Sunday, January 24, 2010

The Frog

There was our great researcher (Mad Scientist?) who did some intriguing and curious research on various things. One day he caught a frog and started training it to jump on command. The frog did well in training and learned quickly with zeal and effort. The frog could easily jump 10 feet on hearing the command "JUMP". At last, the day arrived, when the frog was to be put into real research work. So our great researcher took it to the lab and started his experiment.

He put the frog on the floor and shouted "JUMP". The frog jumped 10 feet. He noted it down. Now, he cut the left hind leg of the frog. Now, he shouted "JUMP", the frog jumped 20 centimetres. The distance was noted down. Then the researcher cut the other hind leg too, now the frog had just the 2 legs in the front. Our researcher again shouted "JUMP", the frog moved 2 centimetres. Again distance noted down.

Now, the mad scientist, sorry researcher, cut one of the legs forelegs that made the frog to have only one leg. Now, the command was given "Jump", the frog managed to move 1/2 centimetre. Again stats noted down. At last the final leg too was removed and when he said "JUMP", the frog never moved.

The researcher concluded the experiment with the report saying "When you cut all the four legs of the frog, the frog becomes DEAF".

This is what is happening to some good performers in the organisation. First their freedom and power is being slowly removed and at last they are tied altogether with no freedom or thought of their own, but has to act mechanical. But later when it comes to performance review or appraisal, the report comes something like "You have an attitude problem, maybe you should correct it :)"

The Mad Scientists keep on doing this to many frogs, that there are only crippled frogs out there. :)

So long until the next post...