How to make people perform in corporate....a HR insight

Why the plants grown in wild are slow in their growth and also flower and fruit slowly whereas their hybrid counterparts in pots grow fast and then flower and fruit quickly? If we carefully look at the root growth i.e., the length and branching system of the root of wild plants and compare it with the potted plants, we can understand that the wild plants produce enormous root system than the potted plants.

The flowering and fruiting can be compared to performance of any plant. In that respect, the potted plants like rose, mango etc., perform faster and better than its wild counter part. Why it happens so?

Those who are in the helm of affairs in corporate and their respective HR function must find the answer to the above question. In wild, the plants engage largely in gathering resources, combating their enemies, adjusting to their ever changing surroundings etc. Whereas, for the potted hybrid plants, such struggle is not there and hence produce least root system when compared to the wild one, and hence they flower and fruit faster.

In corporate where people have lot of struggles to survive, performs slowly. Because of the uncertainty, people have to deal their treacherous bosses, cunning and clever colleagues, smart subordinates, nosy peer group and above all, they also have to outsmart and outshine others in impressing the super boss. When an employee has to do all the above to exist and survive, where else they get time and mind to perform?

The bosses in some corporate are more concerned about the subordinates praising them, expects the subordinates to say that without the boss, they cannot even imagine how perform etc. This happens often in companies that are run by the owners as 'family juggernaut'.

Always the owners of such organizations need that they are needed by their subordinates. Those bosses (owners) often derive their motivation and strength from such flattery of their subordinates. These bosses overwork and never miss any occasion to prove to the subordinates that they are very hard working, ever interested in learning and expanding their knowledge, have untiring sprit etc. In such corporate naturally people prefer to flatter the bosses and that is all is expected from them and not the real performance. Owners of some companies even make an issue out of the people who have missed to say good morning to them.

If the corporate really want people to perform better and better, minimize their struggle, minimize your intervention into their freedom, authority, dignity and work space. You are only the boss or owner by definition but your subordinates are the bosses of their work. If you create such hybrid culture where struggle for existence and survival is least, fear of uncertainty and insecurity is the least, where the subordinates needs not praise the boss as a part of their daily routine, definitely people would perform and the organization also would flourish.

Dr S Ranganathan