‘Pigeon Need’…a HR Message for Corporate Leaders

A very uncommon and strange behaviour the blue rock pigeon used to display especially during breeding season. The corporate people when see the common blue rock pigeon in the residential areas must remember that the strange and uncommon behaviour of the pigeon has a very meaningful management lesson for the people in corporate.
It has been scientifically proved that the female pigeon could ovulate and lay eggs only if she meets another female pigeon despite her having mate with a male bird. Such phenomenon is called ‘visual stimulation and ovulation’.

If another female bird is not there in the vicinity, the ovulation may get further delayed or may not even happen. Although mating is inevitable for the formation of fertile eggs among birds, the visual stimuli are important for the pigeons to ovulate and lay eggs.

The exact reason for the above strange behaviour is not known. Perhaps, such stimuli may make many female birds to lay eggs simultaneously. Such possibility will give them the advantage of ‘being together’ at the time of nursing the nestling and fledgling. Gregariousness do offers security and protection especially when birds are incubating and caring the young ones.

The corporate and HR must realize that the best performance of some people also require such stimulation/support. The best salary, best work content, bright future prospects, although are inevitable for people to perform, but something beyond all, some employees may require. Unless and until their special requirements are understood and fulfilled, their performance capability cannot be properly utilized.

When mating between a male and female pigeon is complete, the female bird is expected to ovulate and lay eggs. This is what the reproductive biology most birds in nature follow except the pigeon.

The message from ‘visual stimulation and ovulation’ in pigeons is very loud and clear. Specificity, uniqueness and idiosyncrasies do exist among different employees. To tap the performance potential of each employee, the HR must learn human psychology and evolutionary biology. A mere setting target and achievement appraisal alone will not help the organization to move to the next level.

Understand your people, cognize their specificities, support and then lead them to success. This is the law or philosophy nature always follows. Learn from nature and govern the corporate and people to success and happiness. Let that be your motto.

Do not operate from what you have done to your employees is the best, understand whether they also perceive and feel what is given to them is the best. Only when the giver and the receiver sail together and happiness and harmony would blossom. Only from such corporate, the best performances and best talents would emerge.

By Dr S Ranganathan