The Hindu Business Line : <I>Performing vs high-flying</I>

Long many years ago, there was a book titled How to succeed in business without really trying? which took the publishing world by storm and sold millions of copies. It was written in a talking-through-one's-hat style, giving tongue-in-the-cheek advice on ways of stepping on the bodies of others and climbing the ladder to the top in whatever walk of life one found oneself.

From cover to cover, it was one hilarious bombshell of a bestseller, dishing out formula after formula for building up relationships and beating the drab and dreary routine of the workplaces.

The sum and substance of the book was: You did not have to bother about your talents and qualifications, nor waste time on putting out your best in terms of performance, provided you observed a few simple, psychological gimmicks.

For instance, since every human being loved himself and his own name, when talking to him, intersperse his name as often as possible in your conversation with him, moving quickly on to more familiar terms with the use of first name.

Another of the quirky recommendations was that you should contrive, as if accidentally, to be seen by, or be near, or in the presence of, the boss, say, by getting into the lift at the same time as he did, and obsequiously tipping your hat and introducing yourself. If the `accidental' encounters took place often enough, the chances were that your name and behaviour registered themselves in his mind, and this fact could come in handy when he was looking for someone to fill a coveted position.

Unsung heroes

Well, looking around, one has to admit that the book was not some sort of a hocus-pocus after all. It was only giving an exaggerated twist to a reality that governs human relations. For, one does come across a number of instances of persons who, on close scrutiny, do not seem to have the stuff in them, but are able aggressively to push and shove ahead of others to top slots, while those with high credentials and capabilities remain unsung heroes sweating it out in obscurity. In other words, slow and steady does not necessarily win the race.

The riddle of languishing performers vs unstoppable high flyers has not yet been fully resolved. Apparently, there is more to thriving and prospering in a chosen line than just carrying out the assigned tasks well and to the complete satisfaction of oneself and everyone else. Success, it seems, is a function of not only solid worth but also a set of intangible but attractive traits. Indeed, when it comes to the crunch, the latter may count more than the nitty gritty of the actual performance.

A pleasant exterior, positive approach, sweet temperament, love and respect for fellow human beings regardless of rank or station, genuine interest in their well-being and readiness to solve their personal problems to the best of one's ability, volunteering to assume extra responsibility beyond the call of duty — all these qualities help a person win friends to speak up for him at the right places and influence people in his favour.

It must be remembered that in the appraisal of human accomplishments, there is a large measure of subjective component that goes beyond the nuts and bolts of the assigned tasks.

It is quite conceivable, therefore, that even an average performance by a person who enjoys the goodwill and affection of everyone in the circles in which he moves acquires in the eyes of those who matter a compelling luminescence compared to the output of mere plodders.

B. S. RAGHAVAN

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