When you see a woodpecker, remember this.... dear corporate

The beautifully coloured woodpeckers in the woodland and forests carry & convey an important management message for the corporate world. The learning lies not in just observing the beauty or vibrancy of the bird but knowing how incessantly the bird is engaged in its business.

Scientists have proved that a woodpecker peck the wood nearly 20 times per second. If we study the bill architecture of the bird, we can understand that the bill of a woodpecker is no way special or unique for the job of pecking and breaking the wood bark when compared to other similar passerine birds. Indeed, woodpeckers are also not that strong birds like raptors (bird of prey) or crow. Then what makes them different?

Neither the bill of the woodpecker is unique or strong, nor is the bird built with great physic or strength, then how woodpeckers so easily break open the barks of huge trees. The secret lies not just in the uniqueness of the bill or its strength or the power of the bird but in its approach.

The committed effort only helps the woodpecker worthy for the title 'woodpecker'. The bird pecks the bark of the trees nearly 20 times a second. That means, 1200 times the bird peck the bark of the tree per minute. When they peck the same bark repeatedly and continuously, naturally the bark yields to the 'woodpecker'.

The commitment and the untiring effort only make the bird to win over the hard barks of trees. Strength always need not come from something that is strong but how smartly one position and act in different situation is what defines the strength. Repeated effort makes one to easily conquer what is assumed and believed to be impossible or invincible. This is the message, the woodpeckers convey to the corporate world.

Another important message to be learned from the woodpeckers is that by drilling and drumming the wood, they collect the insects and larvae that are hiding beneath the tree bark.

Many insect eating birds always search the insects outside the space of trees and plants. But the woodpeckers smartly search the insects and larvae beneath the tree barks by repeatedly pecking the trees.

Only repeated efforts, consistency and patience breed success and not the mere strength or valiancy. This is what the simple woodpecker in the garden teaches the corporate man. When one search the opportunity, also one need to explore the places that are not visible or open like how woodpeckers search the insects and grubs beneath the tree bark.

What are often lacking in the corporate world are the consistence, perseverance and patience. As a result of the above, the people constantly shift their effort from one thing to other as well as they frequently change the goal and the goal post as well.

The beautiful woodpecker offers the best management insight to those who aspire to be successful in the corporate world. Learn patiently and have patience in your search for success. Let the lessons of woodpeckers guide you to success.

Dr S Ranganathan, ClinRise Derma Pvt., Ltd., Chennai

Learn more from the following management books
1. Jungle wisdom for corporate management – lessons from the university of nature by Swami Sukhabodhananda and Dr S Ranganathan

2. Nature – The Entrepreneur by Dr S Ranganathan