Are you a frog or fish in corporate? A HR message 

Patriots are good or bad for a corporate? Patriots or professional, who are the most wanted ‘species’ for the corporate these days? How to define patriots from professionals from the perspective of corporate dynamics?

Patriots in a corporate world are like fishes in a pond. Once water is drained out, the fishes would die or in other word, fishes cannot survive without water body. Professionals are like frogs that can jump to other habitats and until they reach another pond, can breathe and survive on land as well.

Another way of defining the patriots is that they know only to worship their bosses or the corporate. On the other hand, the professionals know only to show their respect. The patriots always show their concern about what is harmful to the organization, as if they are the ‘born well wishers’ of the organization and on the contrary, the professionals would speak what the organization should do in order to prevent any harm. The patriots would say don’t do this and that, while the professional would say what one should do and not.

From the evolutionary perspective, the professionals are evolved in a diverse way like how frogs have become amphibious to live in water, land and even in an arboreal life style. Some species of frogs even freeze and crystallize during winter. But most species of fishes (except one or two) could survive only in water. The habitat of fish is absolutely known and which is certain. Some of the fishes are fresh water while others are marine water inhabitants. So is the habitat of patriots in the organizations. They lead the life of being a patriot, doing nothing in the organization. They show as if they are more concerned about the organization. Any change, even when it is relating to the growth of the organization, patriots may find it as a problem. In corporate, patriots will see everything through the eye of suspicion and doubt and not with passion and vision.

In true sense, the corporate patriots are like obligate parasites whereas professionals are more like facultative parasites in their behaviour. The obligate parasites cannot survive without the given host whereas, the facultative parasites can easily move from one host to other and it always look for its further evolution. However, professionals are strictly opportunist in nature.

Patriots hang onto the past whereas the professionals speak more about the future. Unless right mix of past learning and sensible hope and forecasting for future is made, the organization may not grow. Organization should facilitate its employees to evolve not just change.

Change in biology is always reversible. The change can go irreversible especially when the past exerts its power and dominance on people. Hence they resist moving forward. Like a fully stretched rubber band, they will return back to the original position once the force is released. Evolution is more often an all inclusive change which is irreversible in nature.

Discouraging or encouraging the professionals or the patriots should not be the work style the organization. How to bring professional elements in patriots and patriotic elements in professional should be the approach the organization should inculcate.

Dr S Ranganathan