Lehman brothers hired the best-trained brains in the industry, best MBA, CFA and Analyst. Arguably the best intellect at investment banks form the spine of the global financial system, yet the global meltdown of 2009 , was completely a man-made disaster. In an article, The Economist said that any outsider could have seen the rot in the financial system of America but not the bosses of the financial firms. Think of it, the best brains in the US, Ivy league executives which taught others, to make money out of money…actually could not see this happen.
Why could not they see? How did they Errr..?
Can we call it the curse of too much knowledge? Or was it the illusion of control? Or is one the cause of the effect? This is not about the global financial crises. It is about box of knowledge.
Let's pick a story from the "Wisdom of Kung Fu-Panda" crux of the animated movie Kungfu Panda. Sagely Kung-Fu Master Oogway the Tortoise selects a fat Panda Po, devoid of any Kung fu skills as the ultimate saviour from notorious Tiger Tai Lung.Master Shibu ( Disciple of Tortise- Oogway) cannot believe that a fat, lazy, perpetually hungry Panda, could be better than his other legendary disciples, who had practised hard for years. He believed, his disciples were better equipped to beat the Challenger Tai Lung and Panda could never learn the art. Master Oogway remained sagely unperturbed- he gave Shibu some Kung-fu wisdom - to bring harmony in his eyes, to see beyond his curse of knowledge, shed his illusion of control. Only then did Shibu, Inspired by the faith of his master believe in the Panda. The Panda not only learned Kung Fu..but had some advantages which Master Shibu would not imagine…….the panda proved the faith in him right By defeating Tiger Tai Lung
Why did the Panda succeed?
Did panda have too much systematic knowledge, conventional wisdom?..did he have an illusion of control..he was just what he was, himself, doing the basics right with courage…devoid of too much knowledge of the system not enclosed in a box. Unfortunately, the global financial system had no celestial intervention or the wisdom of Sagely kungfu guru Oogway.
One can merely speculate, whatever it is worth. Innovation and varied perspectives aren’t formed due to a system, they are spontaneous and arise when we leave enough slack & diversity in the organization. Unfortunately, we believe that only one X set of inputs in a system can create Y. We narrowly define the inputs. Take a straight jacket approach. Get stuck…exactly as the financial system. Knowledge is power, yet…. It is as much a curse, It imprisons you inside the very body of knowledge. It encloses you in a box, curses you not to see, beyond it. It can be seen, as an improvised form of the bounded rationality concept of economics. Rare are people who break this BOX.
Human beings want to control, they wish they could measure everything and try to analyze and recreate it. Man’s achievement…its monuments, his scientific advancements exist because of this instinct. Overindulgence in this knowledge creates exactly what one can call the curse of knowledge.
Let's look at our own organization, inside the organizational process and systems- how many are willing to have a fresh viewpoint from a fresh manager? Does not our organization use, only going through their own grind as a pre-requisite to have an opinion. Is there any motivation or understanding to innovate, to change, to look at things differently? Is it not a curse of knowledge? The Inertia of Status Quo?
A fresh new look by a fresh manager from a different industry may bring in the imagined space and innovation in your products or services. Why? Maybe this new blood is not under the pressure of encroached knowledge of your industry or organizations. Do leaders need this new blood with an unbiased perspectives, different kinds of knowledge? yes they do… Why then would you find young line staff coaching Leaders at this renowned company?
Reverse mentoring at Nokia
Why could not they see? How did they Errr..?
Can we call it the curse of too much knowledge? Or was it the illusion of control? Or is one the cause of the effect? This is not about the global financial crises. It is about box of knowledge.
Let's pick a story from the "Wisdom of Kung Fu-Panda" crux of the animated movie Kungfu Panda. Sagely Kung-Fu Master Oogway the Tortoise selects a fat Panda Po, devoid of any Kung fu skills as the ultimate saviour from notorious Tiger Tai Lung.Master Shibu ( Disciple of Tortise- Oogway) cannot believe that a fat, lazy, perpetually hungry Panda, could be better than his other legendary disciples, who had practised hard for years. He believed, his disciples were better equipped to beat the Challenger Tai Lung and Panda could never learn the art. Master Oogway remained sagely unperturbed- he gave Shibu some Kung-fu wisdom - to bring harmony in his eyes, to see beyond his curse of knowledge, shed his illusion of control. Only then did Shibu, Inspired by the faith of his master believe in the Panda. The Panda not only learned Kung Fu..but had some advantages which Master Shibu would not imagine…….the panda proved the faith in him right By defeating Tiger Tai Lung
Why did the Panda succeed?
Did panda have too much systematic knowledge, conventional wisdom?..did he have an illusion of control..he was just what he was, himself, doing the basics right with courage…devoid of too much knowledge of the system not enclosed in a box. Unfortunately, the global financial system had no celestial intervention or the wisdom of Sagely kungfu guru Oogway.
One can merely speculate, whatever it is worth. Innovation and varied perspectives aren’t formed due to a system, they are spontaneous and arise when we leave enough slack & diversity in the organization. Unfortunately, we believe that only one X set of inputs in a system can create Y. We narrowly define the inputs. Take a straight jacket approach. Get stuck…exactly as the financial system. Knowledge is power, yet…. It is as much a curse, It imprisons you inside the very body of knowledge. It encloses you in a box, curses you not to see, beyond it. It can be seen, as an improvised form of the bounded rationality concept of economics. Rare are people who break this BOX.
Human beings want to control, they wish they could measure everything and try to analyze and recreate it. Man’s achievement…its monuments, his scientific advancements exist because of this instinct. Overindulgence in this knowledge creates exactly what one can call the curse of knowledge.
Let's look at our own organization, inside the organizational process and systems- how many are willing to have a fresh viewpoint from a fresh manager? Does not our organization use, only going through their own grind as a pre-requisite to have an opinion. Is there any motivation or understanding to innovate, to change, to look at things differently? Is it not a curse of knowledge? The Inertia of Status Quo?
A fresh new look by a fresh manager from a different industry may bring in the imagined space and innovation in your products or services. Why? Maybe this new blood is not under the pressure of encroached knowledge of your industry or organizations. Do leaders need this new blood with an unbiased perspectives, different kinds of knowledge? yes they do… Why then would you find young line staff coaching Leaders at this renowned company?
Reverse mentoring at Nokia
:)))))))))))
ReplyDeleteGreat introspection and linking with common man and its world of knowledge..but as we say knowledge is divine...but its application is decisive and one should be truthful to its soul and mind..
ReplyDeleteI bow to your thoughts and introspection...