college drop outs, are students. At the end of the each lesson, I give them a star having five corners. They are asked to remember and write five things that they learnt during the session of two hours. They all easily write three things and thereafter they start scratching their heads searching for two more points. I have introduced this star called “Take Away Star” even in a prestigious university where I teach quite well placed (from education point of view) youth. They also write three aspects without any hassle but start scratching their heads for the fourth and fifth points. I tried this for class IX children in my village school; same result. So it is much easier and convenient to remember and follow three things than 4,5,6,7 or more things.

When a busy manager or CEO is trying to write a mail or draft a memo or indulges in verbal communication, try and asking him/her; did you follow 7Cs of communication or did you remember to avoid 10 mistakes of communications? I am sure he/she will go crazy. But on the other hand, it would be very easy to remember and follow accuracy, brevity and clarity concept.

Another three things that I remember since my childhood, are when I was in standard II or III in a Hindi medium school in my village. The teacher asked us to write an essay (Nibandh/lekh as called in Hindi) on cow. And he specifically instructed us that the essay should have three parts ie Introduction (Parichay), main body/pros and cons/description (vaykhaya) and summary/conclusion (upsanghar). I remember these and follow in my communications. I am sure, these three aspects combined with ABC will make, not only excellent written or verbal communication but will also simplify, complex theories of communications.

Another three, as I perceive are the senses. Out of five senses, we maximum use three at a time to communicate. When we hear and watch TV or any person talk, only two senses are being used. Taste, seeing and touching are at play when we eat with hands. When we shake hands or hug; touching, hearing and seeing are being used. When we present a bouquet of flower with fragrance; sense of smell, seeing and in case one of them speaks, then hearing are predominant. It is hard to find a situation when all the five senses come into play simultaneously. In fact, some of us totally omit to recognise the sense of taste as an effective means of communication, I am sure chefs won’t like this. Even though one uses two or three senses at a time, but in reality the concentration is only on one.

There are situations when even written or spoken words are not required for effective communication; body language with appropriate facial expressions may be adequate. In the military, there is a formal and the briefest communicating word “WILCO”. It means message received, understood and will be complied with. In Persian language there is a word “CHASHM”. It means the same as Wilco. Wilco is formal and tantamount to obedience of command whereas “CHASHM” is soft, delicate, polite, respectful and very sweet to ears.

Like all leadership and management concepts, ABC of Communications have also come from the teachings and usages in the military. Accuracy, Brevity and Clarity are not only the best methods to follow while communicating by any means, but these also save time, space on the bandwidth, use of materials like papers or power while working on computers or while transmitting. Even the person who receives a message on the pattern of ABC, grasps the content much faster and acts/reacts appropriately. Moreover, ABC are echo friendly, convenient, easy to remember, simple to practise and can be easily converted into natural habits/instinct for very effective communication.

Take Away Star