The Pudin-Hara analogy

There are a lot of funny things about my school, but recently I remembered something that I think many of us can relate to. If anyone used to fall sick during school hours, there would only be two remedies – Iodex or Pudin-Hara. Now you may have had Crocin or Disprin as well, but that does not alter or lessen the intensity of my analogy. The very fact that we used to have very few options and whosoever was your savior, either your class teacher or sports teacher, tried to solve any goddamn fever or pain with the same set of medicines holds true. He had broad classification of the problems. Muscle pain or headache – use Iodex. Any internal problem – Pudin Hara.

I am not questioning their intention or something. I am just looking at how many different options I’ve been given by whosoever managed me so far during different phases of my life for 24 years. An average human being is always managed by someone. First by his parents, then his teachers, then may be by a boss (a formal manager at work). If you are a human being living in a normal socio-economic setup, somebody always has a vested interest in managing you. A lot of times, it’s an obligation to pick up one of the remedies or solutions that this person offers you. He mostly uses his own judgment and experience of life in giving you these options. But do you ever cry foul? Like Hey! You did not give me enough choices. You do not understand my problem so well or maybe you are not a good manager and I know what’s best for me.

It may sound clichéd, but most of the middle class parents want their kids to be doctor or engineer (MBA is the latest fashion). So, they try to nurture their interest and inspire their actions on those lines. A lot of times they screw up really bad pushing the child to feel like a loser in life when his potential could have been used in numerous other better ways. Isn’t it just another example of bad management? Isn’t it something where one diagnosed the case wrong, like used Crocin to treat pneumonia and it turned disastrous?

As a grown up, I feel it’s a common management practice or rather a common management screw-up. I term this as “The Pudin Hara Analogy”. Think about it. Say, to a sample of 100 sick people suffering from different ailments, I give Pudin Hara. After 24 hours, 10 of them felt a lot better (may be they had indigestion), 30 of them felt well (may be because they took good rest and it’s not because of the pill), 40 of them did not feel much difference, and 20 of them got further sicker. Now, I am a biased person and I publish an analysis of the statistics as below:
• 10 % of the patients who adopted the precautions and advices regarding usage of the pill well, showed exceptional results.
• 70% showed average results
• 20% of the patients went bad because they did not use the pill well.

Now, look at what happens to us in schools and colleges. All of us are given the same course structure. 20% of us who fail have not studied the subjects well or have not worked hard enough. Our teachers, professors or the system itself that manages it all, boasts success quoting the top 10%. Those who failed must go through same courses again because it’s some inherent problem in them and not the system. The bottom lot is made to believe that the problem is on their part. They do not even realize that they were given the wrong treatment at the first place. Like, they were given “Pudin-hara” for a headache and now when the pain is worse, they are being forced to take the same pill again.

Look at what happens to us in corporate offices. Your manager is a wise man and his success and growth is tied to your performance. He wants you to adopt all the practices that he ever used to reach height. A lot of times, he actually tries to morph you into another copy of himself. Those of his reports, who exceeded expectations, followed his teachings well. Those who underperformed are not hard-working and need to be managed out.

The very fact that individuals are all unique and need customized solutions and treatments is not well understood in this world. Humans are emotional beings and cannot be treated in an assembly line. They are so unique that you need unique methods to harness their potential. So, if you are managing someone’s career as a manager or a father, try having better means than “Only Pudin-Hara”. And if you are a wise man, who can understand his own problems and listen to his instincts, do not settle at “Only Pudin-Hara”.