AKS

Elephant the Management Guru!

Date: 5th July, 2009
Time: 7:45 pm
Venue: Gokhale Road Naupada,Thane

Are you perplexed with the Tittle? Are you taxing your brains thinking about the connection between this Mammoth and Management? Allow me to explain.
I had always heard that Elephants are very intelligent animals. But have you ever seen an Elephant practising Management? This Elephant seems to have all the qualities of a Management Guru. I will tell you why!! : )
Foreword: It collected coins and notes on the tip of his trunk and would give it up to the Mahout only when a substantial amount was collected to avoid taking pains by raising his trunk consecutively again and again. This shows that the Elephant was a Smart Worker and not just a Hard Worker. But it got swayed when it saw someone giving him Bananas. He lost his focus, gave whatever coins he collected to the Mahout and continued to binge on the Bananas. One Man just pretended to give him something to eat but never gave it to the Elephant. The Elephant however gave all the coins to the Mahout.

Now what are the lessons that we learn from this Elephant.
1. Keep some cards in your hands, do not divulge all. You rule the roost till the time you are the sole party to whats IMPORTANT.
2. Be a smart worker and not just a hard worker. Gone are the days to slog. It is time to be proactive and plan strategic moves. Foresight, initiative, innovation, interpersonal skills and Plan B are the new found key words.
3. It is good to focus on something and treat it as significant but if a fruitful(literally in this case : ) opportunity comes along you may switch your streams to be part of the High Tide.
4. There are people who show us Gajjar( banana in this case hehe) but that might just be a facade and you might end up loosing out on what you had in your hands in the first place.
5. Every situation is different and it is necessary to contemplate the pros and cons of every action and act accordingly. One way of reacting might not necessarily fit the bill for all the circumstances. Your thought process needs to be fluid.

Isn't it weird but wonderful how people, places, animals and our surroundings have a lesson or two to teach. We just need to observe them closely and decode the hidden meanings and apply them in the due course of our lives.