How to see your talents, learn from Dalmatian pups

Dalmatian pups are born with plain white skin and the unique and differentiating 'Dalmatian spots' appear only after a week to ten days of birth. Although when they are pups or a week old, they cannot be identified as Dalmatian pups or pups of other breeds, but in 10 days one can differentiate them from other breed of dogs. By this time the pups slowly develop the 'spots' in the skin.

At one stage, what may look ordinary and indistinguishable becomes very distinct and unique later. One has to observe and follow patiently for a while only then the uniqueness can be understood. One may miss to see the Dalmatian qualities if they stop watching them further and quickly conclude that they are just pups of any other dog.

HR function need to understand the above truth and should develop sensitivity, patience and carefulness in their observation of the people in the corporate. The manifestation of uniqueness to easily diagnosable proportion may take time like how the Dalmatian spots appear in pups only after a week to ten days. The point is not when the uniqueness would appear but one need to observe all events carefully to pick up the uniqueness.

Many talents reside in most corporate. In most instances, the talents are visible and obvious but no one in general and the HR function in particular is careful or wise enough to know and recognize them. The HR may be very fair and truthful in identifying and developing the talents but may not have the adequate knowledge in identifying and recognizing the talents in corporate.

The people in HR function needs to be trained how to identify and recognize the talents or uniqueness by showing the finest example of Dalmatian pups in nature. Only when the HR function is taught and trained, they could exhibit the required level of temperament and patience in studying the talents/uniqueness.

Even from a dog breeder and from different breeds of dogs, a corporate can enrich its management learning. All one need is openness and willingness to learn and integrate such wisdom to the mainstream of the corporate governance.

One can exert a choice of just observe and conclude or look carefully and study all changes before one conclude or become judgmental. Careful verification is inevitable but how long one has to exercise patience in identifying talents is a big question. HR must attempt to answer the above question with intuitive wisdom and not with scientific doctrine. Achieving success and seeing an opportunity for success lies in our astute observation of facts with patience, let the corporate HR focus on this first.

Management Book – Jungle wisdom for corporate management – lessons from university of nature by Swami Sukhabodhananda and Dr S Ranganathan